ST. GEORGE — A body found near Anasazi Road off Old Dixie Highway 91 on Monday was identified as a 36-year-old man from Ivins, and deputies added late Tuesday the vehicle he was found next to was stolen.
St. George News has learned the man, Lewis Matthew Russell, had previously served time for drug possession with intent to distribute. A year before that, he was arrested by police in Mesquite, Nevada, after running from officers across Interstate 15 during another drug arrest.
Russell’s death is still under investigation, and detectives have not yet determined the connections between the stolen vehicle, Russell and the burglaries or if anyone was with Russell at the time of his death. The Utah Office of the Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Detectives with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Lewis Russell’s body was found early Monday morning next to a red pickup truck that had been reported stolen from a construction business about a half mile down Anasazi Road.
“Employees of the business arrived at the front gate early Monday morning and discovered the entrance gate was smashed through from the inside of the secured yard, and a trail of oil leading towards Old Highway 91. Employees called 911 to report the burglary and stolen vehicle,” Sgt. Joel Hafoka said in a statement. “As deputies were responding to the scene, other employees had located the stolen truck near the pump house by the entrance onto Anasazi Road.”
It is then, Hafoka said, that employees saw the body of Russell next to the driver-side door. Officers said the employees backed away and called 911 shortly before 7 a.m.
Hafoka said several other vehicles at the construction yard had been rummaged through, but the truck found next to Russell’s body was the only one to have been stolen from the business.
“Detectives are still investigating if Russell was solely responsible for the burglary and vehicle theft, and if anyone was with him at the time of his death,” he said. Hafoka added Russell was last seen by family Thursday night and was not heard from all weekend long.
On June 25, 2020, Russell was arrested by police in Mesquite, Nevada, after officers said he tried to flee officers from a drug arrest by running across Interstate 15.
A local casino had called police saying Russell and another man were acting suspiciously. Russell and the other man were found in a car parked in the casino’s lot, police said, and a K-9 unit detected methamphetamine in their car.
The police reported when they tried to arrest Russell, he then fled, hopped a fence and ran across all of the lanes of I-15 before officers caught up with him. Russell was held in Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas. It was later discovered that Russell had a warrant for his arrest out of Utah for driving on a suspended or revoked license and parole violation. According to Clark County court records, Russell was then extradited back to Utah.
A few months later, on July 8, 2021, Russell was arrested again in Washington County for possession of drugs with intent to distribute. Russell pled guilty to the charge on Sept. 1, 2021, and was sentenced by Judge G Michael Westfall to 180 days in jail and 36 months probation.
The Washington County Sheriff is still seeking anyone with information on Russell’s whereabouts after last Thursday or may have seen anything suspicious on or near Anasazi Road over the weekend to contact authorities at 435-634-5730.
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