In the small town of Beaver, Utah, the life of a creative and beloved 37-year-old Caucasian woman, Desiree Shotwell, was tragically cut short on April 9, 2016. Known for her artistic spirit, Desiree was the owner of a local gem shop called Love the Art, where she poured her passion for making jewelry and creating art that brought joy to those around her.
Her life, however, came to a sudden and violent end in what authorities would describe as an act of domestic violence.
On that Saturday night, Beaver County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Desiree's home, located just southeast of Beaver City, after receiving a troubling call from a concerned individual. The caller suggested that Desiree might have been harmed by her live-in boyfriend. When the deputies arrived at the residence, they were met with a grim scene. Desiree was found deceased, having suffered an apparent gunshot wound.
Beside her body, deputies found her 42-year-old boyfriend, Ronald Cory Fordham, lying on the floor. Investigators reported that Fordham was heavily intoxicated at the time. A gun was also discovered nearby, further solidifying the tragic narrative that had unfolded within the home. The initial investigation suggested the possibility of an attempted murder-suicide.
In the wake of the discovery, Ronald Cory Fordham was taken into custody and booked into the Beaver County Jail. The case was then handed over to prosecutors to be screened for homicide charges. The community was left to mourn the loss of a vibrant woman whose creativity had touched many, a life extinguished in a moment of violence.
