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.
Crime
Two Young Girls Found Buried in Separate Suitcases in Cleveland Identified as Amor Wilson and Mila Chatman
Mother Aliyah Henderson has been charged for double murder.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Authorities have identified the two young girls whose bodies were discovered inside separate suitcases buried in shallow graves on the city’s East Side as Amor Wilson and Mila Chatman, a tragic development in a case that has shocked the community and prompted an ongoing homicide investigation.
According to investigators, the girls were found Monday evening in a field near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue in the South Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland.
The area is located near Ginn Academy.
Family members shared that a photograph circulating online shows the sisters during a doctor’s appointment in 2019, when they were accompanied by their mother and grandmother.
At the time the photo was taken, Amor was just 3 years old and Mila was 1 year old. Today, Amor would have been 10 years old, and Mila would have been 8 years old.
Mother Aliyah Henderson has been charged for double murder.
The grim discovery was made when a man walking his dog in the area noticed the animal repeatedly alerting to a scent near a fence line.
Investigating further, the man located a partially buried suitcase and contacted authorities.
Officers with the Cleveland Division of Police responded to the scene shortly after 6 p.m. and discovered a shallow grave containing a suitcase with the body of a child inside.
As officers and homicide detectives expanded their search of the surrounding field, they located a second shallow grave nearby containing another suitcase with the body of a second child.
The man who initially discovered the suitcase later told investigators that his dog ran toward the area near a playground where the luggage had been partially buried.
After unzipping the suitcase and seeing a child’s head, he immediately called 911.
During an earlier news conference, Dorothy Todd, chief of the Cleveland Division of Police, described the discovery as a “terrible, horrific situation.”
“This is a traumatic event for our officers and for the community,” Todd said. “This is just such a tragic incident, but we are trying to develop any leads we can. That’s why we are also asking for the community’s help.”
Authorities initially estimated that the victims were between 8 and 14 years old. At the time of the discovery, there were no active missing child reports in Cleveland that matched the girls’ descriptions, adding further complexity to the investigation.
Investigators have also indicated that the remains may have been in the area for some time, though an exact timeline has not yet been determined.
“We know that this didn’t just happen,” Todd said. “We still have to determine exactly when this occurred. At this time, we do not have any indication that there is a clear threat to public safety.”
Officials with the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office have taken custody of the bodies and are continuing forensic examinations to determine the cause and manner of death. Authorities have confirmed that the victims’ bodies had not been dismembered.
The case remains under active investigation as detectives work to reconstruct the events leading up to the girls’ deaths and identify those responsible.
Authorities are urging anyone with information that could assist the investigation to contact the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit. Additional details are expected to be released as the investigation progresses.