95.1 The Bee

Authorities have taken a suspect into custody following the discovery of three women killed in rural Utah, ending a search that stretched across several states.

The investigation began Wednesday afternoon when authorities received reports that two women had been found dead on a hiking trail near Torrey, a community of about 260 residents located near Capitol Reef National Park. Investigators say the victims — women in their 30s, 60s and 80s — were found on March 4 in different parts of Wayne County. Two of the bodies were discovered along a hiking trail near the small town of Torrey, while a third victim was located inside a residence elsewhere in the county.

According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, the suspect fled in a vehicle belonging to one of the victims — a white 2022 Subaru Outback — traveling through southern Utah, across Arizona and into Colorado. The car was later discovered abandoned in Pagosa Springs. After a brief search in the area, officers located and arrested the suspect without incident.

Officials have not yet publicly identified the suspect or the victims, and law enforcement has not revealed how the deaths occurred or whether the victims knew the suspect. Lt. Cameron Roden said there is currently no indication the suspect had any personal connection to the victims.

While the suspect was still at large, officials urged residents to remain cautious. Local authorities advised people to lock doors, keep lights on and avoid approaching the vehicle tied to the case. Schools in the county were also closed for the remainder of the week “out of an abundance of caution and concern for student and public safety,” and a local health clinic temporarily shut down.

After the arrest, officials said the immediate danger had passed. “There are no ongoing threats to the public, and investigators have no outstanding suspects,” the Department of Public Safety said. Detectives continue to process multiple crime scenes in the Torrey and Lyman areas as the homicide investigation moves forward.

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President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Kristi Noem will step down as head of the Department of Homeland Security later this month, with Markwayne Mullin set to take over the role.

In a message posted on Truth Social, Trump said Noem “has served us well,” adding that she will transition into a new role as “Envoy for The Shield of the Americas.” The position will oversee a planned Western Hemisphere security initiative aimed at strengthening regional cooperation. Trump added: “I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026.” Mullin previously spent a decade in the House of Representatives before winning a special Senate election in 2023. Earlier in his career, he was also known as a professional mixed martial arts fighter.

Noem thanked Trump in a post on X for her new appointment, stating that she looks forward to working with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren… The Western Hemisphere is absolutely critical for U.S. security. In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise, I forged over the last 13 months as Secretary of Homeland Security.” Noem also touted “historic accomplishments” under her leadership at DHS when it comes to safety stating that “we delivered the MOST secure border in American history, 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S., we have located 145,000 children, FEMA delivered disaster relief at a 100% faster rate, we ushered in the golden age of travel, saved the American taxpayer $13 billion and revitalized the U.S. Coast Guard.”

Noem’s departure marks the first Cabinet-level exit of Trump’s second term. Her time leading the Department of Homeland Security was frequently controversial, particularly as the administration ramped up immigration enforcement. The most intense criticism followed a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis that resulted in the fatal shootings of two Americans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during protests. The incident sparked widespread backlash and prompted investigations, with lawmakers questioning the department’s tactics and leadership.

Noem also drew scrutiny during congressional hearings this week over a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign urging people living in the United States without legal status to voluntarily leave the country. Lawmakers pressed her on the price tag, estimated at about $220 million. She testified that the president had approved the initiative — a claim the White House disputed.

During those hearings, both Democrats and some Republicans sharply criticized the department’s actions, including mass arrests of immigrants without criminal records and the handling of the Minneapolis shootings. Noem also faced backlash for referring to the two Americans killed in the incident as “domestic terrorists,” though she later acknowledged investigations were still underway. In recent months, tensions also reportedly grew between Noem and officials within the U.S. Coast Guard, further complicating her leadership of the agency.

If confirmed, Mullin will assume leadership of the Department of Homeland Security at the end of March, while Noem shifts to the administration’s new regional security initiative.

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A U.S. Navy attack submarine torpedoed and destroyed an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean this week, marking the first time since World War II that an American submarine has sunk an enemy combat vessel, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Speaking at the Pentagon, Hegseth said the Iranian ship believed it was secure in international waters before it was struck. “Instead it was sunk by a torpedo — quiet death,” he told reporters, describing the strike as swift and decisive. Pentagon footage taken through a submarine periscope and later shared publicly appears to show the vessel splitting apart before disappearing beneath the surface.

U.S. officials said a single Mark 48 torpedo was used in the strike, producing what Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine called an “immediate effect,” sending the ship “to the bottom of the sea.” The last comparable U.S. submarine attack occurred in August 1945, when the USS Torsk sank two Japanese vessels shortly before Japan’s surrender.

Sri Lankan officials identified the ship as the IRIS Dena, sometimes referred to as the “Soleimani,” a name linked to Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a 2020 U.S. airstrike ordered by President Donald Trump. According to Sri Lanka’s foreign minister, 180 people were aboard at the time of the attack. The Sri Lankan navy said it recovered dozens of bodies and rescued 32 survivors, who were taken to a hospital in the southern port city of Galle. Rescue crews reported finding only debris and an oil slick when they reached the site, which lay outside Sri Lankan territorial waters. Despite the escalating conflict, Sri Lankan authorities emphasized that their immediate priority remains search-and-rescue efforts related to the sunken Iranian ship. “We are hopeful we can rescue more people and will continue [operations] until we are sure,” a navy spokesperson said.

The sinking comes amid a widening U.S. military offensive against Iran. U.S. Central Command said American forces have struck or destroyed more than 20 Iranian ships, including naval vessels and at least one submarine, since hostilities escalated last week. Caine said Iran’s major naval presence in the region has effectively been neutralized.

At Wednesday’s briefing, Hegseth and Caine said the campaign is intensifying. The U.S. now has control of Iranian airspace, they said, enabling a broader bombing effort using 500-, 1,000-, and 2,000-pound GPS- and laser-guided munitions, as well as Hellfire missiles. Additional bombers and fighter aircraft are arriving in the region, and officials indicated operations could continue for weeks. “We’re just getting started,” Hegseth said, arguing that Iran had engaged in negotiations without genuinely abandoning its nuclear ambitions. He maintained that U.S. action was defensive and aimed at protecting American personnel, allies, and interests.

The Pentagon says more than 2,000 targets inside Iran — including missile systems, command centers, naval assets, and Revolutionary Guard facilities — have been hit so far. Six U.S. service members have been killed and at least 10 seriously wounded. Caine publicly named four of the fallen and offered condolences to their families, noting that additional losses had been anticipated.

Iranian officials have sharply condemned the strikes. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned on social media that killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “will exact a heavy price from you.” Iran’s Red Crescent Society reported that at least 940 people have been killed in Iran since the fighting began.

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The House Ethics Committee has voted to begin a formal investigation into Rep. Tony Gonzales, just as the Texas Republican heads into a high-stakes primary runoff that could determine his political future. The ethics announcement comes on the heels of a closely contested Republican primary in which neither Gonzales nor challenger Brandon Herrera secured a majority, triggering a runoff set for late May. The deadline to withdraw from the race is mid-March. The ethics probe, which could stretch on for months or longer, now looms over the 12-week campaign.

Lawmakers announced the creation of an investigative subcommittee to examine claims that Gonzales “engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employed in his congressional office” and/or “discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges.” The panel will assess whether he violated House rules or any other applicable standards of conduct (House rules strictly prohibit members from pursuing sexual relationships or making unwelcome advances toward staff.).

The inquiry follows reports that Gonzales allegedly had a relationship with a former staff member, Regina Santos-Aviles, and sent her explicit messages via text that were published by the San Antonio Express-News but have not been independently verified by several national outlets. Santos-Aviles died by suicide last year after setting herself on fire.

Gonzales has denied wrongdoing and has resisted calls from some fellow Republicans to step aside. In a statement responding to the investigation, he said, “I welcome the opportunity to present all the facts to the committee.” In earlier remarks, he added, “There will be an opportunity for all the details and facts to come out,” and insisted that what has been reported publicly does not tell the full story.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has urged patience, emphasizing that Gonzales deserves due process. “You know I’ve always been consistent: We allow due process and investigations to play out,” Johnson said when asked whether he would endorse the congressman in the runoff. He has also encouraged Gonzales to publicly address the allegations, noting that voters have already weighed in by forcing a second round.

Ethics Committee proceedings are typically confidential and often slow-moving. Past investigations have taken years to conclude, with findings sometimes resulting only in letters of reproval rather than harsher discipline. For Gonzales, however, the investigation’s launch adds fresh uncertainty to an already contentious contest — one that will determine whether he secures another term representing his South Texas district.

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