From Deseret News archives:

Woman is slain; husband arrested

Published: Monday, Jan. 7, 2008 12:12 a.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
LEHI — A 35-year-old man allegedly shot and killed his wife Sunday morning on her 30th birthday in a Lehi church parking lot.

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.

Story continues below
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.

David Ragsdale had apparently driven to his brother's home about eight miles to the north in the Traverse Mountain area. Forty-five minutes later the search ended when David Ragsdale's brother called Lehi Police Chief Chad Smith and reported that David Ragsdale was sitting next to him at his home.

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.

Recent comments

We have allowed them to take God out of the public school classroom...

wjj | June 28, 2008 at 8:01 p.m.

My thoughts with the innocent life lost and those lives touched by...

vermontca | Jan. 13, 2008 at 1:20 p.m.

SCFirearms.......are you insane?...Do you realize the picture you are...

Dennis | Jan. 10, 2008 at 11:19 p.m.

Image

David Ragsdale

previousnext

Latest comments

Gifts for gamers

There are some games I love not on your list. Arkham Asylum for one.

Daughter: Mitchell fed me my pet

Our parents made my brothers help kill and clean our rabbits before we ate...

Why would you keep it open? I would understand if there was a lot of amazing...

The government will run our health care well? Read Reader's Digest, November...

BCS stable at top, Y. up to 14

TCU stomped on the MWC so they are naturally ready to crush Florida, Alabama...

Jazz win 6th in 7 games

could you understand Dave Locke any more than my mom does and she is not even...

Notre Dame fires Weis

Attending the ND/BYU game 3 years ago in south bend, a couple of things stuck...

I missed the game, actually i heard a little bit of Locke on the radio (man...

Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal

quotes were good: Article was dumb and unnecessary.

Understanding translation process

I believe the art depicting Joseph looking at the plates may possibly be...

Advertisements