DeBoer admitted he fatally shot Hideout resident Patrick Hayes in a late-night road rage altercation in September 2024, then allegedly buried the gun near his Browns Canyon home. He told investigators he fired in self-defense.
He has been charged with one count of obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony. He is not charged in connection with Hayes’ death.
On Wednesday morning, April 23, 4th District Court Judge Jennifer Mabey granted DeBoer permission to remove the ankle monitor he’s been wearing since he was released on bail in late December.
“Under the circumstances, and with the crime that Mr. DeBoer is charged with and his compliance at this point, I do find that it would be appropriate to allow the ankle monitor to be removed,” she said.
She said she’ll reconsider her decision if DeBoer violates any of the eight protective or no-contact orders currently in place.
At Wednesday's preliminary hearing, DeBoer’s attorney, Andrew Deesing, said his client is being treated unfairly.
“Every time we leave this building, Judge, we are perp walked by the Wasatch County sheriff’s deputies out of the courthouse, down the steps and off the premises,” he said. “He cannot get a fair trial here.”
Deesing said DeBoer is “the actual victim.”
“He, since that last hearing, has been stalked twice,” he said. “He has stalking injunctions pending where he is the actual victim in those instances. He’s had an individual attempt to steal his property through a fraudulent deed. And yet he remains, stays put, does exactly what he’s supposed to do.”
Deesing is referring to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Hayes’ son, Christian Hayes, in Summit County district court in February. That lawsuit originally also alleged DeBoer committed fraud by transferring the deed to his home to his girlfriend, then to two other people.
But DeBoer and his girlfriend say they never met those two people, who now face felony forgery charges.
DeBoer has also filed protective orders against them. A judge will decide whether to grant the injunctions later this month.
Mabey pushed back against Deesing’s assertions. She said the courthouse is taking extra precautions because it’s an emotionally charged case.
“He’s being escorted to make sure that he leaves the premises before there’s any interaction between the people who are on various sides of this case,” she said. “I don’t know that I see that as impacting your client’s ability to get a fair trial.”
The attorneys decided to push the preliminary hearing until June 4. That’s when the judge will determine whether there’s enough evidence for the case to go to trial.
