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Family of Utah man detained in Congo coup plot urges others to write Congress on his behalf

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Family of Utah man detained in Congo coup plot urges others to write Congress on his behalf


WEST JORDAN — Family members of a Utah man detained in Congo in connection with a coup plot said Wednesday they hoped for his safe return and urged others to appeal to members of Congress to help intervene in the situation.

Videos showed 21-year-old Tyler Thompson Jr. in custody after the attempt to overthrow the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 19.

U.S. officials confirmed to Thompson’s family that the man was still alive but they had not been able to make contact with him, according to Thompson’s father, Tyler Thompson Sr.

Thompson said he was concerned about his son’s treatment documented in the videos that have circulated since.

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“They showed me some of the video clips and I just lost it,” he said during an interview Wednesday with KSL TV. “His doctor said if he ever gets hit in the head again really hard, it could cause permanent brain damage or be fatal, and so when we saw the video of him getting hit in the face with the butt of a gun several times, my heart just broke.”

According to Thompson and Tyler’s stepmom, Miranda, the 21-year-old began talking in March about traveling to Africa to meet his high school buddy’s family.

“It was just a family vacation to go down there and experience Africa,” Thompson said. “His dad said that he could bring a friend.”

The friend, 21-year-old Marcel Malanga, happened to be the son of Congolese opposition leader Christian Malanga.

Reports from Congo said Christian Malanga was killed while resisting arrest at the presidential palace.

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Other friends of Marcel Malanga had reportedly heard different pitches in recent months about going to that country, including an offer of as much as $100,000 to be a security guard for Marcel’s father.

Thompson said his son had never mentioned anything about a security gig or anything related to the other stories that have since surfaced and believed his son thought he was going to Africa for a vacation.

“If one of my friends said, ‘Hey, dad wants us to come to Africa to go on a vacation,’ I’d jump at that chance in a heartbeat,” Thompson said. “I don’t think there was any intent besides going on a family vacation with his best friend.”

Thompson added his son had never shown any signs of “aggression” or even political activism.

“It’s the furthest thing out of his character that I could, ever, ever, ever even imagine,” he said.

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The father turned emotional when he spoke about the support he and other family members had received from friends, neighbors, Utah’s senators and the governor.

“I can’t even tell you the amount of love and appreciation we have from that,” he said.

The family set up a website to advocate for Tyler’s safe return as well as a GoFundMe* account.

As family members worked to keep Tyler’s story in the public eye, they urged others to help by writing government leaders in hopes they will choose to intervene on Thompson’s behalf.

“I think our voice and our support is going to be one of the most significant things to be able to bring him home,” Thompson Sr. said.

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*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.



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Springlike heat surges across Utah; only isolated showers

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Springlike heat surges across Utah; only isolated showers


A little mid-level moisture will drift across Utah this weekend, but most areas will stay dry.

A few very isolated mountain showers are possible, mainly in the afternoons, but nothing widespread.

The big story is the heat. High pressure will build in, pushing temperatures 15–20 degrees above normal.

It will feel more like late spring, with many areas nearing or breaking March records, especially across central and southern Utah.

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Overall, expect a warm, mostly dry weekend, with just a small chance for a quick mountain shower. Rain chances increase significantly later next week.

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Case dismissed for Wyoming man charged with allegedly kidnapping missing Utah girl – East Idaho News

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Case dismissed for Wyoming man charged with allegedly kidnapping missing Utah girl – East Idaho News


POCATELLO — After a search for a missing Utah girl resulted in the arrest of a Wyoming man last November, a motion was accepted to dismiss the man’s case.

Anthony Holm of Star Valley, Wyoming, was originally charged on Nov. 17 with one felony count of second-degree kidnapping, but these charges were dismissed on March 17 during his preliminary hearing.

According to court documents, Bannock County Prosecutor Alan Boehme filed a motion to dismiss the case against Holm, as Utah will bring charges against him.

The motion was granted by Magistrate Judge Carol Tippi Jarman.

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EastIdahoNews.com checked Utah court records, and no charges have been filed at the time of publication.

RELATED | Man arrested on kidnapping charges; missing Utah juvenile located safely

RELATED | Wyoming man charged with kidnapping thought teenager was 18, court documents say

The original incident occurred on Nov. 14, when Bannock County Sheriff’s deputies were contacted by the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office in Utah, which requested assistance in locating a missing juvenile.

The juvenile was believed to be with Holm, who was driving a 2024 Ford Bronco, and was suspected to be in the Lava Hot Springs area.

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Court documents state that the vehicle was spotted at a hotel in Lava Hot Springs; however, the license plate did not match the reported one. Bannock County Dispatch reported that the vehicle belonged to Holm, and later confirmed that he was staying at the hotel.

Deputies spoke with Holm and the 16-year-old girl outside of a hotel room.

When asked by deputies how he knew the girl, he said they met on the app Ashley Madison the day before, and that the girl told him she was 18.

RELATED | Ashley Madison isn’t the only place to cheat. Infidelity thrives on social media

Deputies spoke with the 16-year-old, who confirmed that she had told Holm she was 18, but did not want the man to go to jail. She later told deputies the plan was for them to stay in Lava Hot Springs to swim and spend the night there.

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Documents state that in Willard, Utah, Holm had picked up the juvenile and traveled to Salt Lake City, where the two stayed at a hotel, before traveling to Idaho.

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Utah Falls in Emotional, Physical Game Against Capitals | Utah Mammoth

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Utah Falls in Emotional, Physical Game Against Capitals | Utah Mammoth


Utah’s power play went 2-for-4, and it was the first time the Mammoth have scored two power play goals in a game since the last time they played the Capitals (Mar. 3, at Washington). Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley each capitalized on the man-advantage in the first period. Cooley was added to the top unit with Barrett Hayton out of the lineup (week-to-week, upper-body injury), and he shared what was working for the top unit.

“Just trying to establish a shot,” Cooley explained. “Trying to build off that and then things start to open up. We have a lot of great players on that unit that can make a lot of plays, and I think when we establish a shot first (mentality) that’s when we’re going to get our opportunities, and find seams and different rebounds like that.”

“They were rolling,” Tourigny said of the power play. “The way they were attacking, the way they were direct, they were really aggressive. They were intentional, their aggressiveness, that paid off.”

In addition to his power play goal, Guenther also scored three minutes and 55 seconds later. The forward has six multi-goal efforts this season and he set a new career-high in points (61). This is his second consecutive season with 60 or more points. Guenther has been a consistent scorer for the Mammoth as he has nine goals in the month of March and has scored eight of those in the last 11 games. He trails on Boston’s Pavel Zacha (9) for the league lead in that span. 

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MacKenzie Weegar scored his first goal as a member of the Mammoth in the third period. He’s contributed a point in two-straight games and has grown his role with Utah. In addition to playing alongside alternate captain Mikhail Sergachev on the top d-pairing, Weegar contributes to both sides of special teams. 

It’s a close playoff race in the Western Conference and Utah is still in the first wildcard spot. However, the Mammoth will need to raise their game, keep a high level of intensity, and manage their emotions in the final nine games of the regular season. Utah’s next game is a tough test against the Los Angeles Kings on the road. 

“Everyone’s gotta look in the mirror, we all got better and we all know that,” Keller said. “Still super confident with our group. This is the most exciting part of the year and the most exciting hockey. We’re all positive, and we’ll learn from it and go to L.A..”

“Yeah, I think we started out good,” Cooley reflected. “Special teams were good. I thought the first period, we were moving it well. I think we kind of just started to let it slip, give up some odd-man rushes, and they capitalized. Every game is so important right now, and it stings. It’s two points that we probably should have had, especially early on with the way we were playing. We got to make sure that we are ready for a heck of a battle with L.A.”

Additional Notes from Tonight (per Mammoth PR)

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  • Sergachev registered three assists in the first period marking the first three-assist frame of his NHL career. This also marked his second career three-point period, both of which have come against Washington, as well as his fourth three-point game this season.
  • Alexander Kerfoot posted an assist on Weegar’s third-period goal, marking his 300th career NHL point. He is the 16th player from his draft class to reach that milestone. He joins Sergachev as the second skater to accomplish the feat with Utah.
  • Keller posted three primary assists tonight for his eighth three-point game, third three-assist game, 23rd multi-point game, and 13th multi-assist game in 2025-26, all of which are team highs. The Captain has seven points over his last six games (3G, 4A).
  • Utah’s captain has tallied at least 70 points for the fourth consecutive season and he became the 12th NHL player to accomplish this feat over that stretch. According to NHL PR, Keller is the fifth player in NHL history to eclipse the 70-point mark in each of a franchise’s first two seasons.

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