Police identify 2 men found dead in Cedar City apartment

CEDAR CITY — Police have identified two men who were found dead in a Cedar City residence Wednesday.

Lucas Hughes, 18, and Ethan Rapoza, 18, were both found dead of stab wounds inside an apartment at 1790 W. Harding Ave., Cedar City Police Sgt. Clint Pollock said at a news conference early Friday afternoon.

Police were dispatched to the address just after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, where they found both men dead. Pollock said investigators know who made the 911 call but are not publicly disclosing that information at this time.

Pollock said while the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation, there are no indications that anyone else was involved.

“At this time, there is no public safety threat or any other suspects that we’re looking for,” Pollock said. 

Both bodies have been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office, where autopsies will be performed, Pollock added.

A Cedar City Police crime scene unit vehicle is parked out front of a fourplex on Harding Avenue, Cedar City, Utah, Jan. 28, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Pollock said he did not know whether either or both men were Southern Utah University students but he did say they were not from the Cedar City area. 

According to social media posts made by family members and friends on Friday, Hughes and Rapoza were roommates and were both from the St. George area, where they had attended Desert Hills High School.

“Our condolences go out to these families, as they have lost a loved one,” Pollock added, thanking the multiple agencies that assisted in the investigation, including the Iron County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation, the Utah State Crime Lab, the State Bureau of Investigations and the State Medical Examiner’s Office.

The investigation remains active and ongoing, Pollock added.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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