State v. Leiva-Perez

Opinion

VOROS, Judge:

¶1 Jose Leiva-Perez appeals his conviction for murder, a first degree felony. He contends that police officers coerced a confession from him. We affirm.

BACKGROUND

¶2 Leiva-Perez, a Guatemalan national, shared a trailer with a male roommate (Victim) in rural Utah. In January 2013 Leiva-Perez called one of Victim’s sisters and told her that Victim had been taken to a hospital, having been “really bad[ly] beaten” by four people. When Leiva-Perez “stopped answer ing” her calls, the sister, who lived out of state, called local hospitals; none had any information on Victim. She…