A Utah man accused of trapping his girlfriend and her dog inside a burning storage unit in 2023 is now facing murder charges, officials say.
On Feb. 18, 2023, 27-year-old Morgan Kay Harris and her dog, Huck, were found dead in a CubeSmart Self Storage unit in Murray after a fire swept through a row of units, authorities said.
Investigators alleged that her boyfriend, Alexander Paul Wardell, then 30, locked Harris and her dog inside, leaving them trapped when the fire started, according to a probable cause declaration obtained by PEOPLE.
Wardell was arrested at the time and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of kidnapping and negligent homicide, KSL.com reported.
After a long investigation, in May 2024, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office announced it would not file charges against Wardell, citing lack of evidence, according to KUTV. District Attorney Sim Gill called the case tragic, saying, “This office turned every stone to make sure Ms. Harris’s memory was served with our best effort.”
Harris’s mother, Laurice Williamson, strongly disagreed with the decision and asked the Utah Attorney General’s Office to review the case, KUTV reported. On Thursday, Aug. 28, the Attorney General’s Office announced new charges against Wardell.
Wardell is now charged with felony murder–domestic violence, kidnapping–domestic violence, aggravated animal cruelty, and other crimes, according to charging documents obtained by PEOPLE.
When Gill previously explained his decision not to charge Wardell, he said investigators had found it “not likely” that Wardell had set the fire, KSL reported.
But according to the new charging documents, surveillance video showed Wardell and Harris arguing shortly before he allegedly locked her and Huck inside the unit.
Wardell told police there was no candle or other fire source left burning when he left. However, investigators determined the fire started near Harris, who was unconscious in a plastic lawn chair. Her body showed signs that she did not move when flames first touched her, which suggested she was already unconscious.
The documents say Harris later woke up, inhaled the hot smoke, and suffered severe airway burns. She tried to survive by lying on the ground next to Huck and breathing under the unit door. She was later found dead just a foot away from it, from smoke inhalation and burns.
As part of the Attorney General’s review, investigators searched a duffle bag belonging to Wardell. Inside, they allegedly found a shirt with bloodstains and burn marks. A rapid DNA test matched the blood to Harris, according to the charging documents.
Investigators also reported finding a burned cardboard box near Harris’s chair. Inside was an intact candlestick, and a lighter was found on her body.
The DA’s office did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. On Aug. 28, Gill said he stands by his original decision not to file charges with the evidence available at the time, KSL reported.
It remains unclear whether Wardell has hired an attorney to represent him.
