A federal grand jury has indicted a Uintah County man on charges of second degree murder following the death of his mother in July 2025. Philip Bernard Weston, also known as Philip Bernard Mahpiya-Wicasta, age 52, of Ft. Duchesne, Utah, is accused of beating his elderly mother inside her home after she refused to let him use her car.
According to court documents, law enforcement responded to the victim’s residence on July 13, 2025, after an emergency alert was received. The victim, who was hearing impaired and frequently used social media for communication, had reached out multiple times via tablet to an out-of-state relative asking for help. When officers arrived at the home, Weston answered the door and allegedly claimed that his mother was present and unharmed.
Officers observed the victim lying on the ground with significant bleeding and immediately took Weston into custody. Authorities reported finding blood in several areas of the house and a tablet near the victim. The woman was transported first to a hospital in Roosevelt, Utah, where she gave statements using American Sign Language through an interpreter. She was later transferred to a trauma center in Salt Lake City but died from her injuries. Medical reports noted multiple broken ribs, severe chest injuries, broken clavicles, various head injuries including a four-inch laceration on her forehead and eye damage, hemothorax, collapsed lung, fractured sternum and vertebrae among other injuries.
Weston faces charges of murder in the second degree while within Indian Country. His initial court appearance is scheduled for August 20, 2025 at 2:00 p.m., before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah announced the indictment.
The FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and Vernal Resident Agency are leading the investigation into this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Sam Pead and Tanner Zumwalt are prosecuting.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and organized crime by combining resources from various task forces such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN brings together law enforcement agencies with communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence nationwide. In May 2021, the Department implemented a new strategy focusing on trust-building within communities and supporting organizations that work toward violence prevention; further details about PSN can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Authorities remind that an indictment is only an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
