On April 13, 2021, 49-year-old Matthew Wayne Young, a White male, was found deceased on his property in the small community of Church Wells, Utah, near Kanab. What initially was described by the Kane County Sheriff's Office as a "complex case" soon unfolded into a homicide investigation. Young, an avid outdoorsman and a U.S. Navy veteran who served during Desert Storm, was remembered for his infectious laugh and genuine smile.
His obituary tragically stated that he was "senselessly taken from us."
The investigation into his death involved numerous law enforcement agencies and many hours of evidence collection. Investigators remained tight-lipped about the specific cause of death in the early stages, appealing to the public for any information that might be of assistance. The community was left in suspense as they awaited answers regarding the untimely death of a man described as easygoing and a good friend to many. The Kane County Sheriff's Office worked diligently to piece together the events that led to Young's demise.
Weeks after the discovery of Young's body, a breakthrough in the case was announced. On April 26, 2021, detectives from the Kane County Sheriff's Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, arrested 38-year-old Jason Thomas Bates of Page, Arizona, in Flagstaff. Bates was subsequently charged with murder, two counts of discharging a firearm causing serious injury, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm by a restricted person. Charging documents revealed that Young had been shot in the back, and then, a few seconds later, shot again at close range in the back of the head while he was lying face down on the ground.
The motive for the killing was not immediately released to the public. The arrest of a suspect brought a sense of resolution to some, but the legal process was just beginning. However, the case took another unexpected turn. In April 2022, while incarcerated at the Kane County Jail awaiting trial for the murder of Matthew Wayne Young, the suspect, also identified in reports as Jason Thomas Hager, was found deceased in his cell. His death was the result of a suspected suicide, bringing a somber and unexpected end to the judicial proceedings. The investigation into Hager's death was handled by the Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office.
