Utah Triple Homicide Suspect Was Previously Arrested in Iowa on Separate Charges
Court documents reveal that a man accused of murdering three women in Utah to steal their cars and credit cards was already known to Iowa law enforcement. Ivan Miller, 22, had been arrested in Iowa two months earlier on suspicion of breaking into a cabin and illegally hunting in a game refuge.
Miller was released without bail in January on the Iowa charges, promising to appear for his next court date. However, he missed his arraignment on Friday because he was in jail in southern Colorado after authorities tracked him down in one of the stolen vehicles.
Details of the Utah Murders and Investigation
In southern Utah's starkly beautiful desert country, friends and relatives of the women killed struggled to comprehend what authorities called a crime of "convenience." Miller had stolen their cars and credit cards because he needed to get back to Iowa, he told investigators in interviews outlined in court documents.
The husbands of two victims found their wives dead near a trailhead after they didn't return from a desert hike. The body of the third victim—a church-going woman who loved yardwork and kept a tidy yard—was found near her home. There was no sign that Miller had any connection to the three, said Lt. Cameron Roden of the Utah Department of Public Safety.
Victims Remembered by Family and Neighbors
Linda Dewey, 65, and her niece Natalie Graves, 34, were killed and found in a dry creek bed near the trail mostly used by locals. Their family described Dewey as a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, and sister who had many extended family members and friends all over the world. Graves was remembered as "joy, sunshine and beauty embodied."
Margaret Oldroyd, 86, was found in a cellar under the shed on her property. Next-door neighbor Randy Jones said he was shocked by the death of "the sweetest woman you'd ever meet." She kept her flowers and lawn watered and neatly manicured, and used to work at a local grocery store stocking shelves.
Miller's Movements and Prior Arrest in Iowa
Miller had been on the move often in recent days if not months. A few days before the killings, Miller hit an elk in the town of Loa. He sold his pickup truck to the tow company, leaving him without a vehicle. After staying in hotels for a few days, Miller slept in the shed of resident Margaret Oldroyd in Lyman, Utah, he allegedly told investigators.
Miller had been arrested after rangers at a southern Iowa state park entered a cabin on Dec. 31 to get it ready for a reservation later that day. They found the front door unlocked, food on the counter, a pan with bacon grease, marijuana joints, and loaded guns including a bolt-action rifle with a bayonet and an AR-10 with a scope and bipod.
Legal Proceedings and Cross-State Coordination
In Colorado, Miller is represented by the state public defender's office. Justin Bogan, head of the office in the district covering Pagosa Springs, declined to comment Thursday. The county attorney's office prosecuting Miller on his Iowa charges declined Friday to answer any questions on the case, including whether Iowa prosecutors would allow Utah officials to first pursue the more serious charges against Miller.
After finding the bodies, police searched the greater Four Corners region for Miller. He drove through northern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico before they caught up with him in Pagosa Springs, a Colorado tourist town known for hot spring resorts lining the San Juan River.
