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
Utah Celtic boys wrap up unprecedented run of 4 straight national tournament titles at MLS NEXT Cup – KSL Sports
HERRIMAN — Patrick Stevenson remains uncommitted for his college soccer career, but he may want to consider signing with Real Monarchs after his latest performance at Zions Bank Stadium.
Stevenson notched a brace as Celtic scored five second-half goals in a 5-0 win over St. Louis Developmental Academy in the championship match of the MLS NEXT Cup U19 boys’ academy division on home soil.
So about that Monarchs plan?
“If that ever happened, of course I would. That’s the dream,” said a sheepish Stevenson, who will leave for missionary service for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Argentina this summer.”
A backup plan of Division I college soccer for the former Utah Valley commit isn’t bad, either.
Neither is a national title
“It’s so surreal,” said Brooks Barker, the Georgetown commitment who was named tournament MVP. “Being able to play with these boys year after year is special. We’ve really built a family here, and accomplishing anything your family is amazing. You’ll remember it forever — but national championships were last a lifetime.”
After a scoreless first half, Celtic started to roll. Air Force commit Ben Bradley opened the scoring off the club’s sixth corner kick of the match, and Brooks Barker doubled the advantage moments later.
“That’s up there with one of my favorite goals of my career,” Barker said. “Everyone dreams of scoring a bicycle kick. It wasn’t perfectly clean, but for my last club goal ever — I’m going to remember it for a long time.”
But the green-and-white stripes weren’t done.
Corbin Gardner added a third off the boot of the Salt Lake Community College commit in the 73rd minute, and Stevenson found the back of the net less than six minutes later before finishing off his brace in stoppage time.
“All the boys are amazing,” said Stevenson, who joined Celtic a year ago after playing up a division with LaRoca FC most of his life. “We all play as a family, leave no regrets, and everybody just plays together.
“Right when I came in, they were so welcoming,” he added. “From the very first training, I felt part of the team.”
It’s about more than soccer, too, Barker added.
“It’s less of a team, and more of a family,” he said. “We’re all there for each other in all of our moments: mission calls, celebrating each other, college commitments. We all play as a family, and it’s easier to play with guys who feel like brothers than just teammates.”
He also credited Celtic 07-08 coach Matt Bradley, who led the club the whole way.
“To be able to play with guys that you love with a great coach,” Barker said, “it makes all the difference.”
Utah
A Utah Utes coach was ‘too negative’ with his players. Here’s how he’s changing his approach now.
Gavin Petersen led the Utes to a 19-12 record, just barely missing out on the NCAA Tournament last season.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah women’s basketball coach Gavin Petersen says he’s had to change his approach to coaching since taking over for Lynne Roberts.
Utah
From small-town Utah to NYC: Accomplished hairstylist reflects on journey to upscale SoHo salon
NEW YORK — When Reagan Baker-Jaillet was a teenager, she moved from small-town Tennessee to small-town Utah. Now she’s rolling out the red carpet for the grand opening of her salon in what some may call the biggest city of them all — New York City.
Baker-Jaillet is the owner of House of Reagan in SoHo, a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan. Her salon is stationed in a 120-year-old loft space that she transformed into a “whimsical, funky and upscale” establishment where she specializes in cutting and styling. Her niche aesthetic is “bedroom hair,” which she is in the process of trademarking.
Prior to opening her salon, she styled hair and modeled at New York Fashion Week, worked on projects for Netflix, Comedy Central, and “Saturday Night Live.” She’s been featured in several magazines, including Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan and Vogue. She was also cast on an HBO dating show in 2023. Her transformation over the years, she said, can be attributed to learning at a young age how to reinvent herself.
“I’m the fifth out of six children in my family, and the youngest daughter,” Baker-Jaillet told KSL. “We moved from East Tennessee to Cedar City when I was in the middle of eighth grade. Before moving to Utah, we were all homeschooled, so Cedar City was really my introduction to being around kids my age and socializing daily. It was jarringly intimidating at first, but I learned to embrace the challenge of being a fish out of water.
“Most of the kids didn’t even know I hadn’t attended traditional school up until that point, or how deathly shy and socially inexperienced I was,” she continued. “By high school, I had mostly adapted and got involved in sports, after-school clubs, cheerleading, and was even voted into prom/homecoming court. I learned then how much I love the challenge of reinvention.”
The draw to glamour also came at a young age, as she watched her mom and older sisters put on makeup. She said that when she moved to Cedar City, she noticed that many of the girls in her class were “fearless” in the way they presented themselves, and she felt inspired.
“Growing up, I always loved watching my mom and sisters get ready and then going through their products when they weren’t home,” she said. “I practiced using their hot rollers and potions on myself and immediately noticed how elevated and great it made me feel. When I got to Utah, the girls were over-the-top and fearless with the way they did their hair, nails and makeup. I loved it.”
After high school, Baker-Jaillet attended Evan’s Hairstyling College in Cedar City and discovered that she not only loved cosmetology but also the diverse people she met on the job. This caused her to want to see more people and more of the world. To do that, she took a job as a nanny in New York and used that as a springboard to explore her new world.
“Cosmetology offered everything I loved — access to interesting conversations with a wide variety of people all day, and lots and lots of glamour,” she said. “I have to say, it was a fabulous choice.
“When I moved to the city in 2005, I was in awe of the surprises and thrills I came across at every corner,” she added. “Whether it was seeing an elderly person covered head to toe in tattoos, walking down the street, or wandering into some random store and finding an eccentric shop owner selling completely unrelated items, there was so much edge and backstory wherever you went.”
As she immersed herself in her new environment, with a set of hair-styling skills she had no way to capitalize on, she drew on another love that came naturally — writing. In the new age of blogging, she launched Hairdresser on Fire, which she said was a “huge part” of her career journey.
“I was a junior stylist with no clients yet, and as an early beauty blogger, I was able to combine my love of writing with what I was building day-to-day in the salon,” she said. “It catapulted my credibility as a beauty expert and helped me grow my clientele significantly. There are so many talented artists out there; writing about beauty set me apart.”
Staying true to who she is at the moment has allowed Baker-Jaillet the chance to create new versions of herself and the spaces to match. House of Reagan, she said, is very representative of who she is today.
“Out of all my creative endeavors, building this space has been the most challenging, but the most rewarding of all,” she said. “I’ve dreamt it up, creative-directed, and paid for almost all of it entirely by myself.
“This project has conditioned my mind to think beyond one-hour haircut increments and toward the bigger picture. I’m not always sure of what the end goal is, but I’m brainstorming and dreaming about what’s next all the time, and having a physical space allows me to jump on and execute those ideas right away.”
As a big-city girl with small-town roots, she is grateful for a family that has allowed for autonomy — with a little room for sibling teasing, of course.
“Being on the younger end of six children gave me a lot of independence and confidence to figure things out on my own,” she said. “I’m naturally adventurous and a big risk taker, which I think has been funny for my family to understand at times. When I shared the news that I was cast in a show on HBO, my eldest sibling pleaded that I pretend to be an only child. That big family style of teasing will put hair on your chest and prepare you for the real world like nothing else.”
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
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