Utah Triple Murder Suspect Was Free on Iowa Burglary and Hunting Charges
Court documents have revealed that a man accused of killing three women in Utah to steal their vehicles and credit cards was already known to law enforcement in Iowa. Ivan Miller, 22, had been arrested in that state on suspicion of breaking into a cabin and illegally hunting in a game refuge approximately two months prior to the Utah incidents.
Release Without Bail and Subsequent Arrest
Officials in Iowa released Miller without bail back in January on those charges, with him vowing to appear for his next court date. However, Miller missed his arraignment on Friday because he was incarcerated in southern Colorado. Authorities tracked him there in one of the stolen vehicles from the Utah crimes.
Miller is currently being represented in Colorado by the state public defender’s office. Justin Bogan, who leads the office in the judicial district covering Pagosa Springs, declined to comment on Thursday regarding the case.
Details of the Utah Murders
Meanwhile, in southern Utah’s starkly beautiful desert region, friends and relatives of the slain women are struggling to comprehend what authorities have described as a crime of "convenience." Miller allegedly told investigators in interviews outlined in court documents that he stole the cars and credit cards because he needed to return to Iowa.
The bodies of two victims were discovered at a trailhead after their husbands found them dead when they failed to return from a desert hike. The third victim—a church-going woman who loved yardwork and maintained a tidy property—was found near her home. Lieutenant Cameron Roden of the Utah Department of Public Safety stated there was no indication Miller had any prior connection to the three women.
Miller's Movements and Alleged Actions
Miller had been frequently on the move in recent days, if not months. A few days before the killings, he struck an elk in the town of Loa, Utah. He subsequently sold his pickup truck to a tow company, leaving him without transportation. After staying in hotels for several days, Miller allegedly slept in the shed of 86-year-old Margaret Oldroyd in Lyman, Utah, near Capitol Reef National Park.
Oldroyd’s Buick was later found at a trailhead about 10 miles from her house in a rural farming and ranching area. Authorities stated that Miller told them he saw two women exit a Subaru at that location, killed them, and then took their car. The victims were identified as 65-year-old Linda Dewey and her 34-year-old niece Natalie Graves, whose bodies were discovered in a dry creek bed near the trail, which is primarily used by locals. Their husbands called 911 and flagged down a park ranger.
Family Statements and Victim Profiles
The family of Dewey and Graves released a statement expressing their shock and devastation. "Our family is dealing with the shock of the devastating loss of two members of our family who were bonding over the beauty of a hike in one of their favorite places on earth—cherished by them and the community, considered to be a safe sanctuary," the statement read. "They were murdered. We cannot comprehend why this happened."
The family described Dewey as a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, and sister with numerous extended family members and friends worldwide. "She was loved deeply and loved her family deeply. She was the heart of our family," they added. Graves was portrayed as "joy, sunshine and beauty embodied."
Elderly Victim Remembered Fondly
Police linked the Buick to its owner, Margaret Oldroyd, whose body was found in a cellar under the shed on her property. Next-door neighbor Randy Jones expressed shock at the death of "the sweetest woman you'd ever meet." He noted that she kept her flowers and lawn meticulously watered and manicured.
Jones recalled that Oldroyd previously worked at a local grocery store stocking shelves and would bring him a cake as a thank you when he helped remove skunks from her yard. "Out here in rural counties, we all take care of each other," Jones remarked. He added that Oldroyd rarely left home in recent years except to attend religious services and purchase groceries, occasionally visiting him and his horses.
Wayne County prosecutors allege that Miller stole Oldroyd's car after shooting her from behind while she was watching television.
Search and Capture
After discovering the bodies, police conducted an extensive search across the greater Four Corners region for Miller. He drove through northern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico before authorities apprehended him in Pagosa Springs, Colorado—a tourist town renowned for its hot spring resorts along the San Juan River.
According to court documents, Miller informed investigators that he killed the two women after deciding he did not like the Buick and took bank cards because he required money to return to Iowa.
Prior Iowa Charges and Arrest Details
Miller had an arraignment scheduled for Friday in Iowa on charges including felony second-degree burglary and misdemeanor theft, marijuana possession, and gun possession. A court order dated January 13 shows he was released without bail on a promise to appear for these charges.
Miller’s arrest in Iowa occurred after park rangers at a southern Iowa state park entered a cabin on December 31 to prepare it for a reservation later that day. They found the front door unlocked, food on the counter, a pan with bacon grease on the stove, a container with several marijuana joints, and loaded firearms—including a bolt-action rifle with a bayonet and an AR-10 equipped with a scope and bipod.
An arrest affidavit indicated that the individual staying there had also brought in a television, an Xbox game console, and a Starlink internet device, suggesting "intent to stay for a long period of time" at Lake Wapello State Park. The affidavit states that Miller arrived while the rangers were present, knocked softly, and soon admitted to breaking into the cabin three days earlier in search of a warm place to stay.
Prosecution and Legal Proceedings
The county attorney’s office prosecuting Miller on his Iowa charges declined to answer any questions on Friday, including whether Iowa prosecutors would permit Utah officials to pursue the more serious charges against Miller first. The Associated Press left a voicemail for his public defender in the Iowa case, but no response was immediately available.
This report includes contributions from Associated Press writers Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland, and Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona, with Slevin reporting from Denver, Beck from Omaha, and Gruver from Fort Collins, Colorado.
