A Killing Spree in Utah Rattles a Region and Puzzles Officials Three women were found dead in separate locations, authorities confirmed on Thursday. A multi-state manhunt led to the arrest of a suspect, though the motive behind the killings remains unknown. When two women failed to return from a hike in central Utah’s red-rock desert on Wednesday, their husbands went to the trailhead to search for them. They discovered a grim scene: both women were dead, and one of their cars was missing, officials said. Investigators soon uncovered a third body, that of a woman in her 80s who had been murdered earlier in the day at her home in Lyman, a small farm town about 10 miles from the trailhead. The seemingly random killings of three women in a remote part of rural Utah, near Capitol Reef National Park, triggered a chaotic search that spanned four states. Residents in the area grew fearful, taking up arms and staying awake to watch for signs of danger. The suspect was apprehended early Thursday morning by police in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, where a 22-year-old man from Iowa, Ivan Miller, was arrested in connection with the murders. The crimes occurred more than 300 miles away, and he was charged with three counts of aggravated murder, a felony that could result in the death penalty in Utah. It was unclear whether he had legal representation at the time of his arrest. Lt. Cameron Roden of the Utah Department of Public Safety stated that the suspect had no known ties to the victims and showed no apparent connection to the state. According to court documents, Miller confessed to the killings, telling investigators, “it had to be done.” On Thursday evening, authorities identified the victims as Margaret Oldroyd, 86, Linda Dewey, 65, and Natalie Graves, 34.#utah #ivan_miller #capitol_reef_national_park #lyman #utah_department_of_public_safety
