A Utah couple was found dead earlier this week near a river, just one day after they were reported missing — and after they left a note that “concerned” their family, prompting an urgent search.
Officials said they were notified on Monday, Dec. 22, at 9:45 a.m. local time that hunters had discovered two bodies about five miles west of Logan, near the Logan River. The Cache County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded and established a crime scene as part of the investigation.
In a separate announcement, the Logan City Police Department identified the deceased as Garrett and Meredith Dutcher.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(707x0:709x2):format(webp)/Garrett-Meredith-Dutcher-02-122325-063248fcc696497fa2850239ec228bd0.jpg)
“Our hearts are with the couple’s family and friends during this tragic time of loss,” police said.
The discovery followed a missing-person report filed Sunday, Dec. 21. Garrett, 41, and Meredith, 42, were reported missing after relatives found what authorities described as an unsettling, typed letter. Police said the note included instructions for how to handle the couple’s property and vehicle at their home in Logan.
“It is believed that the Dutchers may have left their residence on foot,” officials said in the initial alert.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(561x0:563x2):format(webp)/Logan-River-Utah-122325-286fc09449bf4578b4696faf106f9204.jpg)
Officers searched the home and nearby areas but did not locate the couple that day. By the next morning, both had been found dead. Their bodies were taken to the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office, which will determine the cause of death.
The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities said investigators from the sheriff’s office and Logan City will work together and with the families to gather more information related to the missing-person report and the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
