A southeast Iowa man is in custody following a multi-state investigation into the deaths of three women in southern Utah.
Authorities say 22-year-old Ivan Miller of Blakesburg, Iowa, was arrested Thursday in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, after being identified as the suspect in the killings.
According to investigators, the series of events began Wednesday afternoon in Wayne County, Utah. Officials say Miller allegedly killed an elderly woman at her home and stole her vehicle. He then reportedly drove to a nearby trailhead near Capitol Reef National Park, where two women who were hiking together were also killed.
Authorities say the incident came to light when the husbands of the hikers went searching for their missing wives and noticed a suspicious vehicle at the trailhead and another vehicle missing.
Investigators used license plate readers and vehicle tracking technology to trace the suspect’s route from Utah through northern Arizona and into southwestern Colorado, where the stolen vehicle was eventually abandoned. Miller was located after a short search and taken into custody.
Officials say the victims had no known connection to the suspect, and investigators have not yet determined a motive. The three women were reported to be in their 30s, 60s, and 80s.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue processing multiple crime scenes in southern Utah.