Crime
Multiple suspects arrested for their alleged roles in shooting and killing 17-year-old KayLee Dutton
The sheriff did not disclose the ages of the suspects.
Iron County authorities are urging the public to come forward with information after 17-year-old KayLee Joan Dutton was pursued, shot, and killed on Friday night along a remote road northwest of Cedar City.
Sheriff Kenneth Carpenter announced on Saturday afternoon that three male suspects had been apprehended at an apartment near 3100 West and 1600 North in Cedar City following the execution of a search warrant. A fourth arrest is anticipated at another location.
“We feel pretty good that we have our suspects in custody at this time,” Carpenter said during the announcement.
The sheriff did not disclose the ages of the suspects.
He stated that investigators identified a truck potentially involved in the incident, which led them to the suspects.
Following this lead, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the apartment near the location where the victim and her passenger reportedly realized they were being followed. The arrests were made without further incident.
Deputies were dispatched to the area of Midvalley Road and 4300 West at approximately 10:30 p.m. Friday after receiving 911 reports of gunfire.
Upon arrival, deputies found the injured teen and immediately began life-saving measures. She was transported to Cedar City Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The victim was traveling with another girl in her truck when the suspects allegedly followed them for several miles in their own vehicle.
According to investigators, the suspects eventually pulled alongside the victim’s vehicle and opened fire.
The gunfire struck the teen, causing her to lose control of her truck, which veered off the road, crashed through a fence, and came to a stop northwest of the intersection.
The Iron County Sheriff’s Office is asking for any information that may assist with the investigation.
Specifically, authorities are requesting details from anyone who may have seen the teen’s red pickup truck being followed by a dark-colored truck or SUV on Lund Highway between 1600 North and Midvalley Road or heading west on Midvalley Road toward the Three Peaks Campground.
“Any information could be crucial to the ongoing investigation,” the sheriff’s office stated.
Additionally, residents and businesses with surveillance footage from the area during the late hours of Friday night are encouraged to contact law enforcement.
Sheriff Carpenter confirmed that this case is now classified as a homicide investigation.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of the young woman who lost her life during this tragic act of violence,” the Iron County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Iron County Sheriff’s Office at (435) 867-7500 or the Cedar Dispatch non-emergency line at (435) 586-9445.
Authorities in Maine have released additional details regarding the tragic Sabattus shooting that left three people dead and two others injured on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
29-year-old James Davis III, a resident of Sabattus, has been identified as the gunman.
According to Maine State Police Colonel William Ross, Davis was experiencing a mental health crisis before the incident, which resulted in the deaths of his 47-year-old mother, Christine Smith, and 53-year-old Katherine Williams, a local school employee.
Davis lived with his mother on Dube Drive, located less than a mile from where the shooting occurred.
Authorities say he had a sporadic work history, did not have a driver’s license, and was primarily cared for by his mother.
On the morning of the shooting, Smith drove Davis to his father’s home on Birchwood Drive, where he spent most of the day with his father and grandmother.
Family members reported that Davis began acting erratically, speaking incoherently, and displaying signs of mental distress.
Relatives attempted to contact Smith throughout the day, as she was often able to calm him down.
Later, Davis’ father arranged for him to meet with his mother, hoping it would help stabilize his behavior.
Investigators revealed that Davis was in possession of a .357 revolver and an AK-47 rifle when he arrived at his father’s home. After the shooting, additional firearms were recovered from the residence.
Authorities confirmed that Davis carried both weapons into his father’s vehicle when he was driven to meet his mother. When he switched to her car, he took the firearms with him.
Despite Davis’ troubling behavior earlier in the day, there was no indication that family members attempted to remove his firearms or contact law enforcement before the tragedy unfolded.
At approximately 4:15 p.m., Smith was driving Davis home on King Road, approaching the intersection of Middle Road (Route 9), when Davis shot her with the .357 revolver.
Smith was killed instantly, and the vehicle veered off the road, coming to a stop on the front lawn of a nearby home near the Lisbon town line.
Davis then exited the vehicle with the AK-47 and began firing indiscriminately at passing cars.
Three drivers were struck by gunfire:
- Katherine Williams, 53, of Sabattus – Fatally wounded. Her vehicle crashed into a nearby home. She was transported to Central Maine Medical Center (CMCC) in Lewiston, where she was pronounced dead.
- Tyson Turner, 19, of Jay – Shot while driving. Transported to CMCC with non-life-threatening injuries and later released.
- David Wilson, 35, of Hartford – Also struck by gunfire. Transported to CMCC with non-life-threatening injuries and later released.
After firing multiple rounds into traffic, Davis turned the AK-47 on himself, dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police confirmed that the entire incident unfolded within a matter of minutes.
Williams, affectionately known as “Kay,” was a beloved employee of Regional School Unit 4.
She served as the food service manager at Carrie Ricker School and Libby Tozier School in Litchfield.
In a letter to families, Superintendent Katy Grondin expressed the school community’s grief:
“There is no question that her death will have an impact on all of us, as Kay was a beloved member of the RSU 4 community. Our thoughts are with her family as they begin to process this loss.”
Authorities do not believe Davis knew any of the passing drivers he shot at, indicating the attack was random.
While police are still investigating Davis’ history of drug use, an initial search did not uncover any drugs, and his family did not report any signs of substance abuse.
An autopsy will determine whether he had any substances in his system at the time of the shooting.
Col. Ross acknowledged the rarity of such incidents, though he referenced a similar mass shooting in Bowdoin, Maine, as another recent act of violence.
The Maine State Police, Sabattus Police Department, Lisbon Police Department, and Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate the tragedy.
Further details will be released as they become available.