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SALT LAKE CITY — An associate of an Utah concert promoter who was convicted of murder and sentenced to prison earlier this year is now facing a criminal charge himself.
Michael Witt, 47, of Salt Lake City, was charged Wednesday with obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
On May 14, 2022, Salt Lake police were called to the parking lot of Arby's, 1650 S. State, where Trevor Francis Bellaccomo, 34, was found bleeding from his neck and was unresponsive. Investigators determined that Bellaccomo was stabbed nine times and killed.
Detectives learned that the actual assault happened at nearby Resolute Tattoo, 1626 S. State, where the back parking lot was being used that night as a concert venue for a punk rock show. Neal was the promoter for the venue and coordinated the bands that play there.
He was arrested and charged in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony, and obstructing justice, a second-degree felony. In December, he was convicted of murder and in March was sentenced to a term of 15 years to life in the Utah State Prison.
According to charging documents filed Wednesday, Witt was an associate of Neal and was attending the concert that night and assisting with the sound system.
When police questioned Witt about the stabbing, he said he saw a pool of blood in front of the venue and followed it to the Arby's where he found Bellaccomo, the charges state.
"When asked if he knew who was involved or if he saw anyone around the pool of blood, Witt said, 'Everyone was like running off. There's people all over the place, you know? But I couldn't say if anyone was involved in it, you know.' When asked if he recognized anyone running when he first got to where blood was found, Witt said he recalled a 'bunch of girls,'" according to charging documents.
But when police reviewed surveillance video, it showed that when Witt arrived and found the pool of blood, "Neal was standing there with what other witnesses describe as blood on his face and clothing that was easily visible. The video shows Neal and Witt standing next to each other, and they appear to be conversing, then Witt followed the blood trail toward Arby's," the charges state.
