The suspect in a double homicide in West Jordan — Albert Enoch Johnson, 31, — has been arrested in the Sacramento, Calif., area by local police there, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service.
He was booked into the San Joaquin County jail just after 6 a.m. with noticeable injuries to his face.
Johnson is a suspect in the Saturday shooting deaths of Tony Butterfield, 31, and Katherine Butterfield, 30, which took place at the couple’s West Jordan home. Police believe Johnson was injured, possibly with a knife, during a fight with Tony Butterfield in the back yard.
West Jordan police spokesman Sgt. J.C. Holt said at a Wednesday news conference that Johnson’s facial injuries came from his arrest.
“Mr. Johnson did try to evade officers. Mr. Johnson tried to escape officers and he did resist arrest,” Holt said. “We regret that he made that decision.”
Holt would not comment on the other injuries police believe Johnson received during a fight with Tony Butterfield.
Holt said police tracked Johnson to Stockton, about 50 miles south of Sacramento, after receiving tips that he had friends or family in the area and was driving to them. Police found Johnson’s car — the one he allegedly used to leave the Butterfield’s home — when they arrested him.
Johnson will be extradited to Utah in the next few days, Holt said.
Johnson’s wife, Sina, 29, is also in custody. She was booked into the Salt Lake County jail Monday, for investigation of obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence. She is being held without bail.
She told police, according to her probable cause statement, that she’d gotten rid of evidence. Police said they learned she had talked with her husband “on multiple occasions" before and after the Butterfields were killed, and that she knew where Albert Johnson was.
According to West Jordan police, Johnson and the Butterfields knew each other and the shootings were not random. The Butterfields’ three young children were in the home at the time of the killings but were not injured.
On Wednesday, Holt declined to elaborate on how Johnson knew the Butterfields, saying investigators had asked him not to reveal that information. He didn’t offer additional information on a possible motive, but said police are sure Johnson was “definitely uninvited” and had “criminal intent.”
“Things definitely went very wrong the other night when that happened, unfortunately,” Holt said.
Holt said that the arrest “does bring [family] some peace and resolve, but that being said, it’s a long road ahead as well. And honestly, it’s still just as horrific now, and the shock has still not worn off, I’m sure."
In a statement, family described the Butterfields as, “incredible Christ-like, kind, happy, and loving parents, children, siblings and friends,” and added, “We mourn their loss, but are grateful for the sure knowledge we have that we will be with them again.”
A GoFundMe account has been set up to support the Butterfield children.
