Man Forgot Keys After Robbing Couple, Went Back—and Killed Them

A masked man forced a Utah couple from their beds early on April 18, demanded money, and left after taking cash and two cellphones. Then he realized he had forgotten his car keys. That's when, police say, suspect Albert Enoch Johnson re-entered Tony and Katherine Butterfield's West Jordan home and murdered the couple, the Deseret News reports. Police say Tony Butterfield stabbed Johnson as he tried to get back into the house, and Johnson shot him. Then, per a police report, "Katherine began screaming and Johnson thought he saw a neighbor nearby, so Johnson shot Katherine." The couple's three children, ages 4, 2, and 6 months, were not hurt.

Johnson, 31, is charged with two counts of aggravated murder, a capital offense, and eight other felony charges. Police say Johnson had removed his mask by the time he got back to the house, the Salt Lake Tribune reports; Tony Butterfield then recognized him, called him by name, and asked him, "Why?" as he re-entered. But police have not said how Johnson knew the Butterfields, only that he was concerned about money and believed the Butterfields had money. Johnson's wife, who is charged with trying to help him cover up the alleged crime, told police her husband had tried to work for the couple, who owned a landscaping business and lived nearby, in the past. Johnson was arrested in California on April 22 and extradited to Utah. (More murder stories.)