Man sentenced to prison for beating his roommate to death, seeks appeal

SALT LAKE CITY — A man found guilty almost two years ago of beating his roommate, 61-year-old Steven Richard Nyce, to death in 2019 has been sentenced to prison, but he is still contesting the conviction.

Tyler James Vernon, 45, was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for murder, a first-degree felony on Oct. 15. Third District Judge Todd Shaughnessy recommended he get credit for the more than seven and a half years he has already served behind bars.

He also ordered Vernon to pay over $1,000 to the Utah Office for Victims of Crime.

On Feb. 18, 2019, a witness saw a man run out of Vernon's house at 1280 E. 3770 South with a fire poker, and he heard the man yell, "His head is smashed in," according to charging documents.

Officers said Vernon made several statements after they arrived at the scene, including, "I killed him" and "He's not breathing." Charges say he was overheard saying "he was making fun of me," shortly after the incident.

Nyce had severe head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Vernon was found guilty on Nov. 14, 2024 by a jury, and it took not quite two years for him to be sentenced. Part of that delay was due to a motion he filed to arrest the verdict, or prevent it from becoming final, which the judge denied on June 19, 2026.

Vernon, however, continued asking for a new trial. On October. 16 Shaughnessy denied that request as well, which can only be addressed after sentencing. He said the trial errors Vernon claimed either did not happen or did not collectively substantially impact the trial's outcome.

"There was ample admissible evidence from which the jury could reasonably conclude that (Vernon) acted with the requisite mental state at the time he bludgeoned the victim to death, notwithstanding his consumption of narcotics at the time," the judge's order said.

Vernon appealed that order, and on Tuesday the Supreme Court transferred the case to the Utah Court of Appeals.