Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Sandra Yi reporting There are still a lot of questions surrounding a violent murder in Bountiful this weekend, but police say the man accused of the crime may have a mental illness.
Police say that possibility became clear during their interviews with Phillip Simmons. However, they're still no closer to knowing why Suzanne Fry was killed.
"There's no doubt his mental capacity and capability and his mental state will come into question," said Bountiful Police Lt. Randy Pickett.
Investigators say during interviews, Simmons showed inconsistent and irrational behavior. "In one minute he would be out of control, just wild and crazy, and talk a bunch of gibberish. The very next second, you'd be able to talk to him and reason with him," Pickett said.
Officers arrested Simmons yesterday as he walked down Bountiful's Main Street in only a T-shirt, jeans and shoes. He's the suspect in the violent death of Suzanne Fry, whose body was found earlier that day in her apartment. Police say Fry had been stabbed more than 20 times.
Investigators found mail addressed to Simmons and some of his personal belongings in Fry's apartment. "We know they were living at the same residence, but we don't know in what manner. Were they just roommates? Where they lovers? Were they boyfriend and girlfriend? We have no idea," Pickett said.
Bountiful police officers were familiar with Simmons, who worked at some convenience stores in the area. They say he disappeared several years ago and officers only recently saw him again in the city. He's only had misdemeanor charges against him, nothing so violent.
"He was just a nice, easy-going type of guy. So, this behavior is very odd for him," Pickett said.
It's still unclear how Suzanne Fry met Simmons. Her family told Eyewitness News the two were not living together and they did not have any kind of relationship.
Simmons is in the Davis County Jail for aggravated murder.
