Preliminary hearing scheduled for Alex Whipple

Alexander Whipple appears 1st District Court to set a date for a preliminary hearing on Monday in Logan. Whipple has been charged with seven felonies including aggravated murder in connection with the death of 5-year-old Lizzy Shelley (Eli Lucero/Court Pool).

LOGAN — Alex W. Whipple made his second formal appearance in court, as defense attorneys asked a judge to schedule a preliminary hearing.  The 21-year-old Providence man is suspected of killing his niece, 5-year-old Elizabeth “Lizzy” Shelley, and hiding her body behind a nearby home.

Alexander Whipple appears 1st District Court to set a date for a preliminary hearing on Monday in Logan. Whipple has been charged with seven felonies including aggravated murder in connection with the death of 5-year-old Lizzy Shelley (Eli Lucero/Court Pool).

Whipple appeared in 1st District Court Monday afternoon.  He has been charged with aggravated murder, a capital offense; along with felony child kidnapping, rape of a child, sodomy on a child, obstructing justice, and desecration of a body, plus six other misdemeanors.

Whipple wore handcuffs and shackles, flanked by deputies behind him, as he stood beside one of his public defenders, Shannon Demler.  He never spoke during the 5-minute hearing.

Judge Kevin Allen said defense attorneys had asked for a preliminary hearing, where he will determine whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence to bind Whipple over for trial.  He scheduled the hearing for August 13.

Whipple was arrested May 25 after Lizzy’s family called 911, reporting her missing.  He had spent the night at their Logan home after staying up late, drinking and playing video games.  Deputies located him, walking near Mt. Sterling.  He reportedly had blood on his clothes that matched the young girl’s.  Days later he agreed to tell police where her body was located, if prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty in his case.

Several weeks later, prosecutors explained that they had received additional evidence from the Utah State Crime Lab, showing that Whipple allegedly raped and sodomized the young girl before burying her body.  They have not disclosed exactly where and when the sexual assaults took place.

Whipple remains in the Cache County Jail, being held without bail.  He could face up to life in prison if convicted.


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4 Comments

  • Justiceneedstobeserved June 25, 2019 at 9:55 am Reply

    I wanna see that this man is executed this world cannot move forward with garbage like Alex Whipple staying alive off of the tax payers expense he killed that poor innocent girl and raped her thats enough to logically say hang him put him on the electric chair or even firing squad he doesnt need to breathe the air that poor girl deserves she didnt even get a chance at school or even life at that i have a daughter around her age and i tell you if anyone even dared they wouldnt be alive lets all hope that the least that happens is a inmate stabs him to death and rapes him while bleeding out. Then would he feel even 20% of the suffering she had to endure before her demise

    Please utah courts see to it he doesnt live to be even 25 please do not waste anymore tax dollars keeping him alive he doesnt deserve to live

    RIP Lizzy may you find peace :'(

  • Why is justice so expensive? June 25, 2019 at 5:54 pm Reply

    If it were only that easy… Unfortunately from what I understand it costs tax payers even MORE money to execute him.

  • Brian Stock June 26, 2019 at 7:37 am Reply

    He’s not “suspected”. He already told them that he tried to stop her from making noise while molesting her and “didn’t mean to kill her” but then stabbed her and hid the body. He told them where the body was. The “trial” is a formality. People like this need an express lane for execution. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Child molesters don’t rehabilitate.

  • RCV June 27, 2019 at 6:31 am Reply

    isn’t the decision ultimately up to the judge on whether he receives the death penalty? I thought that the county\ prosecuting attorney can only suggest punishments but the judge is the only one that decides.

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