A former West Valley man who was wanted by police in Alaska and Utah took his own life Monday afternoon after he was surrounded by sheriff's deputies who had been tracking him and his brother in a remote and rugged area about 20 miles west of Duchesne.
Duchesne County Sheriff Ralph Stansfield said Travis Olsen, 33, shot himself shortly after the daylong foot chase ended about 4 p.m. in the Cedar Mountain area. The fugitive gave himself up by sitting underneath a tree with a 12-gauge shotgun pointed at his head."He told us to get rid of the (Utah Highway Patrol) helicopter, and we did. He started praying; we thought we had him talked out of it, but he pulled the trigger," said Stansfield.
Duchesne County sheriff's deputies had been searching for Olsen and his brother, Harold Scott Olsen, 35, since Thursday when they were spotted in the Duchesne area after fleeing from Roosevelt police during a routine traffic stop on April 25. Roosevelt police found a fully loaded .44 magnum in the front seat of the pickup truck the men abandoned, as well as a rifle, burglary tools and about 100 religious cassettes. The men were considered armed and dangerous.
At first investigators believed they had left the county, until a rash of cabin burglaries were reported in the Pinon Ridge area over the weekend. Cabin owners reported the theft of numerous weapons and food.
The most recent report from a cabin owner came Sunday night, Stansfield said. The man surprised the burglars, who went out the back door as he came in the front door.
Stansfield said an intensive ground search was launched for the two men Monday morning.
"We chased and chased them, until about 11 a.m. when they split up. They would come back together, and then at about noon we lost one of them and kept on the other one the rest of the day," Stansfield said.
Search dogs were brought in, and a UHP helicopter aided efforts from the air.
Travis Olsen was described as a "self-proclaimed prophet" by Sanpete County law enforcement authorities, who had recently issued an arrest warrant for him on theft charges. Law enforcement authorities in Alaska had also issued arrest warrants for both brothers on aggravated assault charges.
Search efforts continued Tuesday to find Harold Scott Olsen. Deputies believe he is still in the area.