MIDVALE, Utah — A Bountiful man was arrested after asking a co-worker to help him kill five people using explosives.
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Robert Jack Turville, 62, was charged Wednesday with multiple counts of criminal solicitation following his June 6 arrest.
According to the charging documents, police were initially called in to investigate on June 4 after employees at Sportsman's Warehouse in Midvale, where Turville had been fired, said he had recently discussed killing five people, including his soon-to-be ex-wife and adult son.
One employee told police that Turville thought the two men were similar because when "pushed too far, [they] wouldn't stand for disrespect" and "[they] would both do what's necessary." The employee said Turville began talking about justifiable reasons to kill people.
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Turville allegedly asked the employee, "If I were to kill five different people in five different places with Tannerite in the headrest of their cars how would I do that, and can you help?"
Tannerite is a form of binary explosive target used for firearms practice. Turville told the employee that he wanted to shoot the Tannerite from a distance to "ensure death as well as incinerate the vehicle."
The employee told police that the day prior, he saw Turville purchase two 20 round boxes of long range ammunition and one box of 5.56 ammunition. He also said Turville told him he was "100% committed to taking a life."
A search warrant was served on Turville's home where officers found a rifle, several handguns, armor piercing bullets and 2.5 pounds of Tannerite
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Police arrested Turville on June 6 at a family member's home in Millcreek. When booked into jail, Turville disobeyed orders not to contact any of his intended victims, leading him to also be charged with contacting a victim while in custody.
