COLEVILLE, UTAH – July 28, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – The Summit County Sheriff’s Office says strong new leads allowed them to close a murder case which has been dormant for nearly four decades.
William Ercanbrack , 47, a well known rancher in Summit County, was shot in the back while opening the gate to his ranch in Clarks Canyon, on October 28, 1976,
Investigators determined Ercanbrack was shot in the back from a distance of 300 feet with a high-powered small caliber rifle.
The investigation at the time showed an unknown shooter was laying in wait along a fence line and had used a fence post to rest on while taking the shot which killed Ercanbrack, but the case never developed beyond that.
In early 2015, investigators on the cold case team received information from a reliable source allowing investigators to focus on one of specific persons of interest, George B. Toone.
Investigators presented the new information and case to the Summit County Attorney’s Office for screening and Chief Criminal Attorney Matt Bates determined charges could be filed in the case.
Toone, who would have been 88 years old, however, died in San Bernardino, CA., on September 11, 2001.
Investigators said Toone had ties to Summit County and details from the source confirmed Toone was the shooter responsible for Ercanbrack’s.
