SOUTH WEBER, Utah, Jan. 12, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A 65-year-old man is facing four felony charges after Davis County deputies say he broke into the South Weber house of his former domestic partner, sexually assaulted another woman, and set the structure on fire.
Suspect Jeffry Scott Hansen has been charged on suspicion of:
- Aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated sexual assault, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated arson, a first-degree felony
- Interruption/interference of a communications device, a class B misdemeanor
- Interfering with an officer, a class B misdemeanor
The incident began at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday when Hansen arrived at the South Weber residence, his probable cause statement says.
He “entered the residence by using a knife to break in through a dog door. This home belonged to a person who will be known as Victim 1,” says the affidavit, filed by an officer of the Davis County Sheriff‘s Office. “The suspect and Victim 1 did have a cohabitant relationship, as they had previously lived together for multiple years.
Hansen had been “officially evicted from the residence of occurrence by Victim 1, in summer of 2022,” the affidavit says. “Victim 1 changed the locks of the home at that time and had ceased all communication with Jeffry since that time.”
Hansen later admitted to deputies that he entered the residence with the intent to kill Victim 1 and himself. But his intended target was not at home.
Once inside the house, “Jeffry made contact with a female who will be identified as Victim 2. Jeffry threatened the Victim 2 with a knife and told her to hand cuff herself behind her back.”
Victim 2 pulled out her phone to call for help.
“Jeffry demanded the victim hand over the phone to the suspect, while brandishing the knife. Victim 2 was afraid for her life so she gave her phone to Jeffry. Victim 2 handcuffed herself as demanded by Jeffry and he then directed her to lay down on a bed. Jeffry then proceeded to put duct tape on her mouth and wrap duct tape around her ankles.”
Hansen touched Victim 2 inappropriately “and later threatened to sexually assault her further,” his affidavit says.
Victim 2 got out of one handcuff and struck Hansen over the head with her hands and the one attached cuff, the statement says. She broke free of duct tape on her legs and fled the residence, the deputy’s account says.
“Jeffry proceeded to use a lighter to start Victim 1’s clothes on fire, within the residence. Victim 2 ran from the house and eventually made contact with people nearby, who called 911.”
Hansen had just left the residence as a deputy arrived and ordered the suspect to drop the knife and surrender, his probable cause statement says.
“The deputy gave numerous commands to Jeffry as he sat on the steps to the house holding a knife in his hand. Jeffry refused to comply with the deputies commands. The deputy was forced to use a Taser on Jeffry to get him into custody.
“At that point the home was completely engulfed in smoke and fire. Post Miranda, Jeffry admitted to going to the home with the intent (to) burn the house down and murder Victim 1. Jeffry advised his plan was to kill himself by staying in the home while it burned.”
Multiple fire agencies responded to the scene in an attempt to extinguish the blaze.
“The fire was extinguished by crews and it appears from visual inspection the house is a total loss and is not salvageable,” Hansen’s probable cause statement says.
The affidavit says Hansen admitted he would have used a gun in his murder-suicide attempt to kill Victim 1, “but he didn’t have a gun, because he was a convict. Detectives asked Jeffry if he thought Victim 1 was in the house when he started the fire. Jeffry said he knew Victim 1 wasn’t there but wished she had been.”
The deputy’s statement advised Hansen should be jailed without bail, which he has been, because he is a danger to the community and victims, one of whom he said he intended to murder.
