ST. GEORGE, UT – Justice, however delayed, came Tuesday for Bradley Eitner. Paul Ashton, 34, of St. George, Utah, was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 10 years in U.S. District Court for his role in the horrific 2010 kidnapping and death of 43-year-old Eitner. U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart handed down the sentence, a grim culmination of a case that stretched over a decade.
Ashton pleaded guilty in May to charges of kidnapping and discharging a firearm during a crime. The details revealed a cold-blooded operation: Ashton admitted to aiding and abetting in Eitner’s abduction on October 31, 2010, and then transporting the victim across state lines to Arizona, where Eitner met a brutal end. He also confessed to assisting in the use of a firearm during the kidnapping – a firearm ultimately used in Eitner’s execution.
The discovery of Eitner’s remains on March 11, 2011, finally brought the search to a close, but the horror was far from over. An autopsy performed by the Coconino County, Arizona, medical examiner painted a gruesome picture. Eitner died from blunt force trauma to the head and a single, fatal gunshot wound. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, leaving no doubt about the deliberate cruelty of the act.
Federal prosecutors stuck to the agreed-upon terms, recommending the mandatory minimum life sentence for the kidnapping resulting in death and a consecutive 10-year term for the firearm charge. The government wasn’t playing games; they wanted Ashton locked up for the rest of his life, and they got it. This wasn’t a plea bargain offering leniency – it was a calculated move to secure a conviction on the most serious charges.
The investigation, led by the FBI, painstakingly pieced together the events leading up to Eitner’s death. While the full scope of the conspiracy remains murky, Ashton’s guilty plea and subsequent sentencing send a clear message: those who engage in kidnapping and murder will face the full weight of the federal justice system. The details of any co-conspirators are still sealed, but sources suggest the FBI isn’t finished with this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Utah U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully prosecuted the case, securing a conviction that, while it won’t bring Eitner back, offers a measure of closure to his family and a warning to anyone contemplating similar acts of violence. Ashton will spend the remainder of his life behind bars, a fitting punishment for a monstrous crime.
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Key Facts
- State: Utah
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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