On January 8, just before 10:00 p.m. the Piute County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shots fired call on Doc Springs Road, just North of Circleville, in Piute County. Shortly after arrival, Piute County Sheriff Marty Gleave located a 16-year-old female fatally shot near a dirt road. Piute County Sheriff’s Office put out an attempt to locate on a blue Ford Ranger. Just after 11:00 p.m. a Sevier County Sheriff’s Deputy located the suspect vehicle traveling east near Glenwood. As the Deputy attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver fled, leading Officers in a high-speed chase, which ended near Salina.
The male suspect, 17 years of age, was taken into custody without incident. Sheriff Gleave began his investigation, secured search warrants, conducted interviews, and the suspect has been charged in the Sixth District Juvenile Court with Aggravated Murder. A Detention Hearing was held Jan. 9, at 11:30A.M., and the suspect will remain in custody pending further proceedings. Piute County Attorney Scott Burns is considering a “direct file” in the District Court, therein trying this suspect as an adult.
Sheriff Gleave stated “Sevier County Sheriff Nate Curtis called out his entire investigative team who assisted us throughout the night, and continue to assist us, and in rural America it takes the partnership of agencies to make sure that the person charged receives all of his Constitution rights and, in the same breath, that we marshal the evidence in order to hold the guilty accountable.” Sheriff Gleave further stated that “our county is devastated, we are a small county, and everyone knows this victim and her family.” Sheriff Gleave added “murders don’t happen where we live and so, as you can appreciate, everyone (from Piute High School students, faculty and staff to friends and neighbors) is in shock and reeling from this tragedy.” Teachers, Staff, Counselors, Coaches, and community leaders are all at the High School today offering services and working with students to try and comprehend the loss of their classmate and friend.
The names of the suspect and the victim will not be released at this time to allow for family members of the victim to be contacted. As stated herein, until a determination is made regarding a direct file in the Sixth District Court, whether or not to charge this suspect as an adult, this remains a Juvenile Court matter and no further information can or will be provided at this time.
