West Valley City man sentenced to prison for stabbing, killing his aunt's boyfriend

SALT LAKE CITY — A woman whose dad died after being stabbed four and a half years ago said she feels like there should be no leniency for the man found guilty of killing him, urging the prison sentence that was ultimately given.

Amber Houston said the loss of her dad has taken a mental toll on her and damaged her family. She does not believe Deon Jennings meant to kill her dad, but that he did mean to cause significant damage to him. She said Jennings and her dad, Willie Houston, had a toxic relationship.

Although Jennings' attorney said he reported everything to police after learning what happened, Amber Houston said she reached out to Jennings first, and he had shown no remorse and did not contact police without her urging.

"I called him repeatedly, I reached out to him repeatedly and I connected the dots between that. It was never him," she said.

Jurors found Jennings guilty of murder on Aug. 29 after a lengthy deliberation, but found that prosecutors had not proved he did not believe he was justified in defending himself. The jury reduced the conviction instead to manslaughter, a second-degree felony.

Third District Judge Theresa Welch determined a prison sentence was appropriate and ordered him to spend between one and 15 years in prison. She recommended he receive credit for the 1,659 days he already spent in the Salt Lake County jail.

Charging documents said police responded to Aspenwood Apartments, 4178 S. 4080 West, on April 30, 2022, to find Willie Houston, 59, had been stabbed in his back and neck. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

A neighbor reported that Willie Houston had gone to their home after being stabbed, and when asked who did it, he responded, "My nephew." He lived in the complex with his girlfriend, Jennings' aunt.

Jennings called police on May 3 and reported that he and Houston were drinking beer and got into an argument. He did not give his location, but was soon arrested at his apartment. Charges said he reported that after the stabbing his goal was to buy more beer; he said he didn't think about calling 911 because Houston left, but said, "Honestly, I didn't care."

Before being sentenced, Jennings talked about his re-entry plan, which included mentorship, building a company around a video game he is making and giving back to the community. He said he is in a strong position to be successful on probation and asked the judge to "give me a chance to prove and earn my freedom."

"I think it would be very important to explain that I regret the events that took place. ... What happened was absolutely unacceptable and he didn't deserve that," Jennings said.

Request for reduced sentence

Ahead of the hearing, Jennings' attorney, Amy Powers, argued that the charge should be reduced before sentencing again from a second-degree felony to a third-degree felony. She cited PTSD from childhood trauma and said Jennings has taken responsibility for what happened "since the very first day."

The attorney also requested five years of probation instead of prison, citing that he had no prior felony convictions as an adult. During his five years in custody, she said he has worked hard and been proactive to build a light at the end of the tunnel, while dealing with the trauma taking someone's life.

"This is something that is not lost on him; it is something that he has never taken lightly," she said.

Powers said Jennings needs therapy that is not available in the prison, and said he has been "very proactive, very goal oriented," citing his re-entry plan and hopes to provide peer support for other inmates.

"In my many, many years and many defendants that I have represented, Deon is the ideal candidate for probation," Powers said.

She claimed he did not know the circumstances after the killing, but when he was told that Willie Houston had died, he told police everything.

Deputy Salt Lake County attorney Brad Cooley argued that a reduction in the crime's severity would be inconsistent with the jury verdict, which already reduced the charge from a first-degree felony. He said there is no evidence that Jennings was in actual danger, but said Powers' motion claimed he acted in self-defense.

He argued prison was appropriate, noting that Willie Houston's children and grandchildren won't see him again.

Welch denied both requests from Jennings, saying she agrees with the jury's sentence and that his actions did cause Willie Houston's death. Jennings commented, "I respect that," in response.

The judge said prison is appropriate based on the "severity of the harm that was caused."

She did say she was impressed by Jennings' thoughtfulness and focus on making the best of things; she said the document with notes of goals and his re-entry plan would be placed in his file.

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