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A suspect is in custody after three women were found dead in Torrey, Utah, and in Wayne County, authorities confirmed Thursday (March 5), following a sweeping multistate manhunt that stretched from southern Utah through northern Arizona and into Colorado.
According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, two women were discovered dead on a hiking trail on Wednesday (March 4) after officials received a call that afternoon. As investigators dug deeper, a third victim was found at a residence in Wayne County. The victims were women in their 30s, 60s, and 80s. Their identities have not been released.
Authorities tracked the suspect using one of the victim's vehicles — a white Subaru Outback bearing Utah license plate U560YF. The suspect was arrested without incident in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, after traveling through Utah and northern Arizona. The Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) has not yet released the suspect's identity.
In the hours before the arrest, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office urged all residents to "take extra precautions, keep lights on, keep doors locked, and remain home or with others." The DPS echoed that warning, asking people in Torrey and the surrounding areas to stay vigilant.
By late Wednesday night, the FBI's Salt Lake City field office confirmed it was aware of the situation and stood ready to assist if requested.
Out of an abundance of caution, the Wayne County School District announced that schools will be closed Thursday (March 5) and Friday (March 6). Counselors will be available to support students when classes resume next week. The Wayne Community Health Center and Kazan Memorial Clinic also closed Thursday.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Wayne County Sheriff's Office dispatch line at (800) 356-8757.