Man kills stranger, tries to hang another in self-described ‘purge,’ Utah police say

A man accused of trying to hang a stranger in Ogden and killing another man in Spanish Fork told police he was conducting a “purge” on behalf of a “higher power,” Utah authorities told news outlets.

Christian Francis Taele, 28, of Springville, was arrested Saturday, July 9, after Ogden police found a 23-year-old man who had been assaulted, police said in a news release.

Taele choked the man, whom he did not know, with a rope or strap, then dragged him into an apartment complex gym and left him hanging from the equipment, police told KSTU.

The 23-year-old is hospitalized in critical condition, Ogden police said.

Taele told police he tried to kill the man in the attack, which was unprovoked, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

He also confessed to killing Ryan Hooley, 49, Spanish Fork police said in a news release. Hooley’s body was found Friday, July 8, next to a dumpster.

Taele told police he was “directed by a higher power to purge the city,” KTVX reported. He also told police he felt “no remorse” for the attacks.

Ogden and Spanish Fork are about 90 miles apart, located north and south of Salt Lake City.

This story was originally published July 12, 2022 at 9:47 AM with the headline "Man kills stranger, tries to hang another in self-described ‘purge,’ Utah police say."