WEST JORDAN, Utah (ABC 4 News)- A Saturday early morning murder-suicide in West Jordan has police baffled and neighbors stunned. Avery Boche said,” It's really hard to believe that it happened.”
Saturday night neighbors like Boche said they were trying to understand why this horrible incident happened right down the street. West Jordan police say it happened at the home of Michelle Welch at 6832 south Triumph Lane.
Police say the 54-year old retired dispatcher for the Salt Lake City Fire Department was shot and killed during an argument with her 43-year old boyfriend, Gary Robert Howard, from Sandy.
Police say the man contacted a friend and told him he had just killed his girlfriend. That friend got in touch with police and a dialogue started between the Sandy man and authorities. Sgt. Drew Sanders said,” He had already shot her and that's what he told our negotiators and apparently his friends as well. That he shot her and expressed remorse for that.”
Police say the man barricaded himself inside Welch’s house with a shotgun and talked to police for almost four hours. Sanders said,” The man made it very clear to our negotiators that he intended to take his life at which time he did.”
Neighbors say this all caught them by surprise. Gurdev Singh said,” It gives a black sign in our community it doesn’t look good.” Boche said,” He was really good, he didn't come over a lot but when I did see him, he was friendly. He helped me out a lot.”
Sgt. Sanders says police are having a tough time trying to locate the man's next of kin. He tells ABC 4 News that they'll try again Sunday. Meanwhile Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesperson Scott Frietag told ABC 4 News that he would not comment on Welch's death.
