The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole recently issued decisions on four inmates convicted of taking another person’s life, resulting in two granted parole dates and two denied releases.
Detainers and Speeding: The Case of Jonathan Ulises Analco-Cruz
Jonathan Ulises Analco-Cruz is scheduled for release in December of next year, but his path out of prison is complicated by federal bureaucracy. In 2014, Analco-Cruz led police on a high-speed chase from the Salt Lake City International Airport, hitting 103 mph before crashing near the I-215 interchange. The wreck killed three passengers: 18-year-old Michaela Martin, 17-year-old Hardinger Cruz, and 14-year-old Randy Ruiz.
Analco-Cruz had a blood-alcohol level of 0.21%—nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08%—and THC in his system at the time. He pleaded guilty to two counts of DUI automobile homicide and was sentenced to up to 15 years. While the board set his release for next December, a critical caveat remains: an immigration detainer. His release is strictly contingent upon being released to that detainer. If he serves his full sentence without parole, he wouldn’t be free until 2029.
Should he remain in Utah, the board is not taking chances with his driving. He is required to use ignition interlock devices in any vehicle he operates, a direct response to the recklessness that claimed three young lives a decade ago.
Former Officer Rockwell Receives Delayed Parole
Rockwell, a former police officer, was granted parole, but not until 2031—far earlier than his 2038 sentence expiration, but significantly delayed by his actions behind bars.
Rockwell’s crime occurred on September 14, 2021. While suspended from his department and off-duty, he drove at an estimated 116 mph on Bangerter Highway. The resulting crash killed 23-year-old Emily Worley, who was sitting in the back seat. Rockwell was convicted of DUI automobile homicide and sentenced to a term of 1 to 15 years.
The board didn’t just look at the crash; they looked at the aftermath. In their written decision, the board noted that Rockwell attempted to cover up his crime by claiming someone else had committed it. They also cited "poor institutional behavior and/or major violations of prison rules" as an aggravating factor that pushed his release date further into the future.
The High Cost of ‘Bad Choices’
Not everyone found a date for release. Colton James Beed, who was involved in a 2019 robbery gone wrong, will have to wait until 2028 for another hearing. Beed described himself as a “dumb young kid” who was “high out of [his] mind” when he agreed to rob a marijuana dealer in Salt Lake City on January 12, 2019.
The victim, 26-year-old Mason Hunt, was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. Hunt had been called to the house by a roommate to help her; instead, he was shot point-blank after attempting to subdue the intruders.
“He had sacrificed his life for everyone in here to be shot point blank. And the excuse is, ‘I made a bad choice and I was high,'” LauraKay Hunt, Mason’s sister, told the board.
The board echoed the family’s pain, citing the significant financial and emotional impact on the victims and Beed’s own poor behavior in prison. Before his 2028 hearing, Beed must complete residential substance abuse treatment and undergo a new mental health examination.
A Legacy of Violence and the Long Road to Parole
The most severe case before the board involved Darren Neil Grueber Jr., whose crime dates back to October 10, 2001. At 18 years old, Grueber helped kidnap 36-year-old Don Dorton. After beating and binding Dorton with duct tape, Grueber used an 87-pound rock to crush the victim’s head. He was sentenced in 2002 to a combined 20 years to life.
During his hearing, Grueber attempted to frame his youth as a mitigating factor, stating, “I was just an angry, broken kid,” and claiming he was taught that violence was the only way to gain respect. While the board acknowledged that Grueber has avoided disciplinary violations in recent years, they ruled that this recent stability does not outweigh the sheer brutality of the murder and his early history of prison misconduct.
Grueber’s next hearing is not until 2030. Like Beed, he has been ordered into residential substance abuse treatment.
For the families of Emily Worley, Mason Hunt, and Don Dorton, the board’s decisions regarding parole and release dates provide a measure of accountability.
