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HEBER CITY — Police say Julie Ann Burns told officers in June that she was afraid Michael Grant Asman would "kill her by either beating her to death or shooting her."
Asman, 35, was charged Thursday with killing her after Burns, 36, was found dead in her Heber City house with a gunshot wound to her head. Asman is charged in 4th District Court with murder, a first-degree felony, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
The search for Asman, whom police say should be considered "armed and dangerous," continued Friday. Police on Friday said they searched through the night and followed up on a number of leads.
"Unfortunately, the leads so far have not led to locating the suspect," Heber City police said.
Investigators, however, did release surveillance photos of Asman after he made a purchase at a Maverik store in Heber City, 435 N. Main, at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, which police say was after Burns was shot.
On June 15, Asman was placed on pretrial release pending his next court hearing and ordered to wear a GPS ankle monitor while he was out of jail, according to court records. Investigators believe shortly before Asman went to the Heber City convenience store Thursday morning, he cut off his ankle monitor.
"My sister was killed by her abusive boyfriend. She left behind two beautiful girls. We are trying to raise money to help with her funeral costs and help her kids during this awful time," a GoFundMe page* states that was started to help raise money for Burns' family. It adds that if donations aren't possible, "prayers are always appreciated."
Asman is believed to have been in Burns' home on Wednesday along with her two young children. One of Burns' children told police that their mother and Asman had been arguing when a gunshot was suddenly heard, according to charging documents.
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," the charges state.
Asman called his sister to pick up the children. The sister called police after receiving the children and asked them to conduct a welfare check at Burns' home because her brother "was acting weird," the court documents state. Police went to the home, but no one answered.
The next day, a co-worker of Burns went to her house when she did not show up for work, and "opened the door and noticed what she believed to be blood on the kitchen floor."
Police were called back to the home to conduct a second welfare check. But this time, knowing that someone might be injured, they entered the residence, the charges state. They found Burns' body on the kitchen floor with an apparent gunshot wound to her head.
At the time of Burns' death, Asman was already facing charges of aggravated assault and assault accusing him of attacking her in June. The court filed a protective order for Burns against Asman following his arrest and the filing of charges.
When Asman was arrested in June, 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," a police affidavit states. She told police that he had gone to the hospital a few days earlier after allegedly being punched by Asman, but lied to hospital staff members about what happened "because she believed if she told it was domestic violence then Michael would kill her."
On June 15, Asman was placed on pre-trial release pending his next court hearing and ordered to wear a GPS ankle monitor while he was out of jail, according to court records. Investigators believe shortly before Asman went to the Heber City convenience store Thursday morning, he cut off his ankle monitor.
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, is currently looking for Asman. They were expected to meet Friday afternoon to discuss the case. An update was expected to released by police sometime after that.
Asman is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighs 195 pounds and has 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
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
