Police searching for motive behind alleged double murder-suicide in Millcreek

MILLCREEK, Utah – Investigators reported getting answers to the suspected double murder-suicide in Millcreek may be trickier than they thought. Police on the case said their initial possible motive behind the fatal incident is wrong.

SWAT standoff in Millcreek

On Friday, the Unified Police Department was called to a scene near 3900 South and Highland Drive on a report of shots fired. Once arrived, shots were heard by officers. 

According to KSL-TV reporter Andrew Adams, there was an elderly hostage who was freed even as shots were fired at officers. 

The SWAT situation in Millcreek then ended Saturday afternoon with the discovery of three deceased individuals inside a home. Authorities later announced the names of the victims from the standoff. 

The victims are: Bonne Rachelle Brady, 54, Millcreek; Timothy Andrew Legrande, 53, Millcreek; Jacob Andrew Legrande, 30, Millcreek.

Authorities initially reported Jacob Legrande is the suspect.

Alleged double murder-suicide in Millcreek investigation

Officials with the Unified Police Department, UPD, still believe Jacob Legrande got into some sort of argument with two members of his family inside the home. Officials added Jacob Legrande first shot Tim and Rachelle Legrande before turning the gun on himself. 

UPD Sergeant Melody Cutler said they were originally told Jacob Legrande became upset that his family held an intervention for him. This lead turned out to be false.

“From what we’re understanding, at this point, it was not an intervention. They were just coming to hang out,” Cutler said. 

Investigators aren’t certain why Jacob Legrande became upset in the first place. Cutler reported Jacob Legrande has never been diagnosed with any official mental health problems, but they believe drugs may have been in his system.

“That’s information that will have to come from the Medical Examiner’s Office. They do an autopsy to determine if he was under the influence of some sort of substance,” she said.

Cutler confirmed Bonne Rachelle Brady and Timothy Andrew Legrande died sometime on Friday while Jacob Legrande died on Saturday. She added it’s possible both victims were already dead before police arrived at the scene Friday.

Cutler said they’re not yet certain what Legrande was firing at when officers heard gunfire coming from the home. 

Cutler also confirmed officers were fired upon when they got the elderly woman out of the home.

“We know when we went into the house to get the grandma, he was shooting at us. It’s possible he was shooting at us that first time,” Cutler said. “These are all things that, through investigation, we’ll try and determine exactly what was going on, there.”

Cutler reported the only witness they have is the elderly woman they rescued and they hope to get as much information from Jacob Legrande’s friends and family members as possible. However, she said everyone involved needs time to compose themselves.

“In that immediate moment of trauma, it’s not the greatest time to be trying to gather information from people. They’re brains just really aren’t in that place of processing information really good,” Cutler concluded.