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By Sandra YiWEST VALLEY CITY -- Friends and family members of West Valley murder suspect Martin Vuksinick say they were shocked to learn he had been arrested for the murder of Kimberly Hain.
Friends Ciara Steele and her brother, Stetson Steele, say Vuksinick had recently been trying to get help for a drug addiction. "He was getting bad into it, to the point where he knew he needed to stop or it wasn't going to be good," Ciara said.
Ciara and Stetson have known Vuksinick for 10 years. In fact, he played Little League with Stetson.
News of the teen's arrest has been difficult for them because they say Vuksinick is a good guy. They say he left Cyprus High School to go to rehab.
Stetson talked to Vuksinick on Monday, three days after Kimberly Hain's murder. In a brief phone conversation, Vuksinick told him police were looking at him as a suspect.
"When I talked to him, he was nervous and swallowing his words. Yeah, it kind of shocked me," Stetson said.
The two say Vuksinick's arrest feels like a death in the family.
Meanwhile, Vuksinick's own family issued a statement Thursday. It reads, in part: "We are so deeply sorry that such a shocking tragedy took place. Both families' lives have been changed forever. We have lost a best friend. Our neighborhood family is devastated."
The family goes on to say: "No words can possibly express the sorrow in our hearts and souls at this time." [CLICK HERE to read the entire Vuksinick family statement]
E-mail: syi@ksl.com
