Month: March 2026

Authorities have taken a suspect into custody following the discovery of three women killed in rural Utah, ending a search that stretched across several states.

The investigation began Wednesday afternoon when authorities received reports that two women had been found dead on a hiking trail near Torrey, a community of about 260 residents located near Capitol Reef National Park. Investigators say the victims — women in their 30s, 60s and 80s — were found on March 4 in different parts of Wayne County. Two of the bodies were discovered along a hiking trail near the small town of Torrey, while a third victim was located inside a residence elsewhere in the county.

According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, the suspect fled in a vehicle belonging to one of the victims — a white 2022 Subaru Outback — traveling through southern Utah, across Arizona and into Colorado. The car was later discovered abandoned in Pagosa Springs. After a brief search in the area, officers located and arrested the suspect without incident.

Officials have not yet publicly identified the suspect or the victims, and law enforcement has not revealed how the deaths occurred or whether the victims knew the suspect. Lt. Cameron Roden said there is currently no indication the suspect had any personal connection to the victims.

While the suspect was still at large, officials urged residents to remain cautious. Local authorities advised people to lock doors, keep lights on and avoid approaching the vehicle tied to the case. Schools in the county were also closed for the remainder of the week “out of an abundance of caution and concern for student and public safety,” and a local health clinic temporarily shut down.

After the arrest, officials said the immediate danger had passed. “There are no ongoing threats to the public, and investigators have no outstanding suspects,” the Department of Public Safety said. Detectives continue to process multiple crime scenes in the Torrey and Lyman areas as the homicide investigation moves forward.

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President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Kristi Noem will step down as head of the Department of Homeland Security later this month, with Markwayne Mullin set to take over the role.

In a message posted on Truth Social, Trump said Noem “has served us well,” adding that she will transition into a new role as “Envoy for The Shield of the Americas.” The position will oversee a planned Western Hemisphere security initiative aimed at strengthening regional cooperation. Trump added: “I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026.” Mullin previously spent a decade in the House of Representatives before winning a special Senate election in 2023. Earlier in his career, he was also known as a professional mixed martial arts fighter.

Noem thanked Trump in a post on X for her new appointment, stating that she looks forward to working with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren… The Western Hemisphere is absolutely critical for U.S. security. In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise, I forged over the last 13 months as Secretary of Homeland Security.” Noem also touted “historic accomplishments” under her leadership at DHS when it comes to safety stating that “we delivered the MOST secure border in American history, 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S., we have located 145,000 children, FEMA delivered disaster relief at a 100% faster rate, we ushered in the golden age of travel, saved the American taxpayer $13 billion and revitalized the U.S. Coast Guard.”

Noem’s departure marks the first Cabinet-level exit of Trump’s second term. Her time leading the Department of Homeland Security was frequently controversial, particularly as the administration ramped up immigration enforcement. The most intense criticism followed a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis that resulted in the fatal shootings of two Americans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during protests. The incident sparked widespread backlash and prompted investigations, with lawmakers questioning the department’s tactics and leadership.

Noem also drew scrutiny during congressional hearings this week over a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign urging people living in the United States without legal status to voluntarily leave the country. Lawmakers pressed her on the price tag, estimated at about $220 million. She testified that the president had approved the initiative — a claim the White House disputed.

During those hearings, both Democrats and some Republicans sharply criticized the department’s actions, including mass arrests of immigrants without criminal records and the handling of the Minneapolis shootings. Noem also faced backlash for referring to the two Americans killed in the incident as “domestic terrorists,” though she later acknowledged investigations were still underway. In recent months, tensions also reportedly grew between Noem and officials within the U.S. Coast Guard, further complicating her leadership of the agency.

If confirmed, Mullin will assume leadership of the Department of Homeland Security at the end of March, while Noem shifts to the administration’s new regional security initiative.

Editorial credit: Daniel Hernandez-Salazar / Shutterstock.com