Body Found in Horse Canyon

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

On April 8, the Emery County Sheriff’s Office dispatch was notified between 8:30-9 p.m. that the East Carbon police department had taken into custody a suspect who was possibly involved in a homicide. This homicide was alleged to have happened in the Horse Canyon area of Emery County just off of SR-6 between Wellington and Green River. Based on this information the Emery County Sheriff Lamar Guymon, Det. Sgt. Robert Blackburn, Det. John Barnett, Sgt. Norm Vuksinick, Patrol Sgt. Les Wilberg, Lt. Bill Downard and Capt. Kyle Ekker went to an area about 3/4 a mile west on the Horse Canyon Road.
The motorhome was parked in a wash. The Emery County deputies met with several Carbon County officers and Chief Sam Leonard from the East Carbon Police Dept. They were informed by officers that there was possibly the body of a female in a motorhome at that location. The officers were informed that earlier in the day the suspect had been in that area and he was in contact with his two brothers who live in East Carbon. He told them he had done something terrible to his girlfriend and was going to take his own life. He informed the brothers of the location to find his body. The suspect was calling his brothers on a cell phone.
The brothers were able to locate him and he had a weapon and was threatening to take his own life. The suspect was reported by the brothers to be in an intoxicated state. The brothers were able to obtain the weapon through a struggle. They convinced the suspect to go with them back to East Carbon to get some beer. While at East Carbon, one of the brothers was able to contact the East Carbon police department and Officer Phillip Holt was able to take the suspect into custody after a brief confrontation.
The Emery County Sheriff’s Office continued to investigate throughout the night and all day Sunday.
The investigation concluded that a 59 year old black female appeared to be the victim of a homicide.
“The victim underwent an autopsy on April 10 by the state medical examiners office and they determined the cause of death to be from strangulation. She didn’t have any gunshot wounds, but her body was bruised and there was a contusion to the head. Det. John Barnett and Officer James Weaver from the drug task force accompanied the body to Salt Lake for the autopsy. Also on Monday, Sgt. Blackburn and Vuksinick executed a search warrant on the victims residence in Cedar City. The suspect has been uncooperative to this point and is being held in the Emery County detention center. County Attorney David Blackwell is also involved in the investigation and was present at the crime scene. No charges have been filed at this point, but if and when charges are filed, the suspect’s name will be released. The female was identified as Antoinette Corum, 59. The suspect has spend time in prison for domestic assault on Corum in the past. The suspect, 59, was originally from East Carbon. The victim has a daughter living in Tennessee,” said Sheriff Guymon.