Saturday, April 10, 2010

When LDS Home Teachers Go Bad: BYU Student Stetson Hallam In Jail For Stunning And Cuffing 19-Year-Old Coed; It Was Just An April Fool's Joke

Update July 27th: Stetson Hallam pleads guilty to second-degree kidnapping and obstruction of justice; updated post HERE.

Update April 16th: Stetson Hallam now charged with first-degree aggravated attempted kidnapping; 15-to-life is possible. Updated post HERE.

When men are called to become home teachers in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they are encouraged to do more than fill a square. Church leaders encourage them to take a sincere interest in the families to which they're assigned, but to show respect for their time. More information on the LDS home teaching program is available on the LDS website and on MormonWiki. The separate Visiting Teaching program is run by the Relief Society and two sisters come each month to visit the women of a given home.

But one home teacher at Brigham Young University took his interest just a little too far. Stetson Hallam, a 20-year-old sophomore at BYU, was visiting an unidentified 19-year-old coed. It is unclear whether it was an official "home teaching" visit or a social visit. He had allegedly pursued the woman romantically, but she had no interest in him, considering him to be "creepy". In any event, Hallam allegedly pinned the woman to the ground and tried to handcuff her after incapacitating her with a stun gun on Tuesday April 6th at an apartment complex where both live. The victim reportedly bit down on Hallam's finger until he let her go and apologized, claiming it was all an April Fool's joke.

But the victim failed to find humor in the joke, and contacted police on April 8th. As a result, Hallam has now been persuaded to "accept a mission call" to preach the Gospel to the inmates of the Utah County Jail. He's been booked on third-degree felony charges of aggravated assault and attempted kidnapping and is being held on $5,000 bond. It is NOT an April Fool's joke.

What may really be concerning police is that, during Hallam's encounter with his victim, he repeatedly tried to get her to open a bin which was five feet long by two feet wide and three feet tall, with a lockable lid and handles. The victim finally opened the bin and found it empty. It was immediately afterward that Hallam produced the stun gun, so police are trying to find out if Hallam intended to stun her, put her into the bin, and kidnap her.

Carri Jenkins, spokeswoman for BYU, said she had little information about the incident Friday. However, she confirmed that Hallam is a sophomore at the university. She said the university's Honor Code Office will now begin its own review of the incident to determine what actions should be taken. If it is determined that a person is a danger to the community, he or she may be banned from campus, but Jenkins said she does not know what decision will be made in this case.

It is hoped that this character will quickly see reason and make his manners, so the charges can be busted down to a misdemeanor. He cannot be allowed to get off the hook altogether, since he actually assaulted this woman, but it would be a shame to have a felony conviction following him around his entire life. This, of course, assumes he's only guilty of assault, and not of attempted kidnapping.

Media stories published by the Provo Daily Herald and the Salt Lake Tribune. Hallam's Facebook page is HERE.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

JACK MORMON: You are a fool! It really would be too bad for this piece of "____" to have this event follow him around for the rest of his life. If he minds his manners he can pick up his stun gun, his handcuffs and his bin and move on to another victim. Since when do even frat brothers "fool" their friends with a bolt from a stun gun. I think you, Jack, should volunteer to be his next friend.
Antigone

Jack Mormon said...

Haven't you ever heard of forgiveness? After he pays a suitable penalty, maybe a couple of years in prison, then he's forgiven. It's not been proven yet that he actually intended to kidnap her.

Anonymous said...

Stetson Geo Hallam Has a Facebook look him up

http://www.facebook.com/people/Stetson-Geo-Hallam/1131030284

a RAPIST IN THE MAKING it was Clearly premeditated...man he looks So normal...

Anonymous said...

Forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting that he was capable of the act and that he risks repeating that same action. Besides, going to jail doesn't mean he has been forgiven, but that he has paid his penalty according to the law.

Anonymous said...

Okay Jack: So it hasn't been proven he was going to kidnap her. So tasing and handcuffing are okay? Also, I guess if he says "I'm sorry," that should be enough pennance for just a harmless little April Fool joke--even though not on April 1.
Antigone

Anonymous said...

The only person in this situation who has any say in "forgiveness" is the victim. Yes, he does have a chance to learn from his mistakes, but he also has to face the consequences, ESPECIALLY if they can prove that he intended to kidnap her. Stunning then handcuffing her after he asked her to open a large, empty box...? That just screams kidnap and rape right there and if I was her, forgiveness would not be at the top of my priority list.

I hope he goes to prison and I hope he stays there for quite some time.

Unknown said...

A misdemeanor? What? It seems to me he was trying to abduct her and move her somewhere -- kidnapping for ransom probably wasn't the reason since he had been pursuing her unsuccessfully. Likely he was up to some Ted Bundy stuff. He is possibly a violent sociopath.

Anonymous said...

I'm very close to a girl who has dated this guy in the past. From what she has told me, he IS a sociopath and has some major issues.

Anonymous said...

Mormons are taught to forgive everyone. It does not mean it is easy and no it probably wouldn't be at the top of my list at the moment. I went to high school with stetson and he did not seem to be the kind of person who would do such a thing but you can never know what someone might do. Although I do believe it does seem premeditated to do something more than an April fools joke. Yes he should also have to pay the consequences, that is another thing we are taught is that we must obey the law of the land and pay the consequences of not doing so. I feel bad for the poor young woman he did it to. Scared her half to death probably and I hope if he did do this that he pays for what he has done because it is not something to take lightly.

Tyler Haslem said...

This has nothing to do with forgiveness! You have to do what you have to do with potential RAPE cases. How is this concept difficult to understand and WHY is forgiveness even being brought up?

Anonymous said...

Re: Tyler Haslem "...why is forgiveness even being brought up?"

That's the problem with the Utah legal system. It isn't based on crime and punishment -- it is based on sin and forgiveness. Theocracy is the only law in this state...

As for Stetson, I knew him personally (and his ex-fiance). I figured him to be a closet masturbater like most of the sexually repressed men of Utah, and yeah, socially speaking he was more awkward than some, but I was still surprised when I heard this story, though not too surprised...