SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 16, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Centerville Police Lt. Von Steenblik said Monday that detectives are investigating a potential connection between a father and son ─ now in custody and suspected of brutalizing a Utah family ─ and the disappearance of a Utah Transit Authority worker and his truck, reported missing while the suspects were at large.
Steenblik said a copy of the attempt to locate (ATL) status that was circulated in relation to Kay Porter Ricks and his truck was forwarded to Sublette County Sheriff’s Office in Wyoming, where Flint Wayne Harrison and his son Dereck James Harrison headed after the kidnapping last Tuesday.
Steenblik emphasized that the only connection at this point is that the vehicle went missing from the Salt Lake City area around the same time frame that the Harrisons were in the same vicinity, so UTA Police reached out to Sublette County Sheriff’s Office and asked if it would be helpful to share that ATL.
“It was a case of, while you’re searching, be aware of this,” said Steenblik.
A news release issued by UTA Police Thursday said Ricks, 63, was last seen at 4 p.m. last Tuesday exiting I-15 at 600 South in Salt Lake City.
Ricks is described as a white male, 5-feet-6-inches tall, 180 pounds with a bald head and green eyes. He was last seen wearing a long-sleeved plaid shirt, blue jeans and possibly a bright orange safety vest.
Ricks was driving a 2013 white Ford F-150 UTA maintenance vehicle that has a mounted equipment rack and UTA markings with Utah license plate number 206886EX.
Flint Harrison, 51, of Salt Lake City, turned himself into authorities in Sublette County, Wyoming, early Saturday morning, at 1:45 a.m., and began assisting investigators in locating his son.
Son Dereck Harrison, 22, of Centerville ─ suspected of taking part in the attack of a woman with a baseball bat in Centerville while her four daughters were tied up and forced to watch ─ was believed to be in Half Moon Lake area of Sublette County.
The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Dereck Harrison was taken into custody without incident at about 10 p.m. Saturday.
The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Saturday that its Incident Command office and other departments were searching areas of interest in the Half Moon Lake area and surrounding forests.
A helicopter from the Utah Division of Public Services was also on hand to assist with the search as efforts continued on the ground.
As of 2:30 p.m. Saturday, the Half Moon Lake campground had been evacuated by law enforcement and nearby homes and buildings were also cleared. One camper stated that he had seen a man fitting the description running away from the campsite earlier Saturday morning. Searches continued Saturday afternoon.
A search warrant was also served on the Pinedale residence of Flint Harrison. The home was clear, and there was no sign that his son had been there.
Dereck Harrison was believed to be armed with two knives, and was possibly carrying a .300 win mag rifle and a .22 Remington 10/22 with high capacity magazines. It is reported that he had made several direct threats to law enforcement.
The Sublette Sheriff’s Office said Saturday evening Flint Harrison spoke little about the criminal case with investigators, and that case is still actively being investigated by Centerville Police Department. He did describe the location where he left his son sometime during the evening of May 13, before his trip to the detention center in Pinedale.
Shortly before dusk, ground teams located a makeshift campsite with gear that had been reported as being in the possession of Dereck Harrison.
The search was suspended for the night around 8Â p.m., and set to begin again early Sunday morning when about two hours later, Dereck Harrison was seen walking down the closed forest service road by a US Forest Service officer. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Sublette County Detention Center.
During a news conference last Wednesday, Steenblik said officers searching for the men did locate a weapon and a 2011 Silver Chevrolet Suburban.
The incident happened just after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10, at 190 N. 700 East in Centerville when police received a 911 call for help from one of the victim’s four daughters, who had managed to break free from her restraints.
Steenlik said the mother and her daughters, who range in age from 13 to 18, were lured to the home by two people the mother knew for a barbecue.
Once the mother and daughters arrived, Flint and Dereck Harrison allegedly took the girls to the basement, and bound them with wire and duct tape.
Police investigators say the suspects were armed with a shotgun and a baseball bat. While the mother was tied up, police say the suspects began beating her with the bat.
The girls broke free from their restraints, and ran out of the house, screaming for help. As they ran outside, the suspects hit some of the girls with the bat.
The mother was also able to break free, and she and her daughters ran to seek help from neighbors. The mother and one daughter were transported to the hospital for treatment.
The suspects left the scene in the Suburban.
The motive appears to be retaliation against the mother, but Steenblik said the exact reason is still under investigation.
If anyone has any information about Kay Ricks or his vehicle, please contact UTA Police Detective Sergeant Paul Nielson at 801-287-3937 or email him at [email protected] and refer to case #16009347.
