WAYNE COUNTY, Utah — The suspect in the murders of three Wayne County women allegedly told police that he had "killed someone" after he was taken into custody early Thursday.
Ivan Miller, 22, was charged with three counts of Criminal Homicide, Aggravated Murder, hours after his arrest in a remote section of Colorado. Following his arrest, Miller detailed how he allegedly killed the women.
Two women were originally found dead Wednesday afternoon on an unidentified trail near Capitol Reef National Park, and a third victim was later found dead inside a Wayne County home in Lyman. However, it's believed the woman in the home was killed before the two victims on the trail off SR-12.
Watch full Utah DPS briefing below on 3 women found dead in Wayne County:
Officials have identified the three victims to be Margaret Oldroyd, 86, Linda Dewey, 65 and Natalie Graves, 34. Dewey and Graves were aunt and niece, and had no connection to Oldroyd.
Miller is accused of stealing the vehicle from either Dewey or Graves, which was then tracked through Utah, Arizona and New Mexico before it was found abandoned in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Following a brief search utilizing drones, Miller was apprehended without incident and found to have a concealed handgun and large knife, the Pagosa Springs Police Department said.
Along with the handgun and knife, police also found Miller was in possession of bank cards belonging to two of the victims, as well as an identification care of another.
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According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, Miller, who is from Blakesburg, Iowa, had no previous relationships with the victims, and he had only been in the area after hitting an elk with his truck.
After he was apprehended, Miller said "he had killed someone and stole a car." He said first stayed in the shed of the Lyman home and watched as Oldroyd drove away before entering the house. He then waited for her to return, and then shot Oldroyd in the back of the head as she went to sit and watch television.
Miller said he cleaned up the scene "as best as he could" before bringing her body to the basement and leaving.
After taking Oldroyd's car, he decided he wanted something else and traveled to the trailhead, where he saw Dewey and Graves get out of the Subaru. He said he went up to both women and shot them multiple times, before dragging them to a ditch and taking their cards to buy gas.
"Miller confessed that it 'had to be done' but he did not like to do it," the charges state.
Miller is currently being held at the Archuleta County detention center on a weapons charge and is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Friday afternoon.
The deaths of Dewey and Graves on the trail were first reported to law enforcement by their husbands through calls made Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
Records show Miller has a pending felony burglary and theft case in Davis County, Iowa, as well as misdemeanor counts of theft, possession of marijuana and unlawful weapons possession.
According to the Associated Press, Miller is being represented by the Colorado Public Defender’s office.
The Utah Department of Public Safety and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office are investigating the homicides in the Lyman and Torrey area.
There is no longer an ongoing threat to the public, and no suspects remain outstanding.
"Our community is grieving today following the tragic deaths of three women in Wayne County yesterday," said Torrey Mayor Mickey Wright. "On behalf of the Town of Torrey, I extend my deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims. This is a heartbreaking moment for our small, close‑knit community."
While Miller was at large, law enforcement urged residents to take extra precautions, such as locking doors, remaining at home or with others, and being vigilant about their surroundings.
The investigation was centered around a 2022 White Subaru Outback with license plate U560YF. It's not known if that was the vehicle detained by law enforcement officials.
The Wayne County School District has canceled all classes Thursday and Friday out of an abundance of caution, with counselors being available for students upon return to school next week.
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