16-year-old Utah girl finds parents shot dead in suspected murder-suicide
The father shot the mother and then killed himself, authorities said.
(Cache County Sheriff’s Office) A squad car from the Cache County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office is investigating after a couple were found dead in their home on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.
Police are investigating after a 16-year-old girl from Hyrum found her parents fatally shot at their home in an apparent suicide attempt on Wednesday.
According to a news release from the Cache County Sheriff’s Office, officers were called to an apartment building in Hyrum — 8 miles south of Logan — on Wednesday night and found the couple’s bodies.
The 37-year-old woman was found in a bedroom and the 38-year-old man in another part of the house. Authorities said both were shot dead. They were identified as Heather and Dustin Preece Thursday afternoon.
It’s unclear when the couple died, but the child found them on Wednesday and called authorities.
Dustin Preece shot Heather Preece before killing himself, a coroner determined Thursday afternoon, according to the sheriff’s office.
“This is a horrific incident that took place in our peaceful community, but especially for the 16-year-old daughter who discovered the crime scene,” Cache County Sherriff D. Chad Jensen said in a statement released Thursday afternoon.
Victim representatives were called to help the 16-year-old girl. The deaths are still being investigated.
Editor’s note • Individuals who experience intimate partner violence or know someone who has been affected are urged to call the Utah Domestic Violence Link Line at 1-800-897-LINK (5465) or the 24-hour Sexual Violence Hotline in Call Utah at 801-736-4356 (English) or 801-924-0860 (Spanish).
