On March 4, the Utah Department of Public Safety reported that two women, age 30 and 60, had been found dead on an unidentified Wayne County hiking trail, with a third deceased female, 80, found in a nearby residence. This prompted a search for a homicide suspect, with multiple scenes being investigated in the area around the southern Utah towns of Lyman and Torrey, the latter of which is a gateway into Capitol Reef National Park.

Initially, it was reported that authorities were seeking a 2022 white Subaru Outback related to the suspect of the triple homicide. This vehicle was tracked through southern Utah into northern Arizona before ultimately being found abandoned in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Per the most recent press release, the suspect was soon found in Colorado after a brief search and taken into custody without further incident.

A press release from the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police indicated that investigators used license plate readers to track the path of the suspect vehicle. Once the vehicle was abandoned in Pagosa Springs, the suspect allegedly fled on foot, but was soon apprehended with the help of a drone and K-9 unit. The suspect reportedly had a handgun and large knife in his possession and is being held on a concealed weapon charge, per the aforementioned CACP press release.

According to Utah Highway Patrol, the suspect is accused of killing one woman in Wayne County and stealing her vehicle, then traveling to a nearby trailhead to kill two more women who had been hiking together near Capitol Reef National Park, then fleeing in one of their vehicles. Per an AP report, there was no known connection between the suspect and the victims, nor was there a known connection between the first victim and the second two victims. A motive behind the killings remains unknown.

According to law enforcement, no ongoing risk exists for the public and there are no outstanding suspects in the case.

All suspects are to be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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