MURRAY, Utah, Feb. 20, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Police have identified the 27-year-old woman who died along with her dog in a fire while inside a locked Murray storage unit.
Morgan Kay Harris was locked inside a storage unit that caught fire Saturday afternoon at CubeSmart, 4608 S. 900 East, according to a news release from the Murray City Police Department.
Harris’ boyfriend, Alexander Wardell, 30, was arrested later that night in connection with Harris’ death and faces potential charges of kidnapping and negligent homicide, police said.
Harris, originally from southern Utah, was a model, makeup artist and medical assistant who recently started a new job in the Draper area, her family said in a statement.
“Our daughter, Morgan Kay Harris, was always known for her sweet, shy, and kind temperament, being a deep thinker with amazing artistic abilities and always having an infectious giggle,” the family said. “She loved her dog, Huck, who passed with her.”
Harris is survived by “her parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews, whom she adored,” the statement continues.
“We are devastated at the loss of our daughter and appreciate the love and support from the community but ask for your privacy at this time as we maneuver through the unimaginable.”
Family members have created a GoFundMe account to help with Harris’ funeral expenses.
Police say Wardell locked Harris and her dog inside the storage unit and then walked away. When the unit caught fire, Harris was unable to open the locked door and died in the fire, according to the news release.
Murray police and fire officials say the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Wardell was arrested for investigation of kidnapping, a second-degree felony; and negligent homicide, a class A misdemeanor. He is being held without bail in the Salt Lake County jail system.
