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Sam Penrod and Randall Jeppesen reportingThe investigation continues into the brutal stabbing death of an Orem man yesterday. The man's own son is in jail accused of the crime.
#son_mug
The suspect, 31-year-old Michael Kirsch, made a video appearance from the jail before a judge today, where his bail was set at $1 million. But this case is having a tragic effect on not only the Kirsch family, but the entire community.
It was a terrible moment on Father's Day: The 62-year-old victim was stabbed numerous times, and his own son is the suspect. Chris Kirsch died after arriving at the hospital, and his son Michael was arrested.
The shocking news has hit Chris' friends very hard. "It is a very sad day because this is actually the last week of school and finals are Wednesday. So, to have your teacher disappear, to be murdered like this just before finals, that is a blow for them (the students) because they liked him," said Alex Stecker, with Utah Valley State College's (UVSC) history department.
For the past five years Chris has taught at UVSC in the history department as an adjunct professor. Colleagues remember him as someone who took personal interest in his students and fellow teachers.
Nathan Melton, also an adjunct professor at UVSC, said, "Every morning Chris and I, before class, we would sit and discuss current events, talk about his family, life in general.
"As a professor, his concern was that his students were learning the material to complete the course and move on to bigger and better things," said Melton.
"How do you measure the loss of a friend? I don't know how you measure that. I miss him greatly," Stecker said. "What a wonderful friend he was. I was his supervisor for several years, and every day he would come into my office and we would talk. So we became very good friends and we saw each other outside of the classroom occasionally. I'll miss his friendship very, very much."
Michael Kirsch has a history of mental illness and has also served time in prison. He faces aggravated murder, and formal charges are expected to be filed by prosecutors in the next several days.
Police released no new information today about the murder or what the motive in the stabbing may have been.
The UVSC administration today issued the following statement regarding the death of UVSC adjunct professor Christopher Kirsch Sunday in Orem:
"We are deeply saddened to have learned of the untimely passing of one of our colleagues, Chris Kirsch," said UVSC President William A. Sederburg. "In behalf of the institution, I express my most heart-felt condolences to his wife, Elaine, and the entire Kirsch family. I speak for all of us when I say that the entire UVU family mourns this loss.'
Sederburg has ordered that all flags on campus fly at half-staff today in Kirsch's honor and memory.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
E-mail: rjeppesen@ksl.com
