The mother of a teen charged in the death of a 33-year-old Moab man admitted that she lied to investigators.
Corina Dawn Yardley, 44, pleaded guilty Tuesday, July 9 in Seventh District Court to two counts of obstructing justice in the murder case of her boyfriend, Gregorio Salazar Campos.
Court records show Yardley admitted to lying twice to Grand County sheriff’s deputies when she was interviewed about the involvement of her 16-year-old son, Brody Blu Kruckenberg, in Campos’s death.
“I lied when the cops asked me about my son,” Yardley wrote in a plea statement. “I knew they were investigating him for a crime.”
As part of a plea agreement, she was sentenced to 90 days in jail and must cooperate with law enforcement and testify against her son if needed. She was also given a total fine of $1,016 plus interest to be paid in monthly increments at $50 a month until Sept. 2015. Yardley was given credit for time served and will be on probation for 36 months.
Campos’ body was found on the morning of Sunday, April 7 in the water near the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Colorado River.
Yardley’s son and Charles Anthony Nelson were each charged with first degree murder and obstructing justice.
Campos had been reported missing to the Moab Police Department on March 29. In the report, it was said that he had been last seen by his girlfriend, Yardley. Yardley told officers at the time that she had last seen Campos in her bed on March 25.
On April 6, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office received information that Nelson claimed to have killed someone and said “the person was an illegal so no one would miss him.”
According to the statement, Nelson said that he had been contacted by Kruckenberg who said that Campos was asleep in his mother’s bed and said “let’s kill him.”
Nelson said that Kruckenberg said that he couldn’t kill Campos and asked Nelson to do it.
The informant said that Nelson said he pointed the gun through a crack in the doorway and shot Campos three times.
According to the probable cause statement, Nelson and Kruckenberg were questioned about the incident and supplied details with the shooting and dumping of the body.
The information provided by Nelson and Kruckenberg led to the recovery of Campos’ body in an area known as the Old Boat Dock, which is near the pedestrian bridge crossing the Colorado River.
Three slugs were recovered from Campos head. The entry points were consistent with the description from the informant.
A search warrant was served on Yardley’s residence near the end of Riversands Lane on the northwest side of Moab.
Evidence supported the described location of Campos’ death. Blood was found in the area near the head of the bed on both the carpet and the wall.
Kruckenberg and Nelson have been charged as adults with murder. Both are now 17. Their preliminary hearings are scheduled for Sept. 25.
