Questions raised about victim's actions prior to fatal shooting near Jordanelle Reservoir

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Investigators recovered a firearm linked to Patrick L. Hayes' death near Jordanelle Reservoir.
The Wasatch County Sheriff's Office says Hayes was involved in a road rage incident before being shot and killed.
Evidence is being analyzed to determine if self-defense was a factor.

HEBER CITY — The Wasatch County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday that it is looking at all possible scenarios surrounding the shooting death of a man near the entrance of Jordanelle State Park in September, including whether the victim was actually the aggressor.

"We are fully investigating this matter for all possible crimes, including homicide, and considering all defenses, including self-defense," the sheriff's office said.

The announcement comes as investigators provided an update on the Sept. 26 killing of Patrick L. Hayes, 61, of Hideout, Wasatch County, who was found dead outside a car on the shoulder of a roadway near the Ross Creek Day Use Area. Police said the car had been sitting there for hours with the blinker on before it was reported.

The sheriff's office announced Tuesday that while executing a search warrant, deputies recovered the gun they believe was used to kill Hayes. The department did not specify where the firearm was found.

The sheriff's office also said: "Prior to Mr. Hayes' death, he appears to have been involved in a road rage incident where he approached another vehicle, and with a metal baton and pocket knife in hand, aggressively called the other driver out of the vehicle. Ultimately, the driver of the second vehicle appears to have shot and killed Mr. Hayes. At this time, we are analyzing evidence as to whether Mr. Hayes was attempting to enter the vehicle."

Evidence has been submitted to the Utah State Crime Lab for analysis in hopes "determining the circumstances of the situation leading up to and resulting in Hayes' death, according to the statement.

The sheriff's office noted that Hayes' family has been "cooperative, kind, and helpful throughout the investigation."

"My dad was always making people laugh; he was always larger than life, almost 6-foot-6, so he was larger than all of us, but he also had a big personality and loved hard," Christian Hayes said during an October press conference. "He loved everyone, swimming, water polo — he touched the community forever."

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