2 Men Went Missing from Utah in Late February and Their Roommate Was Just Charged with Aggravated Murder
Charles Yoo is charged with two counts of aggravated murder in connection with the presumed deaths of William Bull and Christopher Owens
The roommate and landlord of two men who went missing in late February has been charged with their murder.
Charles Yoo was charged with two counts of aggravated murder Wednesday in connection with the presumed deaths of William Bull, 29, and Christopher Owens, 28. He was also charged with obstruction of justice on March 8 following a search warrant served on his home where he lived with the two missing men.
Authorities believe the two men who lived with Yoo in his home in Blanding, Utah, were killed on Feb. 25, according to the charging document.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE, a friend of Bull’s alerted police on Feb. 27 after he couldn’t get in contact with his friend. He told police about a text message Bull’s girlfriend received from Bull’s phone on Feb. 27.
The text message read: “Its always something with everyone I cant deal with this b-------," and referenced Bull's ex-wife. Bull's friend told police that Bull's ex-wife's name was misspelled and detectives later learned they had not been in contact for three years.
Detectives later determined that the text message was "sent from the immediate area of Charles' residence.”
“Charles was found to be the only person at the residence on [Feb. 27] when the text message was sent. Charles also provided confirmation the text was sent from the residence, and he knew how it was sent. [Bull] and [Owens] have no proof of life since [Feb. 25], with the exception of the text message sent from [Bull’s] phone when [Yoo] claimed no one else was home,” the affidavit states.
“The text also mentioned Toph which was [Owens'] nickname, and mentioned him possibly not being alive,” per the affidavit.
In an interview with police, Yoo claimed he saw both men around mid-morning on Feb. 26 in a black Dodge.
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Investigators said Yoo, who was a vehicle mechanic "did not provide any further descriptions on the vehicle such as to whether it was a truck, car, SUV or anything else that would have been apparent to someone with basic knowledge of a vehicle,” the affidavit states. “Charles has substantial knowledge about vehicles and his main occupation is a vehicle mechanic.”
Police also alleged officers conducted a video canvas of the neighborhood and didn’t see a black Dodge “coming and going from the area” on Feb. 26.
According to the affidavit, Google location data on Bull's phone showed him in Moab, Utah, on Feb. 25 and returning to Blanding the same evening. His phone stopped showing location data later that night. During that same period, Owens, an active social media user, stopped posting on social media and using his phone.
“Officers conducted an emergency ping on both [Bull] and [Owens] cell phones for missing/endangered persons and no location data was returned for [Owen’s] phone,” per the affidavit. [Bull’s] phone showed a location that returned to an area in Blanding approximately 700 yards from Charles' residence. The area was checked, and no person or cell phone was located in that area.”
Bull’s friend told police that he and Yoo drove to Moab to pick up Bull’s girlfriend on Feb. 27 and when they returned to Yoo’s home he "thought it would be a good idea to tactically clear the residence for any possible threats.”
According to the affidavit, Yoo was a former military veteran and instructed Bull’s friend on “the proper technique for clearing the home.”
Bull’s friend told police that when he entered the garage, he noticed a door that had not been checked and was locked from the inside.
“Charles was asked about the locked door and if he had cleared that room,” per the affidavit. “Charles told [Bull’s friend] that he had not checked the room and that it must have been locked on his way out. [Bull’s friend] tried repeatedly to gain entry into the room. Charles then claimed he had cleared the room. Charles was adamant that it was clear and there was no reason to enter the room.”
Bull and Owens have not been found. Anyone with information about their disappearance is asked to call the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office at 435-587-2237.
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