Salt Lake woman found dead in Missouri; ex-boyfriend detained
The body of Deborah Jones, 50, was found in a plastic storage container in the backseat of her gray Volkswagen Passat outside a motel late Monday night, according to Branson police.
Inside the motel, police found Jones' former live-in boyfriend, Michael Jerome Doyel, 47, and a second woman, Patricia Murray, 59, of West Valley City, who also had been missing for a couple of days.
Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank said Tuesday there were numerous unanswered questions about the case. He released limited details about the investigation, saying he wanted to wait until detectives had the chance to interview the parties involved before more information was revealed.
Burbank wasn't prepared to classify Jones' death as a homicide Tuesday morning but said it was definitely suspicious.
Doyel was charged in Utah's 3rd District Court Tuesday with one count of second-degree felony kidnapping. The charges stem from Doyel leaving the state with Murray.
Murray's sister and legal guardian, Darby Barstow, said Murray had previously been ruled incompetent to care for herself by the state of California, according to a probable cause statement. Neighbors and workers at the care center where Murray lives saw her leaving her home last Friday with Doyel.
Branson Police Chief Carrol McCullough said Jones' body was taken to Springfield for an autopsy. Based on a preliminary investigation, McCullough said Jones may have been dead before the Volkswagen ever arrived in Missouri.
Doyel and Murray were being questioned by officers Tuesday. Burbank said a Salt Lake detective was also sent to Missouri to interview the two.
The Salt Lake Police Department was working closely with police in Branson, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office and the Utah Attorney General's Office, he said.
Burbank did not release or have information Tuesday about how Jones died or how either Doyel or Murray might be involved.
Murray, who has diminished mental capacity, disappeared about the same time as Doyel and Jones. The care center where she lives, near 3100 South and 3500 West, is designed for retired people and people who have special needs.
The discovery of Jones' body marked the end of a two-day police search and brought the worst fears of Jones' family to reality. Bryan Jones, one of Deborah's two sons, made a statement to the media in front of her house Tuesday.
"We're deeply saddened by the recent developments. Deborah had nothing but love and compassion for others. As a nurse she took care of patients and really cared about her job. Although we're not sure it's a homicide, we're pretty sure what happened," he said.
Recent comments
Alias names?
Anonymous | April 24, 2008 at 9:27 a.m.
This is always the worst ending to a missing persons case. My thoughts...
Sad End | April 23, 2008 at 10:49 a.m.
