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HEBER CITY — A Heber City man accused of killing his significant other while her children were in the house, and then telling the children to close their eyes as he led them out, has been charged with murder.
Michael Grant Asman, 35, was formally charged Thursday afternoon in 4th District Court with murder, a first-degree felony, and a warrant issued for his arrest. He is wanted in connection with the death of a Heber City woman, Julie Ann Burns, described by police as Asman's girlfriend.
As of Thursday evening, police were still looking for Asman. Law enforcers say he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Heber City police were first called by Asman's sister on Wednesday to conduct a welfare check. She stated that her brother had called her and "was acting weird and asked her to come get the kids," according to charging documents. Officers went to the home but were unable to contact anyone.
Just before 10:30 a.m. Thursday, police were called back to the house, 318 S. 500 East, for a second welfare check. This time, a co-worker of Burns went to check on her after she did not show up for work, charging documents state. After no one answered the door, the woman said she "opened the door and noticed what she believed to be blood on the kitchen floor," the charges state.
With that information, officers made entry into the house where they found Burns' body on the kitchen floor. It appeared the 36-year-old woman died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the charges.
Asman was charged last month in a domestic violence case for allegedly assaulting Burns, according to court documents. Asman was charged June 13 in 4th District Court with aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; assault, a class A misdemeanor; two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child and assault, class B misdemeanors. Burns also had an active protective order against Asman at the time of her death, court documents state.
A warrant was issued for his arrest on Thursday by a judge for failing to comply with the conditions of his pretrial release in that case for no longer wearing a GPS ankle monitor, according to court documents. Investigators also noted in documents filed for the murder charge that the company that had placed the monitor on Asman's ankle believed it had been removed.
In the June case, Asman punched Burns in the face and attempted to drive off in a car that still had her two children inside, as she held onto the door and was dragged, according to a police booking affidavit. At the time of Asman's arrest, Burns told police that "she is afraid Michael will kill her by either beating her to death or shooting her. The victim claimed these are statements Michael has made in previous domestic violence incidents," the affidavit states.
Burns told investigators that she was also punched a few days earlier by Asman and had to go to a local hospital for treatment, but then lied to staff members about what happened "because she believed if she told it was domestic violence then Michael would kill her," according to the affidavit.
According to the new charge, detectives interviewed one of Burns' two children after their mother's body was found. The children were with their mother on Wednesday. While they were home, the child told police that Asman and their mom were arguing, charging documents state.
"The child disclosed that they had seen Michael with a handgun. The child stated they were upstairs when they heard what they believed to be a gunshot," the charges state. The child said Asman then told the children to "come downstairs and told them to close their eyes as they walked out of the house. That's when their aunt was called and came and picked them up."
The murder investigation is being handled by the Wasatch Back Major Crimes Task Force, which includes the Heber City Police Department, Park City Police Department, Utah Attorney General's Office and the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office.
Asman is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighs 195 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes. He is believed to be driving a white 2005 Chevrolet pickup with Utah license plate T287M.
Anyone with information on Asman is asked to call the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office at 435-654-1411 or dial 911.
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
