Charges filed against Utah woman in alleged murder of shelter roommate

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Charges have been filed against a Utah woman for the alleged murder of her roommate, according to an announcement Monday by Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.

Laura Darlene Northrup is charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree obstruction of justice.

Northrup is accused of murdering one of her two roommates in the Shelter for Medically Vulnerable Persons (MVP) in Sandy, Utah. The facility aims to provide shelter to homeless people who are aging or suffering health problems, among other groups.

The prosecutor's office said in a news release that previous reports to shelter staff indicated a “strained relationship” between the victim and Northrup. The third roommate told police that the other two often “bickered.”

Firefighters and police officers were dispatched to the MVP shelter on May 26 to help an unconscious person. When they arrived on scene, officials found the deceased roommate hiding under her bed, the prosecutor's office said.

“She suffered significant blunt force trauma to her head and neck,” the prosecutor’s office said in the release. “During a search of the room, police found a metal can of Ensure nutrient powder with blood and hair at the bottom.”

Authorities also found “a red, blood-like substance” on the room's door frame, as well as on the room's air conditioning system, according to the prosecutor's office.

“The MVP shelter is a place where people in a medically compromised condition can find safety and solitude,” Gill said in the release. “This violent act has shaken the community.”

In a statement to ABC4.com shortly after news of the alleged murder broke, Michelle Flynn, executive director of The way backdescribed the events as tragic.

“We work closely with law enforcement and other crisis services to support residents and staff,” Flynn said.