Body found in fiery car

Events surrounding man's death are 'weird,' sheriff says

Published: Tuesday, Feb. 20 2007 12:11 a.m. MST

Tooele County sheriff's deputies are investigating a car fire that killed one man and left another man critically injured.

Deputies are investigating if the death is a murder.

"We've been talking to a lot of people," Tooele County Sheriff Frank Park said Monday. "It's just a tough one."

Police said a driver on I-80 spotted a car on fire early Sunday morning in a remote area near Delle. The sheriff said the Nissan Pathfinder was engulfed in flames. Deputies found a 24-year-old man lying on the ground about 50 feet from the car. He had burns over more than 50 percent of his body and a wound to his neck, authorities said.

"He definitely wasn't shot," Park said. "That's the one thing we do know."

The man was in a medically-induced coma, the sheriff said.

A body was found in the back seat of the Pathfinder, a man that Park said they were still waiting to identify. An autopsy was performed on the body Monday.

Sheriff's deputies said they have been talking to people about the two victims and trying to piece together the last few days. The sheriff said they have encountered a language barrier with some of the victims' family members and friends, who are Hispanic.

While unclear if it was a murder or even a murder-suicide, Park said it was not accidental. He called the circumstances "weird," and said he believed the man's death was intentional.

"What were they doing out in the middle of absolutely nowhere?" Park said.


E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com

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