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IVINS, Washington County — The Washington County Sheriff's Office is investigating a possible homicide after a body was found near a popular hiking trail on Monday morning.
Washington County Sheriff's Sgt. Joel Hafoka said deputies responded around 6:41 a.m. to a call about a business burglary at a construction yard south of Ivins, located off of Anasazi Road near the Anasazi Valley Trailhead.
"As they were getting to the scene, they realized that there was forced entry, there were signs of burglary. But during the process of that initial investigation, there was also a body that was located," Hafoka said.
The body was identified Tuesday as that of Lewis Russell, a 36-year-old Ivins resident. Investigators believe he died under suspicious circumstances, Hafoka said. Deputies say Russell was found on the ground next to a red pickup truck that was stolen from the construction business.
Detectives found that several other vehicles at the construction yard had been rummaged through but say the truck found next to Russell's body was the only one stolen from the business. They are still investigating if Russell was solely responsible for the burglary and vehicle theft and if anyone was with him at the time of his death.
Russell was last seen by family Thursday night and was not heard from all weekend. Deputies ask anyone with information on Russell's whereabouts over the weekend, or who he may have been with, to call the Washington County Sheriff's Office at 435-634-5730.
