West Jordan police continue to comb field for clues in man's death

WEST JORDAN — Homicide detectives continued searching through the mud Monday for possible clues in connection with a weekend killing.

"They have found items of evidence," said West Jordan Police Sgt. Drew Sanders.

Investigators Monday confirmed the body of a man found Sunday was the victim of homicide. They are now asking for the public's help in identifying the man and a possible motive.

Sanders declined to discuss what evidence had been collected. He said, however, that it appeared the man was killed in the area where the body was found. A medical examiner determined the man died from multiple gunshot wounds, Sanders said. He declined to discuss whether a weapon had been recovered as of Monday afternoon.

Investigators released a photo of the victim Monday that was found with the body, but there was no other identification found. The photo appeared to be a passport-style photo, Sanders said.

Police probed a muddy field near 6300 West and 7400 South from about 3 p.m. Sunday through early Monday afternoon after they received a call from a passer-by of a man found face down in the mud.

Detectives say the man appeared to have been shot in the stomach. He was found partially submerged in an area where other trash was discarded. Blood was found in different spots surrounding the body, police said.

On Monday, Sanders said detectives received additional information that another passer-by had spotted three Hispanic men arguing about 5 p.m. Saturday in the same area where the body was found. The witness believes the men had arrived in a black, older model, full-size, flatbed truck with wooden side rails, Sanders said.

The victim is described as a heavyset male Hispanic believed to be in his 30s. Investigators do not believe the man had been in the mud very long before his body was discovered.

Anyone with information on the man's identity or his death is asked to call police at 801-256-2000.

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