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Posted: 1:52 PM- ST. GEORGE - Trisha Stubbs, bound with duct tape at her hands, feet and mouth, was hopping away from the car she was kidnapped in when Jack Daniel Brown knocked her to the ground and shot the 20-year-old woman in the head, a witness testified Wednesday.

Kyle Sheldon Jensen said that after the shooting, Jack Daniel Brown said something about "killing snitches," an apparent reference to Stubbs, who earlier that day had talked to police detectives about crimes Brown allegedly committed.

Testifying in a preliminary hearing that began Wednesday in 5th District Judge James Shumate's court, Jensen said he was in the car with Tina Eileen Roberts when Brown shot Stubbs.

Brown, 28, is charged with capital murder, first-degree felony kidnapping and obstruction of justice in her death, which was believed to have occurred the evening of Jan. 4, 2006.

A short time before the shooting, Jensen testified, Brown showed up at Roberts' house in Hurricane, where Brown and Jensen had been staying.

Brown had Stubbs with him.

Jensen, who testified he had been doing methamphetamine, said he heard some shouting and went into the kitchen, where he saw Roberts and Brown beating Stubbs.

Roberts hit her with her fists and Brown hit her with his fists and kicked her in the face, Jensen testified. Brown, he said, was laughing during the beating.

Brown then told Jensen to get his stuff. "You're coming with us," Brown said, according to Jensen.

Grabbing a coat and putting on his shoes, Jensen returned to the kitchen and saw Stubbs had been bound with duct tape. Brown ordered Jensen to pick her up and put in in the back seat of Roberts' car, Jensen said.

Jensen complied then got in the back seat of the car with Stubbs.

Roberts was in the passenger seat and Brown was driving. During the drive, Jensen said, he overheard Roberts say to Brown, "If you don't do it, I will have to."

They stopped at a remote spot near Toquerville Falls, east of the town of Toquerville, and Jensen witnessed the killing from the back seat, he testified.

He said he heard several shots, at least one of which hit Stubbs in the head. He then saw Brown reload the .357-caliber revolver.

Brown pointed the gun at Jensen and told him to get out and cut the tape off of Stubbs, Jensen testified. Using a knife, Jensen cut the tape, rolled it up into a ball and gave it to Brown.

Leaving the body at the murder scene, the three then drove to a car wash in LaVerkin and washed the car. Then they went to Roberts' house.

Roberts testified Wednesday that while they were driving to the car wash, Brown made her telephone her 15-year-old daughter to instruct her to clean up the blood on the kitchen floor, where Stubbs had been beaten.

Upon arriving at Roberts' house, Roberts testified, she packed clothes for herself and her two children, the daughter and a 5-year-old son, argued with her husband, Michael Stedt, then went to Jensen's house, where Jensen packed some clothes.

Brown, Roberts, Jensen and Roberts' kids then drove to Southern California, where they spent several days with her brother.

On their way back to Utah, on Jan. 11, they were arrested in Las Vegas on suspicion of Stubbs' murder. Stubbs' body had been found four days earlier at the murder scene.

Brown, Roberts, Jensen and the 15-year-old daughter were charged with aggravated murder, a capital offense, aggravated kidnapping, first-degree felony; and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.

In a deal with prosecutors, Jensen, 21, and Roberts, were allowed to plead guilty to aggravated kidnapping in March 2006 in exchange for their testimony against Brown. Prosecutors then dropped the murder and obstruction charges.

Jensen was sentenced in July to six years to life and Roberts,15 to life.

During Wednesday's preliminary hearing, Brown, dressed in jail garb and a bullet-resistant vest, sat quietly with his court-appointed defense attorneys, Michael Esplin and Mary Corporon.

Chief Deputy County Attorney Brian Filter and Deputy County Attorney Ryan Shaum are prosecuting the murder case.

The preliminary hearing is expected to last until Friday, after which Shumate will decide whether there is enough evidence to send Brown to trial.

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