- The Utah Court of Appeals dismissed three felony convictions against Chad D. Connelley.
- Connelley’s will still remain in prison for at least 35 year, after the court affirmed his consecutive sentences on the other charges.
- The man was convicted of sexually assaulting and robbing a woman who was walking home at night.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Court of Appeals dismissed three felony convictions against a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman who was on her way home from a bar, ruling they should have been combined into another charge.
But, the court also found that 3rd District Court Judge Coral Sanchez did not abuse her discretion in imposing consecutive sentences for the man, affirming four sentences totaling at least 35 years and up to life in prison.
Chad D. Connelley, 54, was charged on Sept. 24, 2001 after being accused of assaulting a woman he didn’t know who gave him an odd look months earlier.
Case background
Charging documents said the woman was walking home at night in a construction zone near 600 South and 300 West in Salt Lake City when Connelley, a homeless man, asked her what time it was and she did not respond. Moments later, Connelley grabbed her from behind, sexually assaulted her, strangled her and brandished a knife telling her “she is lucky he isn’t slitting her throat,” charges state…