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Three men missing since 2014 were killed by father of Utah jeweler, defense attorney claims during sentencing hearing in money laundering case

Three men who disappeared more than three years ago were killed by the father of a Salt Lake City jeweler who had been laundering money for one of the missing men, an attorney said Tuesday in federal court.

Defense attorney Loni De Land — representing Justin Christopher at the U.S. District Court sentencing hearing — told of Justin Christopher’s involvement the deaths of Danny Kiko Gallegos, then 35, and his friends, Braden Parker Emerson, 23, and Levi Joseph Collins, 34.

De Land said Justin Christopher’s father, Richard Christopher, shot Gallegos in the head inside a Justin Christopher’s Salt Lake City jewelry shop.