Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — A 28-year-old man has been arrested in the slaying of a St. George woman last week.
Elizabeth Carter, 33, was found dead in an apartment near 500 North and Bluff Street around 2 p.m. Wednesday.
St. George police obtained an arrest warrant Friday and took Kevin Ray Mcatlin into custody early Saturday in the Moab area, according to a news release from St. George police.
He was charged in 5th District Court on Friday with murder, a first-degree felony.
According to an affidavit for the arrest warrant filed in conjunction with the charges, property managers discovered Carter's body in a bathtub covered by blankets and a couch cushion. The body was transported to Salt Lake City for autopsy.
"During the autopsy it was discovered that there were 16 puncture wounds to the right side of the decedent's neck. The punctures ranged from superficial, to at least three centimeters in depth," the affidavit states. Additionally, there was a puncture wound the back of the Carter's right shoulder and four slash marks on the back of her neck.
"The Office of the Medical Examiner classified the death as a homicide," the affidavit states.
The affidavit said investigators discovered "a bloody fingerprint on the back side of the apartment door."
A state crime lab fingerprint expert "positively matched the fingerprint located on the back of the apartment front door to Kevin Mcatlin," the affidavit states.
The document also states that people interviewed by investigators who knew Carter saw her and Mcatlin at a gathering in Toquerville on June 1.
"They also confirmed that they saw them both leave together," the affidavit states.
Property managers who oversee the apartments where Carter lived contacted her on May 31 to inspect the unit, according to the affidavit.
It was in "filthy condition" and they told Carter to clean the apartment, the document states.
"They gave her a two-week time limit to make the changes or risk being evicted," the affidavit states.
On June 13, the property managers returned to the apartment to conduct a follow-up visit but "no one answered the door at the time," according to the affidavit.
The property management employees contacted a locksmith who opened the door to the apartment, which had a foul odor, the document states.
"They made their way into the bathroom of the apartment and discovered a suspected human body," according to the affidavit.
According to the police press release, "The condition of (Carter's) apartment and suspicious circumstances began an 'all hands on deck' investigation as evidence and information developed over the course of the hours and days following the discovery."
The case is "complex and technically challenging. Evidence is still being processed and work continues on the case," the press release said.
An initial court appearance for Mcatlin has not been scheduled.
