Convicted West Valley craft killer wears tattoo spelling murder in front of victims

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Jesus Valdez Jr., a habitual criminal, murdered innocent handyman Tony Martinez in West Valley City on May 28, 2020. The victim's family says Valdez appeared to show his lack of remorse by keeping his tattoo visible to them and no one in the criminal justice system saw it.

Valdez was transported from the Salt Lake County Jail for sentencing by Salt Lake County sheriff's deputies on Sept. 20 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder for killing Martinez, who was at a house next to his home Parents worked where he was allowed to work on probation after being released from prison.

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Valdez was restrained with a belly chain, handcuffed and shackled by sheriff's deputies and escorted into Judge Dianna Gibson's courtroom. Valdez had been in the Salt Lake County Jail since November 5, 2021. He was flanked by prosecutor Brad Cooley and defense attorney George Wright. But apparently none of them saw the tattoo of 187 on the shaved back of his head. Neither did Judge Gibson, because he was standing right in front of her. It was clear that Martinez's family, sitting behind the killer, noticed the tattoo, which defines and prohibits murder in the California Penal Code and is also often applied to homicides via police scanners. Video from 2News Investigates shows Valdez looking back into the gallery at times when Martinez's family was sitting.

2News Investigates tried to get answers as to why no one directly involved in the sentencing noticed what was staring Martinez's family in the face. Bert Moosman, Martinez's brother-in-law, told 2News Investigates that this was “totally unacceptable.”

We asked why Salt Lake County sheriff's deputies who transported Valdez from jail to court did not notify Judge Gibson and why the victim's family was forced to see the 187 tattoo.

Carl Toersbijns, a retired warden and assistant warden in the Arizona correctional system who is now a correctional consultant, has decades of experience. He reviewed the matter for 2News Investigates and said: “You don't understand the far-reaching implications of 187. 187 is murder.” It is the ultimate and most extreme point in human life. In order to get that message across – to say that I'm a murderer – you can't let them boast about it, you can't let them ridicule the justice system by allowing them to, essentially, hide their motive Letter to indicate visible way.”

Toersbijns says this is a political question and wonders if the sheriff's office has a valid policy.

“I am only shocked because the issue was not addressed or resolved before transport,” he said.

Additionally, the officers transporting Valdez should have told their supervisor that the tattoo was intimidating, he says. “I don’t think that was done because there may not be a policy on tattoos.”

Toersbijns has extensive experience in gang affiliation and prison gangs. Of Valdez, he says: “He is a member of the STG, a member of the Security Threat Group – Sureno 13. He is not a rookie, he is not a newbie in the sense that he should have been treated on a tighter leash as a newbie.”

“Guidelines should be put in place not just for him, but for anyone or any gang member who has nicknames or visible tattoos that threaten people. 187 is nothing to make fun of. I don’t understand the lackadaisical attitude,” he said.

We brought this to the attention of Chris Bronson, communications and public relations manager for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, and asked several questions. On Tuesday, Bronson confirmed that Valdez was in her custody from November 5, 2021 to September 25, 2024.

An emailed statement said:

“We are aware of the concerns raised regarding the appearance of Jesus Adolfo Valdez at his sentencing hearing. There are established standards of propriety for court proceedings. Judges and prosecutors have the authority to address behavioral or appearance issues that could disrupt the court process. We remain committed to maintaining a safe and impartial environment in our courts.”

We sought clarification and asked whether the Sheriff's Office has a policy for transporting and escorting inmates to court when it comes to tattoos, which are a form of witness intimidation and can harm the victim's family members. We asked why this wasn't revealed before Valdez was escorted to court for sentencing and why deputies didn't tell Judge Gibson about it. We explained that the statement appears to hold the judge and prosecutors accountable. We then received this email:

“We have no further comment. All inquiries regarding standards of appearance and courtroom decorum must be directed to the courts and the judge.”

Bronson urged us to require guidelines regulating the dress and appearance of inmates for court proceedings. He further wrote that the sheriff's office has a policy outlining the expectations for staff at court appearances, who he said should wear uniforms. He also wrote that there is a policy for detainees in a jury trial that allows them to change their clothing during the trial. However, he said he could find nothing regarding tattoos on inmates during the trial.

We have also contacted Tania Mashburn, Communications Director for the Utah State Courts, regarding this matter. She notified Judge Gibson and confirmed that she did not see the tattoo on the back of Valdez's head. The video clearly shows that she could only see him when he was standing in front of her.

Mashburn issued the following email statement:

“We are pleased that you brought this issue to our attention. As you know, Judge Gibson did not see the tattoo on the back of the defendant's head. Had she known, she might have taken steps to get him to cover it up. This is not a problem that has ever arisen in the past, but if it becomes more common the courts will certainly consider policy or procedural changes.”

2News Investigates contacted the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office regarding this matter as they prosecuted the case. We asked communications manager Keith Chalmers if prosecutors Brad Cooley, Breanne Miller and Ryan Hansen noticed anything unusual about the shaved back of Valdez's head as he stood in court for sentencing. And if so, what was it?

The following day, after the sheriff's office and judge were notified, Chalmers responded with an email statement attributed to District Attorney Sim Gill.

“During most of the sentencing, our prosecutors stood in front of and alongside the defendant. They didn't see the tattoo of 187 on the back of the defendant's head. If they had noticed, they would have pointed it out to the judge, but that would not have changed the defendant's sentence. Mr. Valdez remains convicted of the primary charge of murder and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.”

In the end, Toersbijns said, Valdez enabled him to make a mockery of the criminal justice system by transporting a murderer to court to be sentenced without realizing what was in the back of his mind.