Police identify father, toddler and grandmother found dead in Utah murder-suicide

FLOWELL, Utah (KSL.com) — Authorities on Monday identified the man, woman and child found dead in Millard County last week and said it appears the man and woman died in a murder-suicide while the child’s cause of death isn’t yet known.

Jay Dean Stevens, 28, and his grandmother Collen F. Halsey, 67, died of apparent gunshot wounds, the Millard County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The cause of death for Stevens’ daughter, 23-month-old Harper Helena Stevens, is “unknown currently” while autopsy results are pending, the sheriff’s office said.

About 8:30 p.m. Thursday, deputies respond to the Flowell area, an unincorporated area west of I-15 and between Fillmore and Delta, on a report of multiple deaths. Sheriff’s officials last week said they did not believe there was a threat to the public in relation to the deaths.

“A firearm consistent with examined wounds was recovered on scene. Features of the incident indicate thus far that Jay Stevens is responsible for the death of his grandmother, Colleen Halsey, and evidence suggests Jay’s cause of death was due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the office said.

“This incident rises to every level of tragedy. We are brokenhearted for family members who mourn these losses as they yet prepare for memorial services. We ask all to respect their privacy and feelings. We also ask for continued patience and understanding as we continue to investigate toward an explanation of the event in so far as one can be reached. We are aware of the speculation going on about much of the incident and ask that we be allowed to complete the investigation. As we do so, and further information becomes available, we will provide further updates,” the sheriff’s office added on social media.