CEDAR CITY – A Beaver County man is in jail Sunday on $1 million cash bail after sheriff’s deputies found him lying beside his dead girlfriend while holding a .357 revolver.
Beaver County Sheriff Cameron Noel said Desiree Shotwell, 37, was shot and killed Saturday in her home located southeast of Beaver City.
Shotwell’s boyfriend, Ronald Cory Fordham, 42, was booked into the county jail the same night on suspicion of murder.
Fordham is facing a first-degree felony murder charge and a third-degree felony for a restricted person in possession of a firearm. He is also facing charges for domestic violence with bodily injury, a class A misdemeanor.
Beaver County Justice Judge Shadrach C. Bradshaw set Fordham’s bail at $1 million cash.
The Sheriff’s Office responded to Shotwell’s home after receiving a phone call from a concerned citizen, Noel said.
“The person who called told police he was worried about Desiree and that she could be in danger from her live-in boyfriend,” he said.
Fordham had allegedly been drinking, Noel said.
Deputies secured three search warrants for the residence.
The details surrounding the incident are not known at this time.
“I know there was a lot of screaming and yelling but nothing else right now,” Noel said.
Court records show Fordham was previously convicted for several misdemeanors, including assault against a peace officer, driving under the influence and carrying a dangerous weapon under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Shotwell owned an art gallery and was a real estate agent. She and Fordham are both lifetime residents of Beaver County.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @tracie_sullivan
Tragic and sad. Prayers to the family of the victim.
There is no place called Beaver City, Utah.
Hmmm. Perhaps you know something we and the city don’t. The city’s own Web page states: “Beaver City, by ordinance, is an Incorporated Manager form of government ….”
Challenges prompt me to double-verify, not a bad thing at all.
ST. GEORGE NEWS
Joyce Kuzmanic
Editor in Chief
Still censoring comments, stgnews?
Cryptic comment, Real McC? Actually, I think I know what you’re referring to – I’ll email you privately.
ST. GEORGE NEWS
Joyce Kuzmanic
Editor in Chief
Got the email. Fair enough.
Ha ha
This guy has put a huge hole in all our lives. Desiree you were such a sweet spirit you always found the best in people. You didnt deserve this. We will miss you dearly. He will get what he deserves one way or another.
My best to the family. Addie you are right. one way or another justice will be served
My mom married her dad back in the 90’s. So that made us step sisters. She never had a little sisters or a little brother before and now she had all of 4 of us to hangout with. Desiree was only 3 years older than me and didn’t like me a whole lot but she taught me so much. I remember she taught me about hard rock and how to record songs off the radio to a cassette tape. I watched her spray too much aqua net on her bangs, do her makeup oh so quickly and pick out fishnet clothes that was meant to tick her dad off. We kinda-sorta went to see Paula Abdul together in concert. But we each brought a friend so she pretended not to know me. Lol. With me being a pre-teen, I envied her. She hated it when my mom snapped unexpected pictures and made “teenagers” look so cool. She also taught me how to smack my bubble gum like a valley gal, match my underwear with my bra and what to say to a boy I was crushing on. She even curled my hair and let me stay in her bedroom and hear her talk on the phone with her boyfriend while I painted my toes with her black cherry nail polish.The last time I saw her I was almost 13 years old. I never got to say goodbye to her when our parents split up. She was probably happy to be the youngest child again in the household but I missed it. She was… in every sense of the word, the only big sister I ever had. And though she was in my life for just 2 years, it was a very impressionable time in my life. I guess you can say she was a big part of my chidhood. I’m so shocked to hear about her tragic passing. I feel so sad for all that miss her. My heart cries for the family I once thought of as my own. I cannot imagine the pain that family must be feeling tonight. I am honoring her memory tonight by thanking her for the few good moments we shared. Thanks for being my big sis for a bit Desiree. Love, Crystal