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Emotions high on 911 tape

SCAFOLK032Bx003Fd07Item0012.pdf

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Emotions high on 911 tape

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Herald Journal article talks about the events surrounding trespassers at St. Anne's retreat including the transcript of a conversation between a 911 dispatcher and John Jeppson.
Emotions high on 911 tape
By Ryan Robb Oliver
Staff writer

The 911 call John Jeppson made from Zanavoo Restaurant & Lodge around 10:30 p.m. Friday when he reported that a group of kids had trespassed at St. Anne’s Retreat revealed a man on a mission to end vandalism at the site.

Jeppson is the lead watchman who handcuffed and wrapped cord around the necks of two groups of teen-agers and young adults early Friday morning and Friday night. The trespassers claimed Jeppson and two other men yelled death threats at them and fired shotgun shells above one person’s head and near the feet of another. The two other men with Jeppson have been identified as Arthur Peasnall and Chris Doerr, Jeppson’s son-in-law, both of Tooele County.

On the 911 recording, Jeppson calmly tells a Cache County dispatcher about the trespassers bound in the retreat’s swimming pool.

The dispatcher sounds shocked as she gears what Jeppson tells her. Jeppson loses his cool with the dispatcher and raises his voice near the end of the three and a quarter minute all when she incredulously repeats what he says.

When Jeppson is put on hold, he talks bitterly with one or more men at Zanavoo Lodge about his frustration with students vandalizing the property he’s tending.

He also brings up an incident involving Nick Chournos’ son where he implies that trespassers caused his death. Chournos is a sheep rancher from Tremonton.

Tremonton Police Chief Steve Hodges said Chournos’ 52-year-old son, John, committed suicide in 1992, that he would kill himself,” but it was unrelated to trespassers.

“This was a family problem,” Hodges said. “He was having a lot of emotional problems at the time.”
Hodges noted that John’s wife, who never took the suicide well, has claimed that Tremonton Police shot her husband. “She’s never been able to believe that he would kill himself.”

Jeppson also said on the tape that the St. Anne’s Retreat trespassers he detained Friday night had something to do with the earlier group of eight people he detained when they threw eggs on the property. Although, it was later determined these were two separate groups.

Cache County Sheriff Lynn Nelson said Jeppson was interviewed by his office on Monday. Jeppson thought he had a right to do a lot of what he did Friday night, Nelson said.

“He has a lot of really different views on things,” Nelson said.

But the law does allow for some of the things he did, the sheriff explained. People protecting property are given a considerable amount of latitude, he said.

Nelson said Wednesday night he and Cache County Attorney Scott Wyatt spoke with more than a dozen parents of victims in the Friday incidents.

The meeting was closed to the news media. Wyatt said afterward that he wanted to answer their questions about the case, but there were too many parents with questions to talk to individually.

Charges against Jeppson and the two other men could be filed as early as today, he said.

When asked for his reaction to the 911 recording, Nelson said “I think it’s pretty consistent with what we’ve anticipated.

“I think he thought all along he was defending his property,” he said. “He was scared of these kids. He viewed them as a danger to himself.”

Transcript:
Jeppson-Well, we’ve got at least a bus load of them.
(delay)
Jeppson-(inaudible)…to stop ripping people’s property apart-steal shit, you know?
(Dispatcher returns to the line)
Dispatcher-John
Jeppson-Yes?
Dispatcher-We’re getting a hold of a deputy. Who have you got up there with the juveniles?
Jeppson-I have two of my men.
Dispatcher-Two men. And you said you got fifty-five zero-right?
Jeppson-Five zero.
(Dispatcher breaths a slight, bewildered and incredulous laugh.)
Jeppson-Very, very close to that number. I don’t know. I didn’t take a head count. They are all handcuffed, and they’ve all got cords around their neck.
Dispatcher-Around their necks?
Jeppson-Yes, they’re on their knees in the swimming pool.
Dispatcher-You got them on their knees in a swimming pool?
Jeppson-(sounding defensive and raising his voice) Hey!
Dispatcher-I’m just…
Jeppson--This is on private property!
Dispatcher-John.
Jeppson-Do you understand that?
Dispatcher-I understand that, but I’m trying to get this information, OK?
Jeppson-Yes.
(A phone line rings at the dispatch center.)
Dispatcher-Now hold on one moment please.
(Dispatcher puts Jeppson back on hold.)
Jeppson-Damn dispatcher, where are you?
(While on hold, Jeppson talks to another or the same unidentified man.)
Jeppson-By the time the goddamn high school gets done with that place it’ll be nothing but powder.
Unidentified man-(speaking in the background)-Let their f--- parents believe they don’t do anything wrong. (He or another man continues to talk, but his remarks are inaudible.)
Jeppson-And like sophomores shoot them dead if you want. Nick Chournos does. Nick Chournos pussy-footed around with some people like this and got his son killed. And now he don’t pussy-foot. He hunts them in his…
(Dispatcher comes back on-line and cuts him off.)
Dispatcher-Hey John.
Jeppson-Yes?
Dispatcher-I’ve got ofoficers on their way. Do you want them to meet you at Zanavoo or do you want them to…
Jeppson-At St. Anne’s Retreat.
Dispatcher-OK.
Jeppson-Three-tenths of a mile past Preston Valley Campground.
Dispatcher-They know where it’s at. They’re on their way, OK?
Jeppson-I’ll be waiting.
Dispatcher-Bye bye…

Source

Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, FOLK COLL 32

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Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the USU Libraries Special Collections and Archives, phone (435) 797-2663.

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Utah State University Folklore in the news collection, 1973-2012, FOLK COLL 32
http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv04849
St. Anne's Retreat

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http://digital.lib.usu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p16944coll20/id/21
SCAFOLK032Bx003Fd07Item0012.pdf

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Emotions high on 911 tape
By Ryan Robb Oliver
Staff writer

The 911 call John Jeppson made from Zanavoo Restaurant & Lodge around 10:30 p.m. Friday when he reported that a group of kids had trespassed at St. Anne’s Retreat revealed a man on a mission to end vandalism at the site.

Jeppson is the lead watchman who handcuffed and wrapped cord around the necks of two groups of teen-agers and young adults early Friday morning and Friday night. The trespassers claimed Jeppson and two other men yelled death threats at them and fired shotgun shells above one person’s head and near the feet of another. The two other men with Jeppson have been identified as Arthur Peasnall and Chris Doerr, Jeppson’s son-in-law, both of Tooele County.

On the 911 recording, Jeppson calmly tells a Cache County dispatcher about the trespassers bound in the retreat’s swimming pool.

The dispatcher sounds shocked as she gears what Jeppson tells her. Jeppson loses his cool with the dispatcher and raises his voice near the end of the three and a quarter minute all when she incredulously repeats what he says.

When Jeppson is put on hold, he talks bitterly with one or more men at Zanavoo Lodge about his frustration with students vandalizing the property he’s tending.

He also brings up an incident involving Nick Chournos’ son where he implies that trespassers caused his death. Chournos is a sheep rancher from Tremonton.

Tremonton Police Chief Steve Hodges said Chournos’ 52-year-old son, John, committed suicide in 1992, that he would kill himself,” but it was unrelated to trespassers.

“This was a family problem,” Hodges said. “He was having a lot of emotional problems at the time.”
Hodges noted that John’s wife, who never took the suicide well, has claimed that Tremonton Police shot her husband. “She’s never been able to believe that he would kill himself.”

Jeppson also said on the tape that the St. Anne’s Retreat trespassers he detained Friday night had something to do with the earlier group of eight people he detained when they threw eggs on the property. Although, it was later determined these were two separate groups.

Cache County Sheriff Lynn Nelson said Jeppson was interviewed by his office on Monday. Jeppson thought he had a right to do a lot of what he did Friday night, Nelson said.

“He has a lot of really different views on things,” Nelson said.

But the law does allow for some of the things he did, the sheriff explained. People protecting property are given a considerable amount of latitude, he said.

Nelson said Wednesday night he and Cache County Attorney Scott Wyatt spoke with more than a dozen parents of victims in the Friday incidents.

The meeting was closed to the news media. Wyatt said afterward that he wanted to answer their questions about the case, but there were too many parents with questions to talk to individually.

Charges against Jeppson and the two other men could be filed as early as today, he said.

When asked for his reaction to the 911 recording, Nelson said “I think it’s pretty consistent with what we’ve anticipated.

“I think he thought all along he was defending his property,” he said. “He was scared of these kids. He viewed them as a danger to himself.”

Transcript:
Jeppson—Well, we’ve got at least a bus load of them.
(delay)
Jeppson—(inaudible)…to stop ripping people’s property apart—steal shit, you know?
(Dispatcher returns to the line)
Dispatcher—John
Jeppson—Yes?
Dispatcher—We’re getting a hold of a deputy. Who have you got up there with the juveniles?
Jeppson—I have two of my men.
Dispatcher—Two men. And you said you got fifty—five zero—right?
Jeppson—Five zero.
(Dispatcher breaths a slight, bewildered and incredulous laugh.)
Jeppson—Very, very close to that number. I don’t know. I didn’t take a head count. They are all handcuffed, and they’ve all got cords around their neck.
Dispatcher—Around their necks?
Jeppson—Yes, they’re on their knees in the swimming pool.
Dispatcher—You got them on their knees in a swimming pool?
Jeppson—(sounding defensive and raising his voice) Hey!
Dispatcher—I’m just…
Jeppson--This is on private property!
Dispatcher—John.
Jeppson—Do you understand that?
Dispatcher—I understand that, but I’m trying to get this information, OK?
Jeppson—Yes.
(A phone line rings at the dispatch center.)
Dispatcher—Now hold on one moment please.
(Dispatcher puts Jeppson back on hold.)
Jeppson—Damn dispatcher, where are you?
(While on hold, Jeppson talks to another or the same unidentified man.)
Jeppson—By the time the goddamn high school gets done with that place it’ll be nothing but powder.
Unidentified man—(speaking in the background)—Let their f--- parents believe they don’t do anything wrong. (He or another man continues to talk, but his remarks are inaudible.)
Jeppson—And like sophomores shoot them dead if you want. Nick Chournos does. Nick Chournos pussy-footed around with some people like this and got his son killed. And now he don’t pussy-foot. He hunts them in his…
(Dispatcher comes back on-line and cuts him off.)
Dispatcher—Hey John.
Jeppson—Yes?
Dispatcher—I’ve got ofoficers on their way. Do you want them to meet you at Zanavoo or do you want them to…
Jeppson—At St. Anne’s Retreat.
Dispatcher—OK.
Jeppson—Three-tenths of a mile past Preston Valley Campground.
Dispatcher—They know where it’s at. They’re on their way, OK?
Jeppson—I’ll be waiting.
Dispatcher—Bye bye…

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