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.
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.