Defendants Sentenced in Salt Lake City Beating

Three defendants who were convicted of beating a gay Salt Lake City couple after a neighborhood July 4 party in 2008 have been sentenced to prison.

Ricky Peace, Ietitaia Nuusila, and Leti David Mageo were sentenced Monday for their participation in the beatings, which began with the search for a missing boy and girl. Peace says he went looking for his son at the house next door to the party, where he encountered David James Bell, who earlier had been a participant in the celebration.

Initially thinking Bell had kidnapped his son, Peace, along with Nuusila and Mageo, began beating Bell and his partner, Daniel Fair.

“They were calling us all sorts of hate speech involving gay people, faggot, queer,” said Bell.

Fair, who had not attended the party, was asleep when the men forced their way into the house.

“It was the most horrifying thing I had ever gone through,” Fair said. “I kept asking what was going on."

Peace and Mageo were sent directly to prison, while Nuusila has until end of month to surrender to authorities. A fourth defendant, Lulu Latu, has been ordered to serve 180 days in jail for causing a riot.

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