Booking photo for Tyler S. Call (Courtesy: Cache County Jail).
LOGAN — The jury trial for a 24-year-old Willard man, suspected of raping a Utah State student more than two years ago, has been postponed again for a third time. Tyler S. Call was originally arrested in April 2018.
Court records show Call appeared in 1st District Court Tuesday morning. He faces one count of rape, a first-degree felony.
Police report that Call went with the alleged victim to her room late on the night of Sept. 8, 2017. While there, they started off talking to one another from opposite ends of the room and then ended up snuggling on her bed. According to a probable cause statement, he asked her for sex multiple times and she repeatedly told him “no.” However, he reportedly ignored her and raped her.
The alleged assault was reported to USU officials Sept. 10, one day after the incident happened.
Call was interviewed by officers on April 24 at the USU Police Department, before being arrested. He was later released from jail after posting $20,000 bail.
A four-day jury trial was originally scheduled for Oct. 2019. It was cancelled just weeks before, after both Call and his attorney, Darwin Overson, failed to appear in court for a final pretrial conference.
The trial was rescheduled for earlier this month and then postponed for Feb. 25. The continuance was to allow the attorneys more time to prepare.
During Tuesday’s court appearance, Overson reported that he still wasn’t prepared for the February trial. He asked for two more months to get ready. Judge Brian Cannell granted the third continuance and set the four-day trial to begin May 12. He ordered attorneys for both sides to appear for a final pretrial conference April 13.
Records show Call was living in Logan at the time the alleged rape occurred. He was not attending USU at the time and was never enrolled as a student.
Call remains out of jail on pretrial supervision. He could face up to life in prison if convicted.
will@cvradio.com