A Utah jury has sentenced a 39-year-old man to life in prison for stabbing a 20-year-old woman to death behind a Dollar Tree store in 2018 after she allegedly stole his cellphone while he visited a library.
Kidus Yohannes was convicted in August of aggravated murder for killing Candace Samples in November 2018. He also faced conviction on one count of attempted manslaughter for stabbing another man during the same incident. The jury handed down the life sentence last week.
The Fatal Confrontation Behind the Store
According to prosecutors, the deadly encounter began when Samples took Yohannes’ phone while he was at a Salt Lake City library. The dispute escalated into violence behind a now-closed Dollar Tree location, where Yohannes fatally stabbed the young woman.
The aggravated murder conviction reflects the severity of the attack and the circumstances surrounding Samples’ death. Utah law treats aggravated murder as the state’s most serious homicide charge, reserved for killings that involve aggravating factors beyond a typical murder case.
Second Victim and Legal Consequences
The case involved a second stabbing victim, leading to Yohannes’ additional conviction for attempted manslaughter. Details about this victim and their injuries were part of the trial proceedings that ultimately led to the jury’s guilty verdicts across both counts.
The life sentence means Yohannes will remain in Utah state prison with no possibility of parole. For families on both sides of this case, the verdict closes a legal chapter that began nearly eight years ago when Samples, barely out of her teens, lost her life over a stolen phone.
The contrast between the value of what was allegedly stolen and the violence that followed underscores the tragedy. Samples’ family has lived with that loss since 2018, while Yohannes now faces decades behind bars for a decision that turned a property dispute into a capital crime.
Key Points
- Kidus Yohannes, 39, received life in prison for the 2018 aggravated murder of Candace Samples, 20
- The killing occurred behind a Dollar Tree after Samples allegedly stole Yohannes’ phone at a library
- Yohannes was also convicted of attempted manslaughter for stabbing a second victim
https://lawandcrime.com/crime/man-sentenced-to-life-for-butchering-woman-who-stole-his-phone-while-he-was-at-the-library-in-fatal-stabbing-behind-dollar-tree/ – October 08, 2026
