Communities across southern Utah and beyond are grappling with shock and sorrow following a horrifying series of killings that claimed the lives of three innocent women. Authorities say the tragic events unfolded in a disturbing chain of violence that began with a desperate attempt by a young man trying to return home to Iowa.

According to prosecutors, 22-year-old Ivan Miller had reportedly been staying in a shed behind the home of 86-year-old Margaret Oldroyd in the small town of Lyman, Utah. Investigators believe Miller had been watching the property and had taken notice of Oldroyd’s Buick LeSabre. When she returned home and sat down inside her house, he allegedly entered and shot her in the back of the head. Officials say he then dragged her body to the basement before leaving in her vehicle.

The violence did not stop there. Roughly 15 miles away, near a trailhead close to Capitol Reef, two women had just arrived to begin what was meant to be a peaceful hike. Linda Dewey, 65, and her niece Natalie Graves, 34, were preparing to explore the area when Miller allegedly approached and opened fire. Graves was reportedly shot in the chest, while Dewey was shot and stabbed as she struggled to survive the attack.

Authorities say the victims were then left in a roadside ditch while the suspect took their white Subaru and fled the scene. Investigators later determined that a credit card belonging to the victims had been used to purchase gasoline while the suspect traveled east.