The call that sent Wellington police racing to a neighborhood porch came in just after sunrise — a report of a man standing outside, drenched in blood.
According to the New York Post, by the time officers and paramedics arrived, they found a stabbing victim barely able to speak, suffering from 17 wounds across his body.
What unfolded next, investigators say, was a violent chain of events driven by a father who believed the victim had targeted his young daughter with inappropriate comments.
Authorities arrested 32-year-old Thad James Gurule and booked him into the Carbon County Jail on attempted murder charges.
According to local reports, the victim told police he didn’t know his attacker by name. He had only encountered him once at a post office a few days earlier.
Detectives soon learned that the crucial link between the two men came after Gurule searched the man’s name online. That search, police said, revealed the individual was a registered sex offender — information that appears to have fueled what investigators now describe as a deliberate assault.
According to investigators, Gurule went to the victim’s apartment and coaxed him outside, telling him they could take a walk to get food. The victim stepped out. Moments later, police say, the attack began.
Officers said Gurule initially denied any involvement, but his story quickly shifted. He later admitted to disposing of the knife at the scene. In the probable cause statement obtained by KUTV, police wrote, “He confessed, stating that he intended to kill [the victim] to protect his daughter.”
Emergency workers rushed the stabbing victim to a hospital. He survived the attack, though officials have not released his current condition.
Gurule’s legal troubles grew after officers searched his residence. According to reports, they found drug paraphernalia, marijuana, and methamphetamine, leading to additional drug-related charges.
