Clinton woman shot to death

CLINTON — Annalee Christensen seemed to be moving on with her life and away from her abusive ex-boyfriend.

For the first time she seemed to have truly severed the relationship with her former boyfriend that had been a revolving door of physical abuse. She had just moved into a new house with plans to fix up the property and resell it as a real estate investment.

But police say Christensen's apparent new beginning came to a violent and abrupt end early Monday morning when her ex-boyfriend entered her home, 1129 W. 1640 North, and shot her three times.

Police found Christensen lying on the floor of a bedroom, with a gunshot wound to the neck and stomach, Clinton Police Chief Bill Chilson said. Chilson was unsure where the third shot struck Christensen. The Utah State Medical Examiner was expected to perform an autopsy today.

Christensen's new boyfriend, James Thomas May, 29, was shot once as he tried fleeing Christensen's house to get help from neighbors. He was listed in fair condition Monday night at Davis Hospital and Medical Center. He was expected to undergo surgery today after a bullet tore through his biceps and armpit before lodging lodged one inch from a main artery, said Julie Linford, Christensen's mother.

After killing Christensen, the woman's ex-boyfriend called Christensen's father, told him what he'd done and indicated he was on his way to kill him, Chilson said.

Clearfield police cornered the man in an east Layton cul-de-sac, where he fled on foot and was captured by three officers in a nearby field, Chilson said. Police recovered a .380 automatic gun along the man's escape route that was believed to be the murder weapon, Chilson said. They also served a search warrant on Christensen's house and were expected to search the van they believe was used as the getaway vehicle.

The shooting rampage started before 6:30 a.m. and awakened many residents of this usually quiet neighborhood from their sleep. Neighbors stood stunned as police canvassed the area, diagramming the crime scene and looking for clues in what may be the city's first homicide in almost 23 years.

"I lived in Clinton all my life, and this is scary," said one woman who lived down the street from Christensen and refused to give her name.

Few neighbors knew Christensen since she had just moved into her house within the past three weeks.