A victim’s rights committee says the Wasatch County sheriff’s and attorney’s offices may have violated the rights of the family of Patrick Hayes to be informed about the justice process and to be treated with respect.
Hayes is the Hideout man shot and killed outside Jordanelle State Park a little over a year ago.
Summit County resident Greg Kyle DeBoer was charged with felony obstruction of justice in December 2024 after he told investigators he shot Hayes, then buried the gun. He was not charged with the shooting itself.
On Monday, Nov. 3, Hayes’ family brought a formal complaint to the 4th District Victims' Rights Committee. The family asked for an independent review of the sheriff’s office investigation and how the DeBoer case is being prosecuted.
In the complaint, the family’s attorney, Jim Bradshaw, wrote county leaders have treated them with “silence, resistance or indifference.”
The complaint also alleges Wasatch County leaders have violated the family’s rights to be informed about the legal process and to be treated with dignity and respect.
Before the hearing, Bradshaw told KPCW the concerns link back to prosecutors’ decision not to charge DeBoer with the fatal shooting.
“Underlying part of the situation is the refusal of Wasatch County to file a homicide charge,” he said. “Wasatch County won’t talk about that. They won’t explain why they won’t do it.”
He said he hopes the complaint leads to changes in how his clients are treated.
“My hope would be that they would recognize the violations and recommend to the court – and perhaps even other agencies like the attorney general’s office in the state of Utah – that some action be taken to ensure that Wasatch County honors their constitutional and statutory obligations,” he said.
During Monday’s meeting, committee members debated the definition of “victim.” Committee member Kevin Thurman said one section of Utah law restricts the scope only to crimes linked to criminal charges – in this case, obstruction of justice.
“Obstruction of justice is usually a victimless crime; it’s a crime against the administration of government, basically,” he said.
But Thurman added that any problems within the past month could be considered. That’s because a judge ruled in October that two relatives can serve as victim representatives, commenting in her ruling that there would be no obstruction case but for the fatal shooting.
The hourlong hearing ended with the committee deciding there’s enough evidence to suggest the family’s rights had been violated, including their right to be treated with dignity, respect and sensitivity.
Next, the committee will inform the sheriff’s office, the attorney’s office and the Hayes family of the potential violations. Each side will have a chance to share more information.
The victims’ rights committee will discuss the complaint again in December.
The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment, since the case is open.
A spokesperson for Wasatch County said the county attorney had recused himself from Monday’s meeting. He ordinarily sits on the committee.
Meanwhile, DeBoer’s case is working its way through 4th District Court. He’s scheduled for a Wednesday hearing where he is expected to enter a plea.
