Police are searching for an “armed and dangerous” Heber City man who has been charged with killing his ex-wife in her home while their two children were upstairs.
According to charges filed Thursday, Michael Grant Asman, 35, shot Julie Ann Burns in the head on Wednesday, then told their children to close their eyes as he led them out of the house.
The 36-year-old woman had previously been granted a protective order against Asman and had told police that she feared he would kill her, court records indicate.
Asman has been charged with murder, a first-degree felony, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. He was already facing charges in an assault case involving Burns in June. At that time, Burns told police she was afraid that Asman would beat or shoot her to death, court records state.
Suspect description
Asman is described as 5-foot-6 and 195 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes.
He’s believed to be driving a white, 2005 Chevrolet pickup truck with Utah license plates T287M. Anyone with information about Asman or the pickup truck may call 911 or 435-654-1411.
Asman should not be approached because he’s considered “armed and dangerous,” police said.
Police described Burns as Asman’s girlfriend. Court records indicate the two were divorced.
(Wasatch County Sheriff's Office) Police are searching for Michael Grant Ansam.
Officers responded day of shooting, then left
According to a probable cause statement, Asman’s sister called police Wednesday to report that he “was acting weird” and that he had asked her to come get his children. She feared he was suicidal, she said.
When officers arrived at Burns’ home, near 300 South and 500 East, they were unable to make contact with anyone inside.
On Thursday morning — the day after evidence suggests Burns was shot — one of Burns’ coworkers called police to report that she had not shown up for work.
The coworker went to check on her, and told police that when she opened the front door of Burns’ home, she saw what appeared to be blood on the kitchen floor. When officers returned to the home, they found Burns’ body on the floor in a large pool of blood; she had been shot in the head, police said.
One of the children told police that Asman and Burns argued on Wednesday, and that Asman had a handgun. The children were upstairs when they heard what they believed was a gunshot.
The child said that after the gunshot, Asman “had them come downstairs and told them to close their eyes as they walked out of the house,” according to the probable cause statement.
Asman then called his sister and asked her to come get the children, as she reported to police. It’s unclear who currently has custody of the children, but records indicate Asman did not flee with them.
A previous assault case — and protective order
According to the probable cause statement, responding officers learned that Asman had been arrested and charged with assaulting Burns on June 11. A witness reported that Asman had punched Burns in the face and then drove off in a car, dragging her.
Burns told police that after Asman punched her, she tried to get their two children out of his car, and she was still holding onto the car as Asman drove away, the document states.
At that time, Burns “made statements that she is afraid Michael will kill her by either beating her to death or shooting her,” according to a probable cause statement. She also said that Asman had punched her in the head several days earlier, and that she “lied to hospital staff about what really happened,” because if she had attributed it to domestic violence, she believed “Michael would kill her.”
On June 13, Asman was charged in 4th District Court with aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; two misdemeanor counts of assault; and two misdemeanor counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child. Burns was granted a protective order against Asman.
As a condition of his release, Asman was ordered to wear an ankle monitor. According to the probable cause statement, Asman is believed to have removed the monitor.
Asman’s location or heading remains unknown. A task force of Utah authorities continues to investigate.
A GoFundMe page launched by Burns’ sister to raise money for the victim’s funeral costs had raised more than $5,100 as of Friday evening.
Editor’s note • Those who are experiencing intimate partner violence, or know someone who is, are urged to call the Utah Domestic Violence Link Line, 1-800-897-LINK (5465), or the Utah Rape and Sexual Assault Crisis Line, 1-888-421-1100.
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