Iowa Man Charged in Brutal Wayne County Triple Homicide

TORREY, Wayne County – An Iowa man who allegedly killed three Utah women at random in southern Utah claimed the acts “had to be done,” according to prosecutors. Ivan W. Miller, 22, of Blakesburg, Iowa, was charged in 6th District Court on Thursday with three counts of aggravated murder, a first-degree felony. He is accused of killing three women in Wayne County – an elderly woman at her home in Lyman, and two women who were hiking on the Cockscomb Trail near Torrey and Teasdale.

Arrest and Initial Charges

Miller was arrested early Thursday morning near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, following a multi-state search. He was initially booked by the Pagosa Springs Police Department on one charge of carrying a concealed weapon . According to charging documents, Miller had no prior connection to the victims and no ties to the area.

Details of the Crimes

Investigators believe Miller first killed the elderly woman in her Lyman home, then stole her car and drove to the Cockscomb Trail where he killed the two other women. He then abandoned the first car and fled in another victim’s vehicle, which was later found abandoned in Pagosa Springs, Colorado .

According to court documents, Miller told investigators he hit an elk in Loa, Utah, a few days prior to the murders, sold his truck to a tow company, and stayed at a local hotel. He admitted to killing someone and stealing a car. He confessed that the killings “had to be done” but stated he did not like doing it .

The Victims and Timeline

The names of the three women have not yet been released. Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Cameron Roden stated the victims were from “the area” but were not related to each other . The elderly woman was killed first, with her body discovered in a cellar under a shed on her property. The two women hiking on the Cockscomb Trail were found by their husbands after they failed to return home.

Evidence and Investigation

A park ranger at the trailhead observed three spent .45 caliber shell casings and a spent 20-gauge shotgun shell near the bodies. Evidence suggested the bodies had been dragged to where they were found . Bank cards belonging to two of the victims and an identification card of another were found in Miller’s possession .

Law enforcement agencies used technology, including license plate readers, to track the stolen vehicle through Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico before it was found abandoned in Pagosa Springs, Colorado .

Prior Legal Issues

Miller was scheduled to appear in an Iowa courtroom on a separate case involving charges of theft, burglary, marijuana possession, and being ineligible to carry a gun . In December 2025, he was found inside a cabin at Lake Wapello State Park with loaded firearms, telling a park ranger, “It’s OK, you can arrest me now” .

Community Response

The deaths prompted a temporary closure of schools and the Wayne County Courthouse. Torrey Mayor Mickey Wright expressed his condolences to the families and praised the rapid response of law enforcement .