Police say two people remain missing after blood and bullet evidence were found inside a Utah home.

SPRINGVILLE, Utah — A 28-year-old Utah man who reported his mother missing is charged with killing her and another man after investigators said they found blood, bullet evidence and signs of cleanup inside her Springville bedroom.

Matthew Jacob Leonard faces two counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his mother, Sarah Johnson, 50, of Springville, and John Waldron Handricks, 50, of Salt Lake City. Their bodies had not been found as of the latest reports, making the case both a homicide prosecution and an active search for remains. Police said the investigation began as a missing-person case, then shifted after witness accounts, phone records and forensic evidence pointed to violence inside Johnson’s home.

The timeline began on March 20, when Johnson and Handricks were last seen at the Springville residence where Johnson lived with Leonard. Witnesses later told investigators that Johnson and Handricks had gone inside the home to sleep after spending time with Leonard and others. Charging documents say one witness heard five gunshots after approaching the front door when Leonard did not answer calls. Another witness reported hearing loud bangs. Leonard then came out and briefly spoke with the witnesses, who said they left on foot because they were afraid. Police said Johnson’s and Handricks’ phones were shut off within two minutes of each other that morning and were not turned back on.

Johnson was reported missing on March 26. Police said Leonard filled out missing-person paperwork for a National Crime Information Center listing when officers contacted him. According to an affidavit, Leonard told police it was normal for his mother to disappear and tried to call her while officers were present. Investigators later said the missing-person report did not match the evidence they developed. By April 6, Springville police had received information from Johnson’s father that a family member had gotten messages saying Johnson had been shot and that her body had not been located. Police described that information as unconfirmed at first, then began locating and interviewing people who had been at or near the house.

The case changed sharply on April 11, when detectives served a search warrant at the Springville home and arrested Leonard during a traffic stop with help from a SWAT team. Inside Johnson’s bedroom, investigators said they found blood spatter on a wall, a small blood stain that tested positive for human blood and a bullet lodged in drywall about 2 feet from the floor. Detectives removed baseboards and flooring and reported blood residue between the floor and the bottom of the baseboards. They also found what documents described as two pools of blood and evidence that someone had tried to clean the room. Investigators said the amount and location of blood supported the belief that two people had suffered fatal injuries.

Police also reported finding five empty .22-caliber shell casings in a bag in Leonard’s bedroom. Investigators said Leonard admitted the bag was his. Earlier in the investigation, Leonard gave differing statements about a .22-caliber firearm, saying at different times that it was in his closet and that he had given it to his grandfather. Detectives also searched Leonard’s vehicle and said possible blood stains were found in two places in the back of his SUV. Another witness told police the SUV had been backed up close to the front door of the Springville home after March 20 with the tailgate open. The bodies of Johnson and Handricks remained missing, and police said the location of their remains was still under investigation.

Charging documents add several details about what investigators believe happened after March 20. Police said Leonard’s phone was turned off for about 12 hours that day. A few days later, phone data placed him for about 16 hours in a remote area near Fruitland in Duchesne County. Investigators also said a witness reported that Leonard held a bonfire on March 28 and told the witness not to look at the items he was burning. The items included a mattress cut into two pieces, furniture and a bag of miscellaneous items, according to the charges. Detectives later went to the burn site and recovered mattress pieces and a smashed cellphone.

Prosecutors filed 11 charges against Leonard in 4th District Court. Along with two aggravated murder counts, he is charged with two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of abuse or desecration of a dead human body and five counts of felony discharge of a firearm. Aggravated murder is a first-degree felony in Utah. Court documents say Johnson was Leonard’s mother and that they lived in the same Springville residence. Handricks had been reported missing out of Salt Lake City. The charging papers describe both victims as last seen with Leonard at the home before witnesses heard gunfire. Leonard is presumed innocent unless convicted in court.

The investigation also includes events before the alleged killings. Police said Leonard had been arrested March 9 and charged with electronic communication harassment after he allegedly sent repeated texts and made repeated calls to his girlfriend, who is also the mother of his child. Investigators said some messages included threats to harm himself and that his behavior grew more paranoid in the following days. A protective order was filed against him on March 13. Leonard pleaded guilty to the harassment charge on April 7, one day after police received information suggesting Johnson and Handricks had possibly been shot and killed.

Springville police said their work now includes both prosecution support and the effort to find Johnson and Handricks. “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Sarah Johnson and John Handricks during this extremely difficult time,” police said. “We are committed to pursuing justice and finding answers in the case.” The next stage is expected to move through 4th District Court while detectives continue reviewing forensic testing, witness statements, phone data and evidence recovered from the home, vehicle and burn site.

Author note: Last updated May 8, 2026.