Man Convicted of Stalking Sister Missionaries Could Leave Jail One Year After Assault

Nathan Yudnich, 41, could leave jail approximately one year after he struck a sister missionary near Temple Square in Salt Lake City and repeatedly returned to areas frequented by missionaries. Salt Lake County jail records list September 28, 2026, as his tentative release date, though officials could change that date.

Yudnich pleaded no contest to one count of stalking, while the court dismissed three related stalking counts as part of the case’s resolution, according to records obtained by The Cougar Chronicle. The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office said prosecutors secured the stalking conviction and a criminal stalking injunction with input and approval from attorneys representing the victims and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Encounters Escalated to an Assault

Police responded to State Street and South Temple on September 21, 2025, after a sister missionary reported that Yudnich had punched her in the stomach. The missionary and her companions told officers they recognized him from previous encounters in which he made inappropriate comments and threatened physical force.

The missionaries said Yudnich had told them that he would “marry them and take them all to be his wives.” Because of his previous conduct, they tried to avoid interacting with him when they encountered him near Temple Square that day.

As the missionaries passed, Yudnich yelled, “Don’t talk to me,” struck one of the women in the stomach and fled, according to the police report and body-camera footage obtained through Government Records Access and Management Act requests. The missionary initially declined medical treatment but later reported bruising, which a crime scene technician photographed.

A witness followed Yudnich to a nearby 7-Eleven and told police where to find him. Officers arrested him, but authorities later released him temporarily from jail.

Police records describe further encounters over the next two days. After Yudnich returned to Church property on September 22, he admitted to law enforcement that he intended to assault the sister missionaries again, according to The Cougar Chronicle.

Officers took him into custody again on September 23 after finding him back on Church property. Yudnich told officers that he had waited outside the sister missionaries’ apartment because he wanted to “apologize” for his conduct.

The probable cause affidavit said Yudnich had “consistently been a problem for [the Church Security Department] and the missionaries” and had displayed “behavior escalating from harassment to physical assault.” Officers also reported that he regularly loitered near Temple Square and missionary residences, where he harassed and threatened sister missionaries.

Prosecutors Explain the Resolution

The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office said the September 21 assault formed part of the conduct supporting the stalking charge. Utah law defines a stalking “course of conduct” as two or more acts directed toward a specific person, including following, observing, threatening, communicating with, approaching or confronting that individual.

The office initially limited its answers because Yudnich participated in Mental Health Court. After consulting with prosecutors about what information it could disclose, the office provided additional details about the negotiations and the victims’ requests.

The office of Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said prosecutors reached the disposition “with active input and approval from legal counsel for the victims and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.” Attorneys for the victims told prosecutors that one victim did not want to return to court but wanted the case to end with a stalking conviction and protective order.

“We accordingly resolved the case with a Class A Misdemeanor conviction and criminal stalking injunction, achieving every objective requested by the victim counsel,” a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office said. The injunction remains in effect unless a judge lifts it at the victim’s request.

The order prohibits Yudnich from contacting the victims and restricts him from entering specified properties and areas associated with the Church of Jesus Christ. Those restrictions cover the Temple Square Mission boundaries, City Creek Center, the FamilySearch Center, the Humanitarian Center and Welfare Square.

The district attorney’s office said a violation of the injunction could lead to new criminal charges. The order therefore extends protections for the victims beyond Yudnich’s incarceration and restricts his access to places where he previously encountered sister missionaries.

Questions About Safety and Accountability

Court records identify additional cases against Yudnich in Salt Lake City Justice Court with offense dates from 2023 through 2025. They include three counts of criminal trespass after notice and three counts of disorderly conduct or attempted disorderly conduct.

Latter-day Saint influencer Art Olivas discussed the case in a social media reel, including Yudnich’s participation in Mental Health Court. “Mental illness may help explain someone’s behavior, but it does not erase the need to protect victims,” he said.

“This hits close to home because my wife served on Temple Square, so I sympathize with these sisters and all missionaries serving away from home,” Olivas said. “The release date remains tentative, but this case deserves attention.”

“Compassion for people experiencing mental illness and meaningful protection for missionaries are not competing priorities,” Olivas said. “A responsible justice system must take both seriously.”

Do you think the outcome of this case was fair? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Holly Wallace

Holly Wallace is a writer and storyteller drawn to meaningful questions and overlooked details. Her work explores Latter-day Saint life and culture through faithful inquiry, inviting readers to pause, consider, and engage more deeply with what matters most.