PIUTE COUNTY, Utah, Jan. 9, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — The Piute County Sheriff‘s Department has released information about a 16-year-old girl fatally shot Sunday night north of Circleville.
“At approximately 10:12 p.m., Piute County Sheriff Marty Gleave located a 16-year-old female fatally shot near a dirt road,” the statement says.
Piute County Sheriff’s Office put out an attempt to locate on a blue Ford Ranger. At approximately 11:03 p.m., a Sevier County Sheriff’s Deputy located the suspect vehicle traveling east near Glenwood, Utah.
As the Deputy attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver fled, leading officers in a high-speed chase, which ended near Salina, the PCSO statement says.
“The male suspect, 17 years of age, was taken into custody without incident.
“Piute County Sheriff Gleave began his investigation, secured search warrants, conducted interviews, and the suspect has been charged in the Sixth District Juvenile Court with aggravated murder.”
The suspect remains in custody.
“Piute County Attorney Scott Burns, working with Sheriff Gleave, is considering a ‘direct file’ in the District Court, therein trying this suspect as an adult — that decision will be made later today,” the statement says.
Gleave said, “Sevier County Sheriff Nate Curtis called out his entire investigative team who assisted us throughout the night, and continue to assist us, and in rural America it takes the partnership of agencies to make sure that the person charged receives all of his Constitution rights and, in the same breath, that we marshal the evidence in order to hold the guilty accountable.”
“Our county is devastated, we are a small county, and everyone knows this victim and her family,” Gleave said in the released statement.
Piute is a rural county with approximately 1,487 residents. For comparison, the population of Salt Lake City is 1,192,000.
“Murders don’t happen where we live and so, as you can appreciate, everyone (from Piute High School students, faculty and staff to friends and neighbors) is in shock and reeling from this tragedy,” the Sheriff’s statement says.
The name of the murder victim has not yet been released pending full notification of family members. The name of the suspect is unlikely to be released unless he is tried as an adult.
“There has been an outpouring from the community, asking what folks can do, and he stated that, at this point, just prayers for this devastated family and our Piute County community.”
Piute County School District is offering counseling to to students.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with the family,” the school district statement says. “We want all our students to know that we are here to help any way we can. If parents choose to hold their students out of school today, those absences will be excused.
“We will have counselors available to help students and the school community that may need someone to help at this time,” the statement says, advising students to contact counseling through their teachers.
According to records, Piute High School has 165 students.
