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15-year-old girl found dead in Salt Lake City home; homicide detectives investigate

Officers sent to check on a girl at her Salt Lake City home Monday afternoon found her dead, and police suspect foul play.

Salt Lake City police spokesman Sgt. Brandon Shearer said officers found the 15-year-old just after 3 p.m. at a house near 1650 West and 500 North. Officers think she was killed shortly before someone called to request the welfare check.

Shearer wouldn’t elaborate on why detectives are investigating the girl’s death as a homicide, only saying that “evidence at the scene suggests” it was one.

Shearer said he believes the girl died “fairly” recently and was alone at home when she died. He said her parents are not suspects.

Police declined to release the girl’s name and other details about the suspected homicide, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. They haven't made any arrests in the case, and they said they want to talk to 24-year-old Shaun French, who may be headed to Wyoming.

French, who wears glasses and has a beard, may be driving a camouflage-painted 1991 Daihatsu Rocky, with Wyoming license plate No. 19-13974. Police consider him armed and dangerous, though they say he is not a suspect.

“We just want to speak with him at this point,” Shearer said.

Anyone with information on the case or French’s whereabouts can call detectives at 801-799-3000.