Utah
‘This is a mistake’: Utah woman shocked to learn perpetrator granted parole just months after sentencing
SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah woman said her sense of safety and justice was shattered by a single text message this month alerting her that the man she’d fought for years to put behind bars had been granted parole.
“It makes me cry,” Cami Johnson told the KSL Investigators. “Because I have fought, and I have fought, and I have fought when there was no hope.”
The text sent from VINE, Utah’s automated victim information service, at 6:42 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12, informed Johnson that “parole was granted” for her ex-husband, Byron Thad Haderlie, and scheduled to begin in February 2025.
“This is a mistake, this is a mistake, this has to be a mistake,” she recalled thinking. “I have not gone through all of this for a mistake.”
Johnson was not aware Haderlie was up for parole, just three months after he was sentenced.
Utah’s Board of Pardons and Parole has acknowledged it needs to improve how it communicates with victims of crime and has promised to implement a victim-centered notification system that is in progress but not yet up and running.
Case Background
Johnson reported to police in Cache County in 2017 that Haderlie drugged and sexually assaulted her. Despite Johnson reporting to police quickly and undergoing a forensic exam at the hospital, North Park Police inactivated their investigation into Haderlie multiple times.
Detectives didn’t attempt to contact Haderlie to ask him about Johnson’s report until more than a year later, after a 16-year-old girl reported to police in a different county that Haderlie drugged and attempted to sexually assault her too.
Byron ‘Thad’ Haderlie appears in court in Cache County for a sentencing in October 2023. (KSL TV, Josh Szymanik)
Haderlie was sentenced in the case involving the teen in 2019. Then, in October last year, he was sentenced to zero to 15 years for lesser charges he pleaded guilty to in the case involving Johnson.
“The whole system has failed me from the beginning to today,” said Johnson.
Parole Decision
Haderlie’s parole hearing happened on Jan. 2. The board could have kept him incarcerated until March 2039, but granted his release early next year, contingent on his successful completion of sex offense treatment.
According to Jennifer Yim, Administrative Director of Utah’s Board of Pardons and Parole, the state’s sentencing guidelines recommended a release date in July of this year. The Board’s decision would keep him incarcerated seven months longer than that recommendation.
Utah’s Board of Pardons and Parole granted Haderlie’s contingent release in February 2025.
“It made me feel like everything we did, you know the last seven years and getting this sentence, meant absolutely nothing,” said Johnson.
During the parole hearing that lasted about 15 minutes, Haderlie said he’s changed during the time he’s been incarcerated.
“My perspective has holistically changed through these last five years, approximately five years of incarceration,” he said. “I continue to have forward progression and would like an opportunity to be able to, to get back out into society.”
Haderlie, now 53, told the hearing officer, “I have no malice towards anyone, and those were my decisions, and that’s 100% on me.”
Unsuccessful Victim Notification
Johnson said she was told at Haderlie’s October sentencing that she didn’t need to worry about a parole hearing for at least four years. That information was wrong. Offenders typically have an initial parole hearing within a few months of their sentencing.
“I, if I had any word of a parole hearing, would absolutely clear everything to make sure that I’m there,” Johnson told the KSL Investigators.
Cami Johnson speaks with the KSL Investigators in January 2024. (KSL-TV,Josh Szymanik)
Yim said the board mailed Johnson a letter notifying her of the hearing, as required by Utah law, but they had the wrong address. The letter was returned to the sender on Dec. 11.
When that happens, Yim said the board tries to find other ways to contact people before the hearing – but because victim information is protected, contact information is almost always redacted in the case records the board receives from the courts.
“I know people think, ‘Well, the DMV has my information, why don’t you?’” said Yim. “The reality is, we don’t have it, and we have to do the research to find it.”
Unfortunately, Yim said in the 13 business days between the day they got the letter back in the mail and Haderlie’s hearing, they were not able to reach Johnson.
Victim Impact Hearing
When asked whether what happened with Johnson’s case is a failure, Yim said, “If Cami Johnson feels like the Board of Pardons and Parole specifically failed her, then I’m sorry for that. That was not our intention. And we have done everything that we can, since we found out, to fix that problem.”
The board has scheduled a special victim impact hearing in early March to allow Johnson an opportunity to address the board.
“There’s no guarantees,” said Yim. “I can’t second guess what our board members will do. But I can tell you that they’re committed to an evidence-based, careful consideration of the facts of the case, which includes the impact on victims.”
Utah BOPP Administrative Director Jennifer Yim speaks with the KSL Investigators in January 2024. (KSL-TV,Josh Szymanik)
Yim said Johnson will testify, Haderlie will be allowed to respond, and then the board will reconsider the decision.
“There are absolutely examples in the board’s history where the board, under these very same circumstances, have changed their decision based on victim impact,” said Yim. “There are also other situations where they haven’t.”
Johnson said she is exhausted after years of navigating Utah’s justice system, but she plans to attend the victim impact hearing and take the opportunity to testify against Haderlie’s release.
“I will keep doing this over and over and over and over again, to make sure that he does not do this to one more person,” she said.
A fix on the way
At least one lawmaker has expressed interest in updating the board’s victim notification responsibilities in state statute during the current legislative session. An early draft of a victims rights bill sponsored by Provo Republican Rep. Tyler Clancy called for victims of crime to be notified of all of their perpetrator’s parole hearings, but that section was removed before filing. Clancy said a different lawmaker intends to address the issue in another bill.
“It’s crazy to me that they notify you that he had a parole hearing, but we’re not notified of a parole hearing,” Johnson said, noting the automated text she received regarding the board’s decision.
A text from Utah’s automated victim notification service, VINE, alerted Johnson to the board’s decision to grant Haderlie parole. (KSL-TV,Josh Szymanik)
Johnson is registered with the free VINELink notification system, which allows people to receive automated updates on the custody status of offenders in Utah prisons and jails. Yim said while it’s a common misconception that the board works with VINE, that system is not controlled by the parole board.
“We owe one another better contact, victim-centered, trauma-informed contact, and that’s what we’re working towards,” said Yim.
Under Yim’s direction, the board has been working to implement a victim-centered notification system for parole hearings and decisions. She said the project is in progress, with a vendor selection expected to happen this week. She expects it to be up and running with all the features she wants to include by the end of the year.
Until then, Yim said the best thing a victim who wants to participate in parole hearings can do is call or write to the board and let them know their preferences for when and how the board contacts them.
“It’s our commitment to honor those,” said Yim.
The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole can be reached at 801-261-6464.
This report is part of a series examining how apparent gaps at every level of Utah’s criminal justice system fail to protect Utahns.
If you have experienced sexual violence, you can access help and resources by calling Utah’s 24-hour Sexual Violence Helpline at 1-888-421-1100. You can also call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for free, confidential counseling.
Have you experienced something you think just isn’t right? The KSL Investigators want to help. Submit your tip at investigates@ksl.com or 385-707-6153 so we can get working for you.
Utah
Analysis: Utah’s fight was there against No. 9 BYU, but the little details cost Utes a shot at the upset
Utah couldn’t get enough defensive stops Saturday night against No. 9 BYU in the latest rivalry matchup at the Huntsman Center.
The Runnin’ Utes, though, made the Cougars work for the victory, even as a heavy underdog.
There are no moral victories in this bitter rivalry, but if Utah can show progress moving forward from BYU’s harder-than-expected 89-84 victory, this kind of effort won’t go in vain.
“I think it was, there was a lot of little things, a lot of game plan things, little details that I don’t know if we just forgot or didn’t pay attention to,” Utah first-year coach Alex Jensen said about what cost Utah against the Cougars.
“Down the stretch, we’ve talked about it for a while because we’re going to give up size to other teams, but giving up the offensive (boards), it’s hard to get a stop and then they get the offensive rebounds. It’s a hard thing to come back from, especially the last few minutes.”
Jensen lamented his team’s defensive effort against the Cougars multiple times in the postgame press conference — BYU was able to shoot 50% in the game, and the Cougars held a 41-33 rebounding edge.
Senior Richie Saunders, who had never beaten Utah in the Huntsman Center until Saturday, was especially destructive on the boards. He had 14, including six on the offensive end, and helped BYU have a 16-10 edge in offensive boards and 19-14 in second-chance points.
“It’s hard to give up 89 points and win, right?” Jensen said. “And if you look at all the good teams in college that win, (they) are the other teams that defend and rebound.”
Utah has made giving BYU headaches in the Huntsman a routine thing. Even though the Cougars are the program on the ascent, the Utes still won their last two games in the series played at the storied venue.
Utah even pumped some belief into the packed house multiple times over the course of the game that it could stun BYU again.
The Utes got out to a 7-0 start in the game, then matched BYU punch for punch in the first half before going into the break down two after a questionable foul call resulted in two free throws from AJ Dybantsa just before the half.
Though BYU eventually built a 13-point lead in the second half, the Utes fought back again and made it a one-possession game multiple times down the stretch.
That included cutting it to 81-80 on two Terrence Brown free throws with 3:15 to play.
Then, the Utes had a defensive stop in the final minute down three, but a costly turnover — just Utah’s ninth of the night — gave BYU the ball back with eight seconds remaining.
Two Saunders free throws followed that turnover from Brown, and with that, the Utes’ fight came up short.
Brown and Don McHenry showed up well in their introduction to the rivalry, as the dynamic scoring guards accounted for more than half of Utah’s points.
Brown had a game-high 25 points to go with five assists, three rebounds and two blocked shots, while McHenry had 21 points, two assists, two rebounds and a steal.
“Coach was just just saying you should be excited to play in a game like this,” Brown said. “… It was just a good opportunity, and it was definitely exciting.”
Fifth-year forward James Okonkwo provided a spark in front of a raucous crowd, to the tune of 13 rebounds, four points and two assists.
“James has been great the last two games. It’s great because it leads us with a physicality and just his presence, and that’s kind of what we want from him as a fifth-year senior,” Jensen said.
“The last two games, he’s been great and hopefully we get that, that same James going forward.”
Speaking of the crowd, the Utes noticed just how much a packed house for the first time this season — call it the annual rivalry effect — brought an energy to an arena that is often far too quiet as Utah tries to rebuild a once-proud program.
“I think the MUSS did a really good job of, like energizing us. It was a different level of energy in the game today, and it was really encouraging,” Okonkwo said.
“We went out on a really good run to start the game, and you could just feel it. We were locked in and it was really fun.”
It wasn’t enough to best BYU’s Big 3. Dybantsa, the projected lottery pick, had 20 points, six rebounds and four assists, Saunders tossed in 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds (six offensive), while Rob Wright III added 23 points and six assists.
Can Utah learn from this game and take some lessons into the rest of Big 12 play?
Yes, the Utes are likely to lose the majority of their games the remainder of the season — they are the worst-ranked Big 12 team in the NET and KenPom, by a sizable margin — but Utah also showed that it’s progressing, even if incrementally.
“Honestly, like we have enough — we’re going to be so good when we clean up just a little mistakes,“ Okonkwo said. ”Honestly, that’s my opinion.
“That’s what (coach) was kind of harping on about in the locker room, just staying consistent. Just get better every day.”
As the Utah Jazz look to take on the Charlotte Hornets for their second of two meetings for the season, it’ll mark the first time that a familiar face, Collin Sexton, returns to the Delta Center since his offseason trade to the East Coast.
Earlier in this past offseason, Sexton was sent to the Hornets along with a pair of future second-round picks in exchange for veteran center Jusuf Nurki. It was a deal that was a bit criticized from Utah’s perspective upon initially going down, but in the time since, has seen both players find their way into notable roles with their new squads.
While Nurkic is listed as questionable to suit up for the action against his former team, Sexton seems ready to go against his, and could even start back in Utah after having previously done so in the Hornets’ latest game against the Indiana Pacers; a game they fell short in 112-114.
So, not only will Sexton be looking for a bounce-back win off a loss, but he could have an extra chip on his shoulder to perform well against his former team as well.
Collin Sexton Returns to Utah as Jazz Take on Hornets
Sexton was a part of the Jazz for three seasons from 2022 to 2025 after initially coming aboard as a part of the extensive Donovan Mitchell and Lauri Markkanen trade as a sign-and-trade acquisition, and for the tenure that he was in Salt Lake City, was a pretty significant part of the roster––playing a total of 189 games, starting in 120 of them.
In that time, Sexton averaged 17.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 48.8% from the field and 39.8% from three, being a consistent offensive piece in the backcourt next to a growing Keyonte George and, at the time, his fellow veteran guard, Jordan Clarkson.
However, the Jazz, during their latest offseason, made the inevitable shift to focus on their young talent in place of Sexton after three good years of being a core rotational piece, sending him to Charlotte for his third team since being drafted to the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2018.
Since being in Charlotte, Sexton has remained about as steady as he was in Utah––averaging 15.2 points a night on 48.3% from the field, paired with 2.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, filling in once again as a valuable locker room add and veteran teammate to help bring along the Hornets’ developing roster.
Last time he went up against the Jazz, it was on his new home floor in Charlotte, making for a pretty brutal game from the Jazz, as they were blown out by Sexton and the Hornets, 103-126 at the beginning of November, which also made for the first time Utah was without Walker Kessler after he was ruled out for the season due to shoulder surgery on a torn labrum.
The Jazz will try and even up their season series, looking a bit different from that two-month span, and will be forced to do so without the services of Lauri Markkanen (rest) and Ace Bailey (hip), thus giving a brighter green light for Keyonte George to have another explosive night scoring the ball, this time against his former teammate.
Be sure to bookmark Utah Jazz On SI and follow @JazzOnSI on X to stay up-to-date on daily Utah Jazz news, interviews, breakdowns and more!
WEBER COUNTY, Utah — She was a good Samaritan, stopping to help when she saw a crashed car, but tragically, that decision ended her life.
According to the Utah Highway Patrol, just before 6 a.m. on Friday, a man and woman were traveling along I-84 in Weber Canyon when they saw a crashed car on the side of the road.
They got out to help, but then they saw another car coming with its brakes locked up.
“The two individuals that were standing outside of the vehicle ran to avoid being hit. One went one direction, the other went towards the side of the barrier, jumped over the barrier, thinking it was solid on the other side, and fell in between the two bridge structures below,” said Corporal Eric Prescott with Utah Highway Patrol.
Woman dies after falling over I-84 barrier while assisting accident in Weber Canyon
Woman dies after falling over I-84 barrier while assisting accident in Weber Canyon
Prescott said they were from out of town and didn’t know the area very well, and unfortunately, he’s seen this happen before.
“About 15 years ago. I had another crash that occurred. Had 29 cars that were involved in a similar situation,” he said. “he stepped out to help, and he slipped on the barrier and fell.”
FOX 13 News asked if something could be fixed.
“We love that people want to help, but you also need to consider your safety also. So, it’s a pitch-black situation, you need to be cognizant and aware of like, hey, is this risk worth it of a vehicle that’s in the dark around the corner, no one’s going to be able to see you, and so you just have to weigh that risk,” Prescott said.
No other injuries were reported.
Prescott said they also have trauma resources available for the other drivers on the scene.
“They didn’t do anything wrong, they were involved in a crash, the bridge was icy. Didn’t contribute anything to the death of this individual, but there’s still going to be those feelings that are going to be involved in it,” Prescott said. “We were able to give some information, these resources, to kind of help give them some closure, to help them to know that, hey, this wasn’t your fault.”
FOX 13 News visited gas stations and rest stops around the area, and while no one wanted to be on camera, each person said even after hearing the story, they would still want to get out and help someone in their time of need.
UHP stated that it takes them 24 hours to notify the next of kin, but they’re hoping to release the identification and other information about the investigation in the coming days.
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