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Tommy Chapman, Utah man, had lips stapled shut by 6 roommates during torture, police say
Clockwise from top left: Lee Moses, David Masters Brandon Haggard, Paula Jones-Masters, Tracy Jordan, and Jennifer Moses.
/ Salt Lake County Jail(CBS/AP) MAGNA, Utah - A group of six is behind bars after police say they bound their 41-year-old roommate's feet with tape, stapled his lips shut, and spent the night torturing him with a small power tool in their Utah home near Salt Lake City.
Police believe the suspects were suspicious about their new roommate, identified by CBS affiliate KUTV as Tommy Chapman, who told authorities he'd moved into the house in Magna a week and a half earlier and had agreed to remodel the basement in exchange for rent.
"One of the suspect's claims over the last several weeks was that different people have pulled a gun on him the street," Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal said. "They believed (the victim) was responsible for it."
Hoyal says six men and women held Chapman at gunpoint in their home starting late Saturday or early Sunday. They handcuffed him, put staples in his ears and chest, and used a Dremel tool to cut him, according to jail reports.
Police said the roommates struck Chapman multiple times with objects including a crutch, a keyboard, a laptop and the butt of a shotgun.
"All night they tortured him," Hoyal said.
The group decided at about 4 a.m. Sunday that Chapman might not be responsible for the threats, Hoyal said. They released the man, who reportedly fled to his sister's house and was taken to a hospital.
The six suspects, Jennifer Moses, 30; Lee Carl Moses, 26; David Masters, 55; Paula Jones-Masters, 43; Brandon Haggard, 20; and Tracy Jordan, 45, were booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault and obstruction of justice.
Records show they all remained there Tuesday morning.
The six suspects are in the town of Magna, which is about 15 miles from Salt Lake City.
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