A Utah man has been accused of strangling a woman who refused to have sex with him after a witness saw the pair 'horse playing around' in a hotel room.
Minh Dong Trinh, 41, killed 30-year-old Elizabeth Silver in a room at the Main Street Motel in Salt Lake City, according to police.
A witness said Trinh, from West Valley City, was wrestling with tragic Elizabeth with his arms around her head and neck shortly before her death.
She is said to have rejected his advances multiple times and was found dead in the early hours of October 8 slumped in a chair.
According to Trinh's account he offered to pay for sex with Silver with drugs or money but she repeatedly said no.
Investigators said: 'He stated that he kissed Ms. Silver's neck and that he offered to pay Ms. Silver with drugs or money for sex. He stated that she repeatedly said no.
'Defendant stated that he put his hand down her shirt and tried to touch her breast but that she forced his hand out and said no. He then left the room.'
A probable cause statement said the witness 'heard someone not breathing properly and saw the defendant with one arm on the top of Ms. Silver's head and the other arm around her neck'.
The witness is then said to have fallen asleep after seeing both Trinh and Silver hit the ground.
When he woke up he found Elizabeth in a seated position with her head slumped over and she had not moved.
An autopsy found Silver had suffered numerous head injuries with immediate cause of death was asphyxiation due to a physical altercation and neck compression.