Jury Finds Jonathan Hunt Guilty of 2018 Restaurant Murder

Late last week, a jury found Jonathan Hunt, 23, guilty for the 2018 murder of Noe Luna at a West Jordan restaurant.         

Around midnight September 13, 2018, Mr. Hunt and his friend, Jaydan Marshall Olsen, went into the Rancheritos near 7800 South Redwood Road, where Mr. Luna was with a friend. Before arriving at the restaurant, Mr. Olsen had been messaging Mr. Luna on a social media app about a female acquaintance. Mr. Olsen and Mr. Hunt appeared upset as they approached Mr. Luna and started arguing with him. During the confrontation, Mr. Hunt punched Mr. Luna in the head and then shot him twice. Mr. Hunt and Mr. Olsen then ran from the restaurant. Mr. Luna was taken to the hospital where he later died.

On November 9, 2023, a jury found Mr. Hunt guilty of first-degree felony murder and first-degree felony discharge of a firearm. Mr. Olsen’s case is still pending.

“This gun violence in a public place like a restaurant put not only the victim but also those simply trying to eat in grave danger. We thank the jury for their hard work and decision to find Mr. Hunt guilty of all charges,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. “We thank our prosecutors Josh Graves and Kimberly McKinnon Crandall, our victim counselor Amy Kershisnik, and our support staff for their dedication to this case. We are also grateful to the team at West Jordan Police Department that conducted a thorough investigation that helped lead to this conviction.”