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ST. GEORGE — A Utah man was charged Thursday with stabbing a woman to death inside their St. George home.
Jonathon D. Cross, 43, was charged in 5th District Court with murder, a first-degree felony, and criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor.
On Wednesday, St. George police said detectives were investigating a suspicious death after emergency dispatchers received a call about 8:30 a.m. reporting a possible death.
"The caller reported that Jonathon Cross had killed his girlfriend Lisa Breinholt," according to a police booking affidavit.
The person who called 911 stated that her husband was also currently on the phone with Cross, who was in the parking lot of the St. George Police Department and had a knife in his car with him, the affidavit states. Police found Cross in Breinholt's car in the parking lot. After getting him out safely, he was taken to a local hospital after making suicidal statements, according to police.
Detectives went to 2075 S. Sir Monte Drive and found Breinholt "deceased from what appeared to be stab wounds," the affidavit states. Investigators learned that Breinholt and Cross had been in a relationship for five to six years and lived together.
"It was learned that John and Lisa had been in an argument and that John had used force to gain entry into the room he and Lisa shared. There was damage present on scene showing that John used force to enter the room where Lisa was found," the affidavit states. Police also noted that based on evidence at the crime scene, "it was apparent that Lisa met her demise in an extremely violent and brutal manner."
Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online at udvc.org.
Domestic violence resources
Help for people in abusive relationships can be found by contacting:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: Utah's confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600
- Utah's statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
