HEBER CITY, Utah — Heber City Police are asking for help to locate a man suspected of killing his girlfriend, who was found dead Thursday morning. They warn the man is considered "armed and dangerous."
Officials report that at 10:30 a.m., police responded to a home near 500 E. 300 S. on reports of a possible homicide.
A concerned coworker went to check on 36-year-old Julie Ann Burns when she did not show up to work, and the coworker found Burns dead on the floor of the home.
An autopsy confirmed that Burns died from a single gunshot wound to her head.
Burns' boyfriend, 35-year-old Michael Grant Asman, has been named as a homicide suspect.
Asman was last seen leaving a Maverik gas station in Heber City around 1:30 a.m. Thursday.
"He purchased some caffeine energy drinks and therefore could have been preparing for a long drive away from Heber," police wrote in an update provided Friday. "He has a history of camping in the mountains so we encourage the public to be cautious and alert if they have plans in the near future to go to a campsite, trailhead or use a camper or cabin in the wilderness."
The U.S. Marshals Service assisting in what is now a nationwide search.
Burns' family sent a written statement to FOX 13 News:
"[We] just want justice, we hope he's found soon. We would love for our nieces to be with family. And that can't happen [until] he's found."
Asman is 5'6", weighs 195 pounds, and has blond hair and blue eyes.
He may be driving a white 2005 Chevrolet pickup with a Utah license plate "T287M," seen below in an earlier photo and a surveillance image from the Maverik.
Court documents reveal additional details about what may have happened that led to Burns' death.
In documents obtained by FOX 13 News, detectives interviewed Burns' two children who said they witnessed Asman and their mom fighting on Wednesday and saw Asman with a gun.
"The child stated they were upstairs and heard what they believed to be a gunshot," documents state. "The child stated after the gunshot Michael had them come downstairs and told them to close their eyes as they walked out of the house."
The children were then picked up by another relative who received a phone call from Asman.
Asman was arrested for alleged domestic violence assault against Burns last month.
In the arrest documents from June 12, Asman is described as punching her in the face and dragging her by a vehicle.
According to court documents, Burns told police at the time that she was afraid Asman would kill her.
He was released on bail a week later.
FOX 13 asked Burns' sister how her family felt about the way police handled the case.
"We are upset confused and don't understand how [something] like this could slip through the cracks," she wrote in response. "If he was wearing his monitor bracelet we don't understand how he was able to even get that close to her without them being notified."
In a warrant for Asman's arrest for the charge of murder, police wrote that they "spoke with the company that had placed the ankle monitor on Michael and were notified that the company had received a notification that the ankle monitor had possibly been removed."
Officers had been asked to do a welfare check at the residence on Wednesday, but they were unable to make contact with anyone at the home.
Anyone who sees Asman or his vehicle or knows anything about his location is asked to call 911 immediately and to not approach him as he is to be considered "armed and dangerous."
Domestic violence victim resources (free, 24/7, confidential):
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition:
- Hotline: 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- Online help: udvc.org
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
- 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- Online live chat: thehotline.org
- If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or in an emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.
