Adria Jordan "AJ" Parker, a 25-year-old Caucasian female, had moved to the small, rural town of Central, Utah, from Pennsylvania, seeking a safe and beautiful place to raise her 5-year-old daughter, Eliza Kate Parker. She had purchased an A-frame house in the quiet community about a year prior to her death, drawn to the area's natural beauty and the opportunities for outdoor activities like fishing and ATV riding with her daughter. Her parents had also fallen in love with the area and had recently moved to Central as well.
In the time leading up to her death, Adria had entered into a relationship with 24-year-old Landon S. Jorgensen. The relationship progressed quickly, with Jorgensen moving into Adria's home after only a few weeks of dating. By all appearances, he seemed to embrace Adria and her daughter, referring to them as "my family" on social media. However, friends of the family noted a possessive and clingy nature in Jorgensen. Neighbors reported hearing frequent arguments and yelling coming from the residence, although police had never been called to the home for any domestic disturbances.
The tragic events unfolded on Thursday, March 22, 2012, when Adria attempted to end her relationship with Jorgensen. His reaction was one of extreme violence. He entered the bathroom where Adria was giving her daughter, Eliza, a bath and shot and killed both of them. The brutality of his actions extended to the family dog, which he also tortured. After committing the murders, Jorgensen wrote a suicide note and then took his own life in the backyard of the home.
An investigation by the Washington County Sheriff's Office concluded that the deaths were the result of a double murder-suicide. Landon S. Jorgensen was identified as the sole suspect in the deaths of Adria and Eliza Parker. The case was closed following the determination that the perpetrator had taken his own life. No arrests were made as the suspect was deceased. The community was left to mourn the loss of a young mother and her child, whose search for a peaceful life ended in a violent and tragic manner.
