Utah authorities investigate death of woman from OKC

After years of legal runins, 32-year-old Elizabeth Chatman headed to Las Vegas to start over, according to her family.

Instead, she wound up dead; a family on off-road vehicles found her remains by a river in southwestern Utah on Aug. 25. “We’re calling it suspicious, unattended, and investigating in the same manner as if it were a homicide and following up on leads in the same manner,” said Lt. David Crouse with the Washington County Sheriff’s Department in Utah.

The cause of death has not yet been determined, hesaid.

“We’ve been speaking with family members and associates, anyone to have any information to explain how she got here and the timeline leading up to her death.”

Chatman’s family members could not immediately be reached for comment.

Chatman’s obituary states: “All who wander are not always lost.”

The former Oklahoma City resident and Putnam City West High School graduate had attended a local college to become a personal trainer.

The obituary described her as kind and loving, atalented artistwho had dreams of attendingart school.

A long rap sheet shows she also had a long history of legal run-ins, with convictions for charges like driving under the influence of drugs, and larceny. Her record shows that she served in prison from 2014 to 2016 on larceny convictions.

She relocated to the Las Vegas area in late June to start a new life, according to her obituary.

She was not reported as a missing person, according to Crouse.

Washington County is a sprawling 2,422 square miles with vistas of rolling dry country intersected with the occasional river or stream, red sandstone and soil, pine-covered mountains, cliffs, canyons and ancient lava flows.

Chatman’s remains were found in an unincorporated piece of Utah’s back country by the Virgin River near the Arizona state line and near Interstate 15, Crouse said.

The area where she was found is about an hourand-a-half drive from Las Vegas.

Those with tips can contact tips@washeriff.net.