Authorities say a cross-state search ended with the arrest of a man accused of killing three women in a series of violent attacks across rural Utah — a suspect who allegedly admitted to police that the murders “had to be done.”
According to the New York Post, Ivan Miller, 22, is facing aggravated murder and other charges after investigators say he carried out the killings in Utah’s south-central desert before fleeing the state.
The charging documents state that Miller told officers the attacks were part of a desperate attempt to obtain transportation and money so he could return to his home in Iowa.
Investigators say Miller was arrested early Thursday in Colorado, where he was found carrying a handgun and a large knife.
Soon after being taken into custody, he allegedly told police he did not want to kill the victims — but claimed the murders “had to be done.”
Authorities say the violence began earlier in the week after Miller reportedly struck an elk while driving through a small farming town near Capitol Reef National Park. The crash left him without transportation, and he allegedly sold his damaged truck to a towing company.
Afterward, Miller stayed at a motel for several nights before the situation escalated further, according to prosecutors.
Court documents allege that Miller later slept in a shed belonging to 86-year-old Margaret Oldroyd. Investigators say he then entered her home in the town of Lyman and shot her from behind while she was watching television.
He allegedly stole Oldroyd’s Buick and drove away from the property.
But prosecutors say Miller soon decided he wanted a different vehicle.
According to investigators, he abandoned the Buick at a trailhead roughly 10 miles from Oldroyd’s home after spotting two hikers arriving at the location.
The women — identified as Linda Dewey, 65, and Natalie Graves, 34 — had just exited a Subaru when Miller allegedly attacked them.
Charging documents state that Miller shot and stabbed both women before attempting to conceal their bodies in a nearby dry creek bed. He then fled the scene in their vehicle.
The killings came to light when the husbands of the two hikers went searching for them after they failed to return home on Wednesday.
The men discovered their bodies at the trailhead, prompting authorities to begin investigating.
During the probe, officers traced the abandoned Buick left behind at the scene, which ultimately led them to the first victim.
A multi-state manhunt followed before Miller was finally located and arrested in Colorado.
Despite the chilling sequence of events, investigators say they have not identified a deeper motive behind the attacks.
Lt. Cameron Roden of the Utah Department of Public Safety said authorities do not believe the victims were targeted for personal reasons.
Instead, Roden said investigators believe the women were attacked simply because of opportunity and “convenience.”
Miller now faces multiple charges as the investigation into the triple killing continues.
