Paul Ashton Sentenced to Life Plus 10 Years in Federal Court for Kidnapping Resulting in Death, Firearm Charge

ST. GEORGE, UT—Paul Ashton, age 34, of St. George, Utah, who pleaded guilty to kidnapping and discharging a firearm in connection with the October 2010 kidnapping and death of Bradley Eitner, was sentenced to life plus 10 years Tuesday morning in U.S. District Court in St. George. U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart imposed the sentence.

Ashton pleaded guilty to the charges in May. Ashton admitted that he aided and abetted in the kidnapping of Eitner on October 31, 2010. Ashton admitted he transported the victim from Utah to Arizona where he was killed. Ashton also admitted he aided and abetted in the use and discharge of a firearm during the kidnapping. Eitner was 43 at the time of his death.

Eitner’s body was discovered March 11, 2011, and an autopsy was performed March 14, 2011, by the Coconino County, Arizona medical examiner. The medical examiner determined that the cause of Eitner’s death was blunt force head trauma and a single, penetrating gunshot wound to the head. The manner of death was homicide.

As a part of the plea agreement, federal prosecutors recommended that the statutory mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison be imposed for the kidnapping resulting in death count and that the statutory minimum sentence of 10 years be imposed for the firearm count. Federal prosecutors also recommended that the 10-year penalty for the firearm count be served consecutive to the life sentence.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Utah U.S. Attorney’s Office and investigated by the FBI.