WAYNE COUNTY UTAH, A 22-year-old man has been charged in connection with a series of killings in rural Utah that left three women dead and prompted a multi-state manhunt across the western United States, according to prosecutors and law enforcement officials.
Authorities said Ivan Miller, of Blakesburg, Iowa, is facing three counts of aggravated murder after investigators determined the killings were allegedly carried out in an attempt to steal vehicles and money so he could travel back to Iowa.
The investigation began Wednesday when dispatchers in Wayne County received a report of two women found dead along a hiking trail near Torrey.
Officials with the Utah Department of Public Safety said the agency’s State Bureau of Investigation and Crime Lab were requested by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office to assist with the case.
Investigators later identified the victims as Natalie Graves, 34, and Linda Dewey, 65, who were related as niece and aunt.
According to prosecutors, the two women had traveled to the area for a hike. When they failed to return, their husbands went to the trailhead to search for them.
When the men arrived, they discovered both women dead and their vehicle missing, prompting an emergency call to authorities.
Investigators said the victims had suffered gunshot and stab wounds, and their bodies were reportedly placed in a dry creek bed in what appeared to be an attempt to conceal them.
As the investigation expanded, authorities discovered a third victim, identified as 86-year-old Margaret Oldroyd, who had been killed at her home in the town of Lyman.
Prosecutors said Miller had been staying in a shed on Oldroyd’s property after experiencing vehicle trouble days earlier near Capitol Reef National Park. Miller reportedly told investigators that he had struck an elk with his vehicle and later sold the damaged truck to a tow company, leaving him stranded.
According to charging documents, Miller allegedly shot Oldroyd from behind while she was watching television. Investigators said he then hid her body in a cellar beneath a shed on the property before stealing her Buick.
Authorities said Miller later left the stolen Buick near a trailhead but decided he wanted another vehicle. When Graves and Dewey arrived in a white Subaru Outback, prosecutors allege Miller killed them and stole their vehicle to continue traveling.
Investigators were later able to identify Oldroyd after tracing the Buick that had been left at the trailhead where the hikers were found.
The killings triggered a large search involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Investigators tracked Miller using license plate reader data and vehicle tracking technology, which indicated he traveled from Utah through northern Arizona and into Colorado.
Officials said the stolen Subaru was eventually found abandoned near Pagosa Springs.
After a brief search in the area, officers located and arrested Miller. Authorities said he was allegedly armed with a large knife and a .45-caliber pistol at the time of his arrest.
Prosecutors said Miller later told investigators he committed the killings in order to obtain vehicles and credit cards so he could get money and travel back to Iowa.
Investigators said the victims were not known to the suspect and that the attacks appear to have been random.
The case remains under active investigation as authorities continue reviewing evidence and preparing formal charges.
Officials said additional details are expected to be released as court proceedings move forward.
