Storage facility worker kills co-worker with hammer after he 'messed with his stuff'

A man has been charged with murder for allegedly killing his coworker at a storage facility after he "messed with his stuff," authorities say.

The incident began on Dec. 29 in Salt Lake City, Utah, when a driver reportedly overheard his passenger -- later identified as the suspect, Nathan David Evans -- tell another person in his vehicle that "he was going down to a warehouse to kill someone by bashing his head in because the person had messed with his stuff," according to a statement from Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.

Later that evening, authorities say that another coworker of Evans left their workplace, leaving the eventual victim, David Hinkebein, and Evans alone at the storage facility.

"When the same co-worker came back to work on January 1, 2024, he saw Mr. Evans but not Mr. Hinkebein," Gill said in his statement announcing the charges against Evans. "During the shift, that same co-worker went near a back office and noticed bloody handprints on the wall and blood-stained carpet."

Authorities said that Evans "made it clear that he did not want to talk about the mess when the co-worker confronted him about it."

However, when the same coworker noticed that the mess was still not cleaned up the next day and confronted the suspect again, Evans simply told him that "Hinkebein was done," which led to Evans' colleague reporting to authorities that Hinkelbein was possibly dead.

Police went to the warehouse on Jan. 3 for a welfare check but, when they arrived, they found a large amount of blood as well as Hinkelbein's body.

"When detectives arrived, they found a hammer next to a minifridge that had blood on it and hair the same color as Mr. Evans' hair," said the Salt Lake County District Attorney. "They also found a garbage bag with clothes that were later identified as clothes that Mr. Evans typically wore, covered in blood. A medical examiner later conducted an autopsy and found at least 15 blunt force injuries to the head of Mr. Hinkebein, consistent with a hammer."

Evans was subsequently charged on Thursday with one count of first-degree felony murder and one count of third-degree felony abuse or desecration of a human body.

"When people go to work they do not expect to be faced with violence. Workplace violence is intolerable and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law by this office. Our hearts go out to those who knew Mr. Hinkebein through his work with those experiencing homelessness in Salt Lake County," said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. "All persons accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law."

The investigation into Hinkelbein's death is currently ongoing and Evans' trial date has not yet been set.