Matthew Leonard, 28, was booked Saturday in the Utah County Jail on two counts of aggravated murder and one count of obstruction of justice.

Based on evidence and witness statements, Leonard is believed to have shot and killed his mother, Sarah Johnson, of Springville, and John Handricks inside Johnson’s home on March 20, according to a news release from Springville police.

The location of Johnson and Handricks remains under investigation, police said.

On March 26, Springville police took a missing person report for Johnson, who was last seen at her residence on March 19, and the Salt Lake Police Department later took a missing person report for Handricks, according to the news release.

Police said they contacted Leonard, who then filed a missing person packet to provide information for the National Crime Information Center listing of Johnson.

On April 6, police said they received information that Johnson and Handricks had possibly been shot and killed. Through an investigation, authorities learned that Johnson and Handricks were last seen with Leonard at the residence on March 20, and that a witness outside the home heard possible gunshots, the news release said.

Authorities obtained a search warrant for the residence on April 11, and located blood, shell casings and a bullet slug, police said. Leonard was taken into custody at a traffic stop with the assistance of the Provo and Orem Police Metro SWAT teams.

“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Sarah Johnson and John Handricks during this extremely difficult time. We are committed to pursuing justice and finding answers in the case,” Springville police said. 

Affidavit provides additional insight 

An affidavit of probable cause provided additional insight into the investigation and arrest of Leonard.

According to the affidavit, the individual who filed the missing person complaint on March 26 told police Johnson was last seen on the evening of March 19, Johnson’s phone was turned off the following morning and they had not heard from her since.

When police contacted Leonard, he told them it was normal for Johnson to disappear and attempted to call her with the officers, the affidavit said.

On April 6, police received a call from Johnson’s father, who said his granddaughter had received text messages from a friend of Johnson claiming Johnson had been shot and the body had not been located, according to the affidavit.

The probable cause document said that police learned from witnesses that Johnson and Handricks were inside Leonard’s residence on March 20. Those witnesses said they were at the doorstep of Leonard’s home when they believed they heard multiple gunshots from inside the residence and left quickly, the affidavit said.

Leonard was arrested April 11 and confirmed Johnson and Handricks were at his home on March 20, the affidavit said. He confirmed he owned a .22 caliber firearm and that it was in his home on March 20, police said.

Detectives located large pools of blood and evidence of attempts to clean up blood within the house, according to the probable cause statement, as well as holes in the drywall “consistent with a .22 bullet being lodged” in it.

“As of today’s date, detectives have not yet located the bodies of the missing female and male,” the affidavit said. “But due to the large amounts of blood, detectives find it probable that the missing female and male are deceased. Detectives find it probable Matthew disposed of the bodies and (made) obvious attempts to clean up or conceal the scene of the crime.”