Laura Darlene Northrup was sentenced to 15 years to life on Thursday, October 29, 2026, for the murder of her roommate, Stephanie Lynn Haskett-Carrasco, according to an October 30 statement from Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. The sentencing was handed down by a Third District Court judge.
Northrup pleaded guilty with a mental condition on July 22, 2026, to one count of murder, a first-degree felony. She will serve her sentence at the Utah State Correctional Facility.
On May 26, 2024, emergency personnel responded to the Medically Vulnerable People (MVP) shelter in Sandy City to assist an unresponsive individual. Upon arrival, officials found Haskett-Carrasco hidden under her bed with significant blunt force trauma to her head and neck. Investigators located a metal can of Ensure nutrition powder with blood and hair on the bottom, as well as a red substance consistent with blood on the door frame and in-room air conditioning unit.
Northrup, Haskett-Carrasco, and a third individual were roommates at the shelter. Shelter staff had previously reported a strained relationship between the defendant and the victim, with the third roommate noting that the two would bicker frequently.
During the sentencing hearing, Haskett-Carrasco’s family, including her five children, attended the proceedings. One of the victim's daughters shared a message regarding the grandmother's relationship with her grandchildren.
District Attorney Sim Gill stated that the sentence ensures the defendant receives necessary mental health resources while being held accountable for the life taken. Gill noted that while the sentence provides accountability, it cannot return the victim to her family.
