Naman Shrestha
The most beautiful time of the year turned into the worst nightmare for the Tiede family in December 1990. Their secluded family cabin nestled in Oakley, Utah, became the scene of a gruesome crime as Kaye Tiede and Beth Potts were found dead inside. All the intricate details of the case and the investigation that ensued are covered extensively in the episode titled ‘Three Days Before Christmas’ of CBS’ ’48 Hours,’ which also features emotional interviews with two survivors of the incident.
Kaye Tiede and Beth Potts Were Killed in Front of One of Kaye’s Daughters
On August 20, 1914, Beth Harmon Tidwell Potts was born to Rozella Lowry and Milton Harmon in Manti, Utah, as one of their eight children. She supposedly grew up in a close and supportive household with her siblings — Milton Jr., John Leonard, Norma, John Willis, George, Richard, and Melva Harmon. At the age of 21, Beth tied the knot with Claude Eugene Tidwell on Valentine’s Day 1936. Their marriage unexpectedly ended as Claude met with a fatal automobile accident. Several years later, she gave love another chance and got married to William Clifford Potts on November 5, 1971. After 12 years of marriage, Beth was heartbroken yet again when her second husband also died in a car accident in 1983. Although she survived the accident, she ended up losing her eyesight and mobility.
Besides being an integral member of the Winder 6th LDS Ward for nearly two decades, she was also a resident of the Old Farm Residential Community near Murray, Utah. Through the course of her two marriages, she gave birth to four daughters, Claudia Goates, Barbara Noriega, Sue Ellen Reeder, and Kaye Tidwell Tiede, and a son named Kenneth Eugene “Ken” Tidwell. Kaye, who was born on January 16, 1941, in Ely, Nevada, during Beth’s marriage to Claude Eugene. Having been raised in a close-knit family with three sisters, Claudia, Barbara, Sue, and a brother named Ken, Kaye also became a member of the LDS Church. On May 24, 1963, she tied the knot with the love of her life, Rolf Tiede, in a wholesome ceremony in Salt Lake City, surrounded by their loved ones.
Over the following years, Kaye and Rolf welcomed three children into the world — Linae, Shaun, and Tricia. Residents of Humble, Texas, the couple led a happy life, but it all came to a sudden halt on the fateful morning of December 22, 1990, when Kaye and her mother, Beth, went to the family’s cabin, Tiede’s Tranquility, in Oakley, Utah. One of Kaye’s daughters was at the secluded cabin when Kaye and Beth met their demise. When the police rushed to the scene, they found the two deceased women, who were shot to death in the cabin. Thus
Kaye Tiede and Beth Potts’ Killers Went on a Run After the Murders
It turned out that on the morning of December 22, 1990, Tiede’s Tranquility was broken into by two intruders — Von Lester Taylor and Edward Steven Deli. Both were parolees and had escaped from a halfway house to break into the cabin in Oakley to commit robbery. Not long after, when Kaye Tiede, one of her daughters, and Beth Potts showed up at the cabin unexpectedly, both robbers were surprised and pulled out their guns before shooting Kaye and Beth to death. More violence ensued when Kaye’s husband, Rolf, and their other daughter also arrived at the cabin. While holding Rolf at gunpoint, Von and Edward instructed him to empty his pockets and collected cash from him. Later, they shot him in the face before pouring gasoline all over the garage and setting the cabin on fire, leaving Rolf to die.
Meanwhile, they kidnapped 20-year-old Linae and 16-year-old Tricia and ordered them to help them flee the scene in snowmobiles. At a distance, the four of them got out of the snowmobiles and got inside the Tiedes’ car. The wounded Rolf somehow managed to alert the authorities, leading to a high-speed pursuit of the assailants. Eventually, the police caught up with Von and Edward and managed to rescue the two girls. The two robbers were arrested and charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated kidnapping in connection with the double homicide of Kaye Tiede and Beth Potts. As for Rolf, he had suffered critical injuries but recovered after a few days.
While Von Lester Taylor is on Death Row, Edward Steven Deli is Currently Incarcerated at a Utah Prison Facility
Several months later, on May 2, 1991, Von Lester Taylor pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated murder, and in exchange, the state dropped all the other charges against him. A few weeks later, on May 22, the jury deliberated for more than four hours and recommended the death sentence for the convict. Ultimately, Von chose to be executed by lethal injection. Meanwhile, the accomplice, Edward Steven Deli, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and went to trial for the murders of Kaye Tiede and Beth Potts. During his trial, the defense argued that the defendant might be involved in the burglary but had not been responsible for the murders, putting the blame entirely on Von.
The prosecution further argued that Edward shared equal guilt in the aggravated murder and deserved to get the death penalty. The shooting survivor, Rolf, also testified against Edward during his trial. Finally, on May 14, he was found guilty of second-degree murder as one of the 12 jurors refused to find him guilty as charged. Thus, in order to avoid a mistrial, the jury decided to convict the defendant of lesser charges of second-degree murder. The following month, on June 3, Edward was sentenced to seven consecutive life terms for all nine felony offenses against him, with the possibility of parole after serving at least 62 years. In March 1993, Edward filed a motion to have his multiple life sentences reduced, but the Utah Supreme Court denied his appeal.
Over the years, Von Lester Taylor also appealed to get his conviction and death sentence overturned, only to be denied every single time by the Utah Supreme Court. According to reports, on March 12, 2020, Von’s murder conviction and death sentence were overturned. However, more than a year later, on July 30, 2021, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the decision and restored his death sentence. As of today, Von is on death row at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, while Edward is serving his sentence at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison, Utah.
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