Crime
At Least Three People Found Dead in Wayne County, Residents Urge to Stay Home and Take Extra Precautions
WAYNE COUNTY, Utah — The Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) has launched a homicide investigation in Wayne County after three women were found dead in separate locations Wednesday, prompting a major multi-agency response and a public safety alert across the region.
According to DPS officials, the agency’s Utah State Bureau of Investigation and the Utah Department of Public Safety Crime Lab are assisting the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office with investigative support and forensic processing at multiple crime scenes in and around Torrey.
Authorities said the investigation began Wednesday afternoon when dispatchers received a call reporting two deceased women discovered along a hiking trail.
As investigators began examining the scene and expanding the search area, a third victim was later found deceased inside a residence elsewhere in Wayne County.
Officials said next-of-kin notifications are still underway, and therefore the identities of the victims are being withheld at this time.
Investigators have confirmed that the three victims are:
- Victim 1: Female in her 30s
- Victim 2: Female in her 60s
- Victim 3: Female in her 80s
All three deaths are being investigated as homicides.
Authorities are asking the public for assistance in locating a 2022 white Subaru Outback bearing Utah license plate U560YF, which investigators believe may be connected to the case. Officials are urging anyone who sees the vehicle not to approach it and instead report its location immediately.
Tips can be submitted to the Statewide Information and Analysis Center at siac@utah.gov, by phone at (801) 965-3838, or by calling 911 in the event of an emergency.
Because the suspect has not yet been located, law enforcement agencies are urging residents in Torrey and surrounding communities to remain cautious. Authorities recommend that residents lock their doors, keep exterior lights on, avoid being alone if possible, and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office issued a countywide alert advising residents to remain vigilant while investigators work to determine what led to the killings.
Around the same time, the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office also asked the public for information about the same white Subaru Outback, noting it may be linked to the Wayne County investigation. Officials said it is still unclear whether multiple incidents reported in the region are directly connected.
Family members of one of the victims have begun speaking publicly about the tragedy. Tracy Jacobson told Channel2 NOW that one of the victims was her niece and another was the niece’s paternal aunt.
“This was my niece and her father’s sister that were murdered. I’m heartbroken,” Jacobson said.
Jacobson alleged that the suspect stole her niece’s vehicle after the shooting and may also be connected to the killing of an elderly woman earlier in Lyman. According to Jacobson, the older woman’s vehicle was later found near the location where her niece was shot, while her niece’s white Subaru was taken by the suspect.
She further stated that the suspect may have traveled toward Beaver, where a SWAT response was reportedly underway. Authorities have not publicly confirmed those details.
In response to the unfolding situation, the Wayne County School District announced that schools will be closed Thursday and Friday “out of an abundance of caution for student and public safety.” The district said counselors will be available to assist students when classes resume.
Residents across the region have reported a heightened law enforcement presence. One resident in Torrey told local media she observed significant police activity in the area throughout Wednesday.
Neighboring jurisdictions have also issued precautionary advisories. The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office initially urged residents to remain indoors and secure their homes, though officials later said they no longer believed there was an immediate threat in that county. The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office also encouraged residents to report suspicious activity while noting there is no confirmed threat within their jurisdiction. The Emery County Sheriff’s Office and Grand County Sheriff’s Office shared the alert to increase awareness.
A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation field office in Salt Lake City said the agency is aware of the situation and stands ready to assist local authorities if requested.
Officials emphasize that the investigation remains active and developing. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The two young girls whose bodies were discovered inside suitcases buried in shallow graves in Cleveland’s South Collinwood neighborhood have been confirmed to be half-sisters, according to new information released by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office.
On Wednesday morning, the Medical Examiner’s Office announced that DNA testing established the familial relationship between the two victims.
Despite this development, authorities said the girls have not yet been positively identified by name, and additional details are being withheld as the investigation remains active and ongoing.
During a news conference Tuesday, Dorothy Todd, Chief of the Cleveland Division of Police, confirmed that the bodies of the two girls were found Monday evening on the city’s East Side.
Officers were dispatched shortly after 6 p.m. to a field near East 163rd Street and Midland Avenue following a 911 call reporting a suspected deceased individual.
According to police sources, a man walking his dog in the area — reportedly for the first time in some time due to recent snowfall — noticed his dog alert to a scent near a fence line.
Upon investigating, he discovered a partially buried suitcase and immediately contacted authorities.
Responding officers located a deceased child inside a suitcase placed within a shallow grave.
As homicide detectives and additional personnel secured and canvassed the scene, they discovered a second suitcase buried nearby, also containing the body of a young girl.
Chief Todd stated that both suitcases were partially concealed in shallow graves and indicated that investigators believe the remains had been at the location for a significant period of time.
“It is traumatic for everyone,” Todd said. “It is traumatic for those who live in the area to know that this was right there at their doorstep.”
Authorities estimate that one of the victims was between approximately 8½ and 13 years old, while the other is believed to have been between 10½ and 14 years old.
At this time, there are no local missing persons reports that match the girls’ descriptions.
Investigators are expanding their search statewide and are working closely with state and federal law enforcement partners to identify the victims and determine the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The crime scene is located near Ginn Academy in the South Collinwood neighborhood.
Police emphasized that the investigation is still in its early stages. While the discovery has deeply impacted the community, authorities said there is currently no indication of an ongoing threat to public safety.
Anyone with information related to the case is urged to contact the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464. Tips may be provided anonymously.