IRON COUNTY, Utah, July 3, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A woman has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder after a man was found deceased near the door of a trailer in the Hamblin Valley area.
Jessica Lynn Sabo, 42, was arrested Monday morning on suspicion of fatally shooting the victim on Sunday. Sabo lives on the same property, in another trailer, according to charging documents.
A male caller reported the body to dispatch at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, according to Sabo’s arrest documents. The caller told officials he had gone to the trailer to talk with the decedent, and discovered the man had been shot. The caller said he believed the victim had been shot approximately an hour earlier.
After his discovery, the caller said “He then drove his vehicle down the road to get help and he observed Jessica nude from the waist up, and she was walking in the roadway carrying a shotgun and a water jug. When Jessica seen him, she started walking in his direction. The witness then drove the opposite direction away from Jessica.”
The witness told investigators he had given Sabo a 410 shotgun, for protection, about three months earlier, “and that was the gun she was carrying.”
On their way to the scene, Iron County Sheriff officials “made contact with an adult female identified as Jessica Lynn Sabo. She was located in the roadway approximately one quarter mile from the property without any clothing covering her upper body. There appeared to be blood on her socks and shoes.
“Detectives attempted to speak with Jessica about the events and provided her with the Miranda warning. Jessica would not answer questions and would only speak about unrelated events.”
After arriving at the crime scene, in the area of 14567 W. 20000 North, in Beryl, detectives “observed that in proximity to the doorway of the trailer the portable camp fire pit was turned over and a cooler was on its side, with some of the contents on the ground,” Sabo’s charging documents say. “This would indicate that a possible argument/altercation had occurred. On a cot near the trailer were three shotgun shells from a 410 shotgun.”
The victim had an obvious gunshot wound to the right shoulder blade area of his back, and a wound on his chest, the statement says.
“The wound is consistent with a shotgun wound based on a large round hole on the back and several small holes on the front chest area. This wound is not consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
The affidavit added that “On a table in proximity to the decedent was a pencil and note book with the words ‘I’m sorry’ written on it. The witness lives in the same property in a fifth wheel trailer. The only other people on the property at the time were the decedent and Jessica Lynn Sabo.”
Gephardt Daily will have more information as the case develops.
