CEDAR CITY, Utah — A Cedar City man is facing murder charges following an altercation in which he allegedly stabbed his neighbor to death.
Gerald Lee Vandermeer, 55, was arrested by Iron County Sheriff's deputies on Wednesday and faces multiple counts, including murder.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 13 News, on Tuesday at around 5:30 p.m., deputies were called to the scene of a reported stabbing. When they arrived, they found Vandermeer with numerous lacerations to his hands and face.
Vandermeer claimed he and his neighbor, 45-year-old Cory Whittenburg, had met a couple of days before the alleged stabbing and had a dispute over their dogs. According to Vandermeer, he took a case of beer and a bottle of vodka over to his neighbor's on Wednesday to smooth things over.
The two men drank together before an altercation occurred. However, Vandermeer told investigators that he didn't remember what else happened and only regained memory as he was heading home.
Deputies stated that a family member had discovered Vandermeer inside of his vehicle and called first responders, leading to Vandermeer being taken to the hospital for his injuries.
The Iron Metro SWAT team was called to the scene and obtained a warrant to locate Whittenburg. When they entered the home they found him with multiple stab wounds. Also in the home were THC gummies, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.
Vandermeer was medically cleared from the hospital and taken to the Iron County Sheriff's Office to speak with detectives. Vandermeer admitted to investigators that he had gone to his neighbors at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday.
During the conversation with detectives, Vandermeer again stated that he didn't remember how the altercation between him and his neighbor started on the day in question.
