- Charles Yoo was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for a double-murder that occured in Blanding in February 2024.
- Family members shared the impact the murders have had on their lives at a sentencing hearing on Monday.
- Judge Don Torgerson recommended Yoo never receive parole due to the crime's severity.
BLANDING — Family members blasted the actions of a Blanding man who was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison Monday for the "depraved" murders of his two housemates, whose bodies he dumped in the desert.
Charles Yoo, 36, pleaded guilty in September in Utah's 7th District Court to two counts of aggravated murder. In a plea statement, Yoo admitted he shot and killed Christopher "Topher" Owens, 28, and William "Drew" Bull, 29, in February 2024 and "subsequently placed their respective bodies in military tote-style containers and attempted to conceal the crime by disposing of the totes with the bodies therein by hiding them in the desert."
Owens and Bull were deemed missing a few days after the murder when a mutual friend reported a suspicious text message from Bull's phone. The situation quickly turned into a homicide investigation, and Yoo was arrested and charged with the killings. The bodies were located in Arizona a few weeks later.
Several family members spoke out about the murder at Monday's sentencing hearing, including details that hadn't been previously shared in court.
Christopher Owens' dad, Alan Owens, said Bull was killed first by Yoo, and Christopher Owens then ran and grabbed Bull's two children, who were in the room, and locked them in another room before getting shot himself.
"Those children are alive today because of my son's courage," he said, calling his son a hero.
'Monster in the house'
Bull's father-in-law, Chris Schuhmann, spoke on behalf of his family, saying the "horrendous" actions have traumatized them.
"I speak today for our three grandkids, which were just 3 (years old), 1 (year old) and 4 weeks old at the time of their dad's death, and which two of them were there and witnessed Yoo shooting their dad," Schumann said.
He said Yoo came into Bull's life after he had his first baby, became "Uncle Chuck," and was welcomed into the family. While the family trusted Yoo at first, there were "cracks" in his behavior and several family members tried to warn Bull, Schuhmann said.
"Unfortunately, Drew didn't listen," he said.
"Why did you decide to do it in front of those two babies that were your godchildren?" Schuhmann asked. "We know our grandchildren are alive because of Christopher. If he hadn't scooped them up and ran to another room, then locked them in, would you also have murdered them? Did you hate them that much?"
Schuhmann suggested that Yoo may have been jealous because Bull had a loving family, whereas Yoo had no relationship with his own family. Schuhmann also said Yoo had admitted in hidden notes that he loved Bull's wife and may have wanted her to leave Bull. Evidence also showed Yoo may have been seeking money from Bull, he said.
"In 25 years, our three grandkids will go before the parole board and tell the story of the monster in the house who destroyed their family and why Yoo should continue to stay in prison," Schuhmann said.
Alan Owens lamented the "future moments that will never happen" for his son, such as marrying his fiancée and becoming a father.
"Christopher's death has shattered his entire family. … This is not something we will ever get over. Christopher's absence is permanent. Every holiday, every family gathering, every moment of joy will be tinged with the space where he should be," Alan Owens said.
Christopher Owens' fiancée, Ariel Hill, said Owens was "the most kind, caring, loving and selfless person I have ever had the honor of knowing."
"The past year and a half has been a nightmare for everyone," she said. "We will never get to enjoy his presence, hear his laughter, see his smile that lit up a room."
Hill shared how scared she was during the days Owens was missing, saying she called him every few minutes for two full days, but a response never came.
"How could you do this to them? How could you dump them in the desert like they were nothing?" Hill asked. "Yoo does not deserve to see the light of day or feel any freedom ever again after what he took from us."
A senseless murder
After the victims' family members spoke, defense attorney Ryan Stout said Yoo served six years in the military, where he received significant traumatic brain injuries and was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Yoo had gotten a service dog to help with his PTSD and anger issues, but the dog died a few months prior to the crime. Yoo felt like he lost all progress he had made when the dog died, Stout said.
Stout read a statement from Yoo in which he said he regrets his actions and wishes he could take them back. He said Yoo has accepted responsibility and pleaded guilty to spare the families from a trial.
"I go from zero to 100 too fast, and I have serious anger issues. I have worked on those with a therapist, but obviously, I have a lot more work to do," Yoo's statement said.
Judge Don Torgerson called Yoo's actions "sinister" and "depraved" and said they "just can't be understood or explained."
"You executed a father while his children were there. ... You then executed another good man who was there trying to intervene, and there's not been a reason given for it other than you are an angry person with work to do. And maybe that is the explanation, that this is as senseless as it seems to be," Torgerson said.
Torgerson had initially accepted a plea agreement to sentence Yoo to concurrent terms of 25 years to life. But after hearing the family's statements, which had "facts I was made aware of today that were not in my understanding previously," he said Yoo's actions were "consecutive level."
He sentenced Yoo to serve the terms consecutively, but Utah law dictates that if a judge changes their mind on a resolution, the agreement is unwound and further legal action will be needed to impose the sentence.
After conversing with the counsel, the judge said, "I have considered the further harm of unwinding this to the family. ... So, I am going to step back and impose concurrent sentences, with a recommendation, Mr. Yoo, that you not receive a parole date ever ... you are not deserving of one."
While not legally binding, Torgerson said the court's opinion on the matter will be taken into account by the parole board.
"You have left a hole so much bigger here than your incarceration will ever cure," Torgerson said.
