Man reported mother missing, then police found blood 'in the grooves between flooring planks' in her bedroom: Docs

A Utah antheral was arrested successful transportation with the disappearance of his mother and her friend, some of whom are believed by constabulary to beryllium dead.

Matthew Leonard, 28, reported his mother, 50-year-old Sarah Johnson, missing connected March 26, according to the Springville Police Department. On April 6, constabulary announced that she was past seen astatine her location successful Springville, Utah, connected the nighttime of March 20, on with 50-year-old John Handricks. Handricks had besides been reported missing retired of Salt Lake City, Utah. After conducting a hunt astatine the location successful Springville and speaking to witnesses, constabulary said they believed Johnson and Handricks "had perchance been changeable and killed."

Weeks aft Johnson and Handricks went missing, authorities arrested Leonard, who volition beryllium charged with 2 counts of aggravated murder.

According to tribunal documents obtained by section NBC affiliate KSL, Leonard was connected instrumentality enforcement's radar successful the weeks starring up to the reported disappearance of his parent and Handricks. Police wrote that Leonard was arrested connected March 9 and charged with physics connection harassment. He had reportedly sent his girlfriend, who was besides the parent of his child, respective substance messages and called her aggregate times. After helium was told to stop, helium sent her "11 messages and made 11 telephone calls… each made wrong an hr and a fractional aft being told to stop."

Police said immoderate of the messages Leonard sent included threats to harm himself, and helium became paranoid successful the pursuing days. The woman filed for a protective bid against Leonard connected March 13, constabulary said.

When Handricks was reported missing to Salt Lake City constabulary connected March 23, the reporting enactment said helium had past been seen with Johnson connected March 20. Police spoke to Leonard connected March 26 to inquire him astir Handricks being seen with his mother. That day, Leonard filled retired paperwork to study Johnson missing.

Leonard pleaded blameworthy to the harassment complaint connected April 7, the time aft Springville constabulary said they received "unconfirmed" accusation that Johnson and Handricks were dead. According to the tribunal documents, it was Johnson's begetter who told constabulary that his granddaughter seemingly got a substance from her person that said Johnson "had been changeable and the assemblage had not been located."

Police said witnesses saw Johnson and Handricks astatine the Springville location with Leonard connected March 20, "one of whom heard imaginable gunshots wrong the residence."

According to the tribunal documents, detectives executed a hunt warrant astatine the location connected April 11. While investigating wrong the house, detectives said they recovered "evidence of blood, ammunition casings, and a slug slug." In Johnson's bedroom, they observed humor "in the grooves betwixt flooring planks." Large pools of humor were allegedly contiguous successful the aforesaid country against 2 abstracted walls, starring detectives to judge that the victims were deceased. The detectives noted that determination was an effort to cleanable up the humor and said they believed Leonard "disposed of the bodies."

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Leonard was arrested the aforesaid day. He is presently being held astatine the Utah County Jail without bail.

KSL reported that the Utah County Attorney's Office requested further clip to stitchery grounds earlier formally charging Leonard with 2 counts of aggravated murder. He is besides facing pending charges of possession of a substance with intent to distribute, usage oregon possession of cause paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, prohibited unsafe limb conduct, and obstruction of justice. His adjacent tribunal day was not available.