TORREY, Utah — Law enforcement officials have apprehended a 22-year-old Iowa man in connection with the deaths of three women in Utah, announcing the arrest Thursday after a multi-state manhunt.
Ivan Miller of Blakesburg, Iowa, is accused of a deadly crime spree that unfolded Wednesday afternoon in rural Utah communities near popular national parks. According to Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Cameron Roden, Miller allegedly murdered an elderly woman at her residence, took her vehicle, and drove to a hiking trail where he killed two other women before fleeing in one of their cars.
The tragic discovery began when the husbands of two hikers went searching for their wives near Capitol Reef National Park. The men found one vehicle missing from the trailhead and discovered another car they didn’t recognize, prompting them to contact authorities.
“The husbands told authorities one vehicle was missing from the trailhead and they didn’t know who owned the other,” Roden explained.
Police traced the unknown vehicle to its owner, leading them to discover the first victim at a brick residence in Lyman, which remained surrounded by police tape Thursday as investigators collected evidence.
Law enforcement tracked Miller’s route using license plate recognition technology and vehicle tracking systems. The trail led from Utah through northern Arizona to the mountain community of Pagosa Springs in southwestern Colorado, where Miller abandoned the stolen vehicle. Officers located him after a brief search in the area.
Miller appeared in Colorado jail records Thursday, held on a misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon. His initial court appearance was set for Friday afternoon. The Colorado Public Defender’s office is representing him, though officials declined to provide additional comments.
The victims include two friends who were hiking together – one in her 30s and another in her 60s – plus an 80-year-old woman who lived approximately 10 miles from the trail in Wayne County. Authorities say there was no connection between the hikers and the elderly victim.
“There is no indication that Miller had any connection to the victims,” Roden stated. Investigators believe the attacks were crimes of “convenience” rather than targeted violence, though they continue examining when Miller arrived in Utah and his activities before the killings.
The crime prompted safety warnings for Wayne County residents, with nearby schools closing Thursday as a precaution. Officials had asked the public to help locate a white Subaru Outback while warning people not to approach the vehicle.
Multiple crime scenes in Torrey and surrounding areas remain under investigation, with support from the State Bureau of Investigation and Crime Lab, according to Roden.
