Woman is slain; husband arrested
David Ragsdale had been waiting for his wife to arrive in the parking lot of the chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 1631 E. 900 North just after 11 a.m., police said.
His wife, Kristy Ragsdale, had already been to church earlier that morning for an interview with her bishop but left to go pick up her mother.
When she returned to the church, a few minutes after the morning sacrament meeting started, she stepped out of her minivan on the icy pavement while he stepped out of his silver BMW wielding a 9mm handgun, police told the Deseret Morning News.
Lehi Police Sgt. Jeff Swenson said there were several witnesses to the shooting. "And they've told us he didn't say a word. He just quickly walked up to her and a fired a series of rounds."
Kristy Ragsdale was hit numerous times, police said.
The shooter fled the scene, and the congregation's leader, Bishop James Davidson, canceled the remainder of the Sunday services.
Lehi police and the Utah County sheriff immediately dispatched a SWAT team to search for the shooter, establishing a wide perimeter around the church, law enforcement officials said.
Smith said he never spoke to David Ragsdale on the phone but "managed to talk him into turning himself in" using the brother as an intermediary.
The brother drove David Ragsdale to the Lehi police station where officers arrested him at about 12:20 p.m. and questioned him for about five hours, police said later.
"I saw him down at the station," an officer said at the crime scene. "He just looked blank. Just sitting there staring."
Late Sunday night, police recovered a 9mm Glock handgun at the residence of Ragsdale's brother, Swenson said.
Police said the Ragsdales have two small children, but the children were not at the church Sunday morning. They were in Draper at the time of the shooting and were with family members Sunday night.
Kristy Ragsdale petitioned for a protective order against her husband on Dec. 4, but during a scheduled hearing on Dec. 20, both she and David Ragsdale agreed to a "mutual restraining order" in divorce action, according to 4th District Court documents.
"Restraining orders aren't worth anything," said an emotional and discouraged Smith during an interview at the church crime scene. "How can we protect (the) thousands (of people) with them (restraining orders)? Bless her heart."
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