Cache County officials ID victim, suspect in Providence murder-suicide

File Image: Gephardt Daily

CACHE COUNTY, Utah, July 26, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Cache County Sheriff’s Office investigators are still working on a murder-suicide that occurred Friday night in the town of Providence.

“Part of the investigation entails working with the medical examiner’s office to determine the cause of death and toxicology reports. A motive has yet to be determined; investigators are working to resolve this part of the case,” Cache County Sheriff Chad Jensen stated in a news release late Sunday afternoon.

According to an earlier statement by Jensen, deputies were notified of a domestic violence call about 11:45 p.m. A caller stated he was on the phone with the female victim when he heard her scream “no,” followed by the sound of possible gunshots.

The Sunday news release says, “In the past few weeks, law enforcement has responded to calls for service between both parties. These cases along with other information are being reviewed as this investigation continues.”

The victim in this case is 38-year-old Heidi Bentley from Providence, the news release says.

The suspect is 38-year-old Matthew Bentley, also from Providence.

The family of Heidi Bentley asked that the following statement be included in Sunday’s news release:

“At this time, we would like to express our deep gratitude to the Cache County Sheriff’s Office, Cache County Attorney Victim Services along with all the other agencies that have worked on this tragic event as it unfolded. We are also grateful to the community who mourn with us during this difficult time. Our hearts are broken, and at this time, we ask to please respect our privacy as we grieve.”

Both families have asked to respect their privacy during this difficult time, the news release says.

Sheriff Jensen’s earlier statement said:

“The suspect in this shooting is the victim’s ex-husband. Investigators were able to identify different locations the suspect may have fled to, and with the assistance of a SWAT tactical team and crisis negotiators, they were able to pinpoint the home where our suspect was located. SWAT, using a robot, was able to determine the suspect was in the home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was deceased.”

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