WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah, Oct. 9, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — Washington County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of suspicious circumstances Tuesday afternoon in the Town of Apple Valley.
The caller refused to provide any initial information to the dispatcher, saying they would talk with the deputy when the deputy arrived, a Washington County Sheriff’s Office news release said. The caller gave only a vague, general location in a rural area.
At 1:38 p.m., deputies began several attempts to find the location based on the description they were given. The caller still refused to provide any additional information to the dispatcher.
A deputy was finally able to persuade the caller to provide a first name.
At 2:55 p.m. the female caller said she needed help from the county sheriff. When asked what kind of help was needed, the caller said, “We are harmless and need help from the county sheriff.”
Before disconnecting, the caller told the deputy to follow a dirt road, through a gate, past the trees, where deputies would find them.
“Due to the caller’s unwillingness to provide the nature of the services needed and the suspicious requests for a deputy to respond to what was described as an isolated area, the Sheriff’s Office Administration elected to delay the response of deputies until additional information could be gathered,” the news release said.
At 3:06 p.m., the caller explained they needed deputies to respond on a death investigation. The deputies were told the victim may have been deceased for several hours.
Deputies and investigators responded to a residence on the Plataclay Mine, on Coyote Road in Apple Valley.
“Upon arriving on scene, investigators found the body of a 50 year old male who appeared to have died as a result of injuries consistent with gun shot wounds,” the news release said.
Detectives interviewed the resident, 51-year-old Jason Howard Clinger, and officials say Clinger admitted to shooting the victim following an altercation with him.
Clinger was arrested on suspicion of one count of first-degree murder and is being held on $100,000 bond at Purgatory Correctional Facility.
The investigation is still underway, the sheriff’s office said, and additional details, including the identity of the victim, will be released later.
Gephardt Daily will update this developing story as more information is made available.
