Utah man killed in London attack was hit on bridge

Published 10:24 am Friday, March 24, 2017

WEST BOUNTIFUL, Utah (AP) — A Utah couple was enjoying the final day of their European trip to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary when they were among the crowd of people on London’s Westminster Bridge who were struck by an SUV.

Kurt W. Cochran was one of four victims killed and his wife, Melissa Cochran, was among dozens who were injured, according to a statement issued Thursday by the family through a Mormon church spokesman. The couple was visiting Melissa Cochran’s parents who were serving a church mission in London.

Authorities on Thursday identified a 52-year-old British man as the person who mowed down the Cochrans and other pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism — but was not currently on a terrorism watch list.

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Pictures on Kurt Cochran’s Facebook page show the couple enjoying their sightseeing travels through Europe prior to the tragic events. In one post, there are pictures of German architecture beneath a caption, “Trier Germany. Another WOW!” In another, he is shown smiling and holding a German beer under the caption, “After a long day of sightseeing.”

Steve Hatch, 46, said he just talked with Kurt Cochran online about how much fun the couple was having on the trip.

Family and friends said they’re heartbroken over the loss of a loving husband and father who loved music.

For the last decade, the couple ran a recording studio in their basement where he helped musicians develop their talents. The couple lives in a middle class neighborhood with small, older homes arranged on both sides of a quiet road in a bedroom community just outside Salt Lake City.

Bret Layton started crying while talking about his longtime friend and business associate outside Cochran’s house where he went Thursday to check on things. Layton said he ran the recording studio with Kurt Cochran.

“He’s one of those guys: You just know you want him to be your friend within five minutes…He was just an overall good guy to everybody,” Layton said.