SALT LAKE CITY — Nearly eight years after stabbing a woman to death in a dispute over a stolen phone, the man who was found guilty of her murder was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Over the summer, Kidus Yohannes was found guilty of first-degree aggravated murder in the November 2018 death of 20-year-old Candace Samples. On Tuesday, Yohannes was sentenced for the murder charge, and another 0-5 years for one count of attempted manslaughter for stabbing Samples' friend.
On November 7, 2018, police responded to an area behind a now-closed store at 477 North and 300 West after an incident that followed Samples stealing Yohannes' phone while at the Marmalade Library.
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Yohannes confronted Samples and another person about his phone while inside a dumpster behind the store and pulled a knife on the two. A witness saw Yohannes with the knife and ran to get help. After the witness alerted Jeffrey Plante to what was happening, Plante ran to the dumpster and was immediately attacked and stabbed by Yohannes.
After attacking Plante, Yohannes stabbed Samples 20 times before running off.
Samples was transported to the hospital but died soon after arriving, while Plante survived after spending time in the ICU.
Yohannes denied stabbing either Samples or Plante, but DNA testing of blood found on his shoes matched Samples' profile.
"We hope that Ms. Samples’ family feels they have received some measure of justice. We know it is not perfect justice; if it were perfect justice, Ms. Samples would still be in our community today,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.