Utah Man Arrested in Case of Alleged Double Murder as Missing Mother and Man Are Believed Dead

A man from Utah has been arrested in connection with the alleged murder of his mother and another man who had been reported missing since March, according to authorities.

A 28-year-old man identified as Matthew Jacob Leonard was arrested on April 6 in connection with the murder of his mother and another man, who had been reported missing earlier.

Leonard was booked into the Utah County Jail and has been charged for two counts of aggravated murder and obstruction of justice. Leonard was arrested during a traffic stop with the assistance of a SWAT team.

Both Leonard’s mother, identified as Sarah Johnson, and John Hendricks were last seen at Johnson's residence in Springville on March 20, according to authorities.

Sarah Johnson was reported missing on March 26. Police contacted her son, Mathew Leonard, who filled out a missing person’s packet while officers investigated the case.

“Mathew mentioned that it was normal for his mother to disappear and attempted to call his mother with officers,” according to the affidavit.

Authorities received information from Sarah Johnson's father on April 6, according to the affidavit.

“Springville police officers and detectives located and interviewed potential witnesses and learned that Sarah Johnson and John Handricks were last seen with Johnson’s son, Mathew, at the residence in Springville on March 20,” according to a police statement.

One witness also reported hearing gunshots from inside the home.

On April 6, police obtained a warrant to search the residence.

After arresting Leonard, police searched the home and found blood spatters on the wall of Johnson’s bedroom, along with a drop of blood that tested positive for human DNA, according to the affidavit. After removing flooring, detectives also found “a large pool of blood” and “evidence of attempts to clean up the blood.”

Detectives also found bullet holes in the bedroom and .22 caliber shell castings.

According to the latest report, investigators have not located the bodies of the victims.

However, due to the volume of blood evidence, detectives believe both Johnson and Hendricks are likely deceased and that Leonard may have disposed of the bodies, according to the affidavit.

Police also said the victims’ cellphones were turned off within two minutes of each other on the morning of March 20 and have not been reactivated since.