Reward Given For Bringing Fugitive to Justice
Las Vegas man given $12,500 for helping solve a coin dealer’s murder
SANDY, UT – At the urging of his dying son, Wayne Solem pushed local law enforcement agencies to arrest a man responsible for gunning down Utah coin dealer Jordan Allgood in 2003. Thanks to Solem¹s determined efforts, 52-year-old Daniel “Slim” Campbell was apprehended and pleaded guilty to first-degree felony murder in July 2005.
On February 3, 2007, American Numismatic Association President William H. Horton Jr. and ANA Executive Director Christopher Cipoletti, along with H. Robert Campbell of the Utah Retail Coin Dealers Association, awarded Solem a check for $12,500 for his role in bringing Allgood’s killer to justice. The presentation was made at the Wasatch Winter Coin Show held at the Larry H. Miller Conference Center in Sandy. The American Numismatic Association contributed $5,000, with the remaining $7,500 donated by ANA-member dealers.
Jordan Allgood was working behind the counter at his St. George, Utah, coin shop on Nov. 25, 2003, when a man entered shortly after noon. Wearing a wig and beard, the man quickly advanced to the counter and shot Allgood in the chest. The gunman handcuffed the critically wounded shop owner, emptied the safe of $20,000 in coins and bullion, and fled, but not before he removed his disguise and revealed his face to security cameras. Allgood managed to call 911 and give the dispatcher a brief description of his attacker before he died.
Seven months later, Daniel Campbell (no relation to H. Robert Campbell) walked into Solem’s diner in Las Vegas. “He said that he was just out of prison and had come by to see if our son Jack had kept his possessions,” says Solem, explaining that his son and Campbell had been incarcerated at the same facility in Nevada. “Campbell had asked Jack if he could mail his belongings to our home, as he had no relatives to send them to.”
Later, Solem asked his son to explain. “He told me that Daniel Campbell had confided in him, saying that he had been arrested on a violation and was glad he was put in jail, as it took the heat off,” Solem says. “Then Campbell proceeded to tell Jack in detail about a robbery and murder he had committed in Utah with an accomplice.”
Solem notified the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, but no action was taken. Then, one evening as his son was watching Fox TV’s America’s Most Wanted, the Allgood story flashed on the screen. “Jack came running from his bedroom,” says Solem. “He said, ‘You guys have got to see this! That’s Slim! It went down exactly the way he told me!’”
After the program aired, Solem once again contacted the police. Armed with the new information, Las Vegas law enforcement worked with Utah detectives to conduct a thorough investigation. Three months passed before Utah authorities came to question Solem.
Meanwhile, his son had been hospitalized for nine weeks with a massive infection following a dental procedure. “The hospital staff asked us if Jack knew about a murder, as he would go days without sleep, telling them he had to keep watch and make sure no one else got hurt,” Solem says. “I promised my son I would take care of the problem, work with the police and keep his family safe. He died on October 17, 2004, before he ever had a chance to speak with authorities.” Sadly, Solem had lost another son 13 months earlier.
In September 2005, Daniel Campbell was sentenced to five years to life in prison. Solem is disappointed by the leniency of the judgment, but grateful to be recognized for his involvement in the case. “I think the reward is fantastic,” he says, adding that he hopes to use some of the money to recoup the expense of his son’s burial in a Tennessee cemetery and maintain the gravesite.
“The Utah Retail Coin Dealers Association, and other area coin dealers felt it was necessary to send a clear message to anyone who thinks of harming a coin dealer,” said H. Robert Campbell, a past president of the ANA. “We want to prove that even though we’re competitors, we will spare no expense by offering a reward for the arrest and conviction of anyone who commits a crime against Utah coin dealers.”
For more information about the ANA Reward Program and a list of contributors to the Allgood Reward Fund, please go to the ANA website at www.money.org and click on “Consumer Awareness” from the “Membership” drop down menu.
Originally Release Date: February 2, 2007
ANA Contacts: Phone: 719-482-9864
Email: pr@money.org