Utah felon convicted of murder in 1990 back in prison for stolen guns
ST. GEORGE, UTAH (ABC4) — A southern Utah man who was out on parole following a 1990 state murder conviction is now being sent back to jail for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Joseph Charles Gardner, 65, was sentenced to prison for 102 months, followed by three years of supervised release, according to U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins.
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Court documents show Gardner illegally possessed an SCCY CPX 9mm handgun, ammunition, and other firearms, although he is restricted from owning a firearm due to his previous murder conviction in 1990. The handgun reportedly crossed state lines, affecting interstate commerce, according to Higgins.
According to a 1990 article published in the Ogden Standard-Examiner, Gardner was first arrested in the death of Janice Fondren, 30, in July 1990. Fondren’s body was located in the hills southwest of St. George, Utah.
According to court documents, Gardner spent 30 years in prison for shooting and killing Fondren, removing her clothes, and leaving her dead body in the desert. In 2020, he was granted parole and returned to St. George.
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In a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Higgins reported that Gardner conspired with a coworker to conceal and dispose of stolen firearms in 2022. During an investigation, police found one of the stolen firearms, a 9mm handgun in his possession, as well as thousands of bullets of three different calibers.
Police also learned he previously possessed other firearms, including an AR-15-style rifle through the investigation.
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