Triple homicide suspect arrested in Colorado after women found dead on Utah hiking trail and in home

By Holly Yan, CNN

(CNN) — A suspect wanted in connection with the deaths of three women has been arrested after authorities “tracked him in one of the victims’ vehicles,” the Utah Department of Public Safety said.

The grisly discoveries of the bodies Wednesday in Wayne County spurred a multi-county manhunt, prompting schools to close and businesses to shutter while an unknown killer was on the loose.

The suspect, 22-year-old Ivan Miller of Blakesburg, Iowa, was arrested Thursday after the vehicle “was tracked through southern Utah into northern Arizona and eventually into Colorado,” Utah DPS said.

“Colorado law enforcement located the vehicle abandoned in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, and after a brief search, took the individual into custody without incident,” the agency said.

“There are no ongoing threats to the public, and investigators have no outstanding suspects.”

The case started when authorities received a call Wednesday afternoon about “two deceased females located on a hiking trail” in Wayne County, Utah DPS said.

“During the course of the investigation, a third victim was located deceased at a residence in Wayne County,” the agency said.

The three women were in their 30s, 40s and 80s, Utah Highway Patrol spokesperson Lt. Cameron Roden said Thursday. The Department of Public Safety previously said one of the victims was in her 60s.

The elderly victim, who was found in the home, did not appear to have any relation to the two victims who were hiking, Roden said. The victims’ names have not been publicly released.

Wayne County, about 200 miles south of Salt Lake City, is sparsely populated with about 2,500 residents, according to the US Census. But the area is popular with hiking and outdoor enthusiasts because of nearby Capitol Reef National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Fishlake National Forest.

Officials describe the case as a “homicide investigation,” but they have not said how the three women died.

The Utah State Bureau of Investigation and the Utah Crime Lab are processing two crime scenes in the Lyman and Torrey areas, the state’s public safety agency said.

Before Thursday’s arrest, authorities urged residents to be vigilant and “take extra precautions, such as locking doors, remaining at home or with others,” DPS said.

The Wayne Community Health Center, Kazan Memorial Clinic and Wayne County Courthouse in Loa closed because of the manhunt earlier Thursday, CNN affiliate KSL reported.

The Wayne County School District announced it would be closed for the rest of the week. The district said it “will also have counselors in place to support students when we are back in session next week.”

CNN’s Andi Babineau, Cheri Mossburg and Sara Finch contributed to this report.

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