The body of an LDS missionary from Bountiful who was shot and killed in Virginia is expected to arrive in Utah today, and his funeral is set for next week.
Meanwhile, police in Virginia arrested a 19-year-old man late Wednesday and charged him in the slaying.
The funeral for Elder Morgan Winslow Young, 21, is scheduled for noon Tuesday in Bountiful. His parents are expected to address the media for the first time this morning.
Young and Elder Joshua Heidbrink, 19, of Greeley, Colo., were going door-to-door in Chesapeake, Va., proselyting for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Monday when they were both shot by a man who had confronted them. The assailant then ran off.
Wednesday night, Chesapeake police issued an arrest warrant for 19-year-old James Rickey Boughton Jr. He was arrested at his home at 11:45 p.m. without incident, said officer Christina Golden.
Boughton lives in a subdivision called Camelot, which is relatively close to where the shootings occurred, according to Golden.
He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, malicious wounding, attempted malicious wounding and three counts of illegal use of a firearm. An arraignment scheduled for Thursday was continued until Jan. 20. Boughton was in the Chesapeake City Jail Thursday without bail.
Investigators Thursday were still not releasing details of a possible motive for the shootings other than to say they believed the missionaries witnessed a crime in progress, according to Golden. Police had said earlier that they did not believe the shootings were a hate crime.
Investigators were also not saying Thursday what kind of crime they believe the missionaries may have witnessed.
Golden said a "combination of things" led to Boughton's arrest. One piece of evidence that may have been key was the recovery of the gun police believe was used in the shootings.
She added that detectives do not want to release many details yet because the case is still active and additional arrests are possible, although she did not know if those arrests would be in relation to the homicide.
A check of Virginia court records showed Boughton was charged with DUI in August and cocaine possession in May. A preliminary hearing on the cocaine charge had been scheduled for today.
As police in Virginia were making the arrest, Young's parents were already on their way back to Utah.
Young's grandfather, Winslow Young, 69, picked up Morgan's parents, Mark W. Young and Kathy Young, about 1:30 a.m. Thursday at Salt Lake City International Airport.
"They were utterly exhausted. I mean they were really, really tired and just drained," he said.
Winslow Young said Morgan's parents were in no condition to talk Thursday, and he didn't want to ask them questions about the case.
"They did say the people back in Virginia and the church were overwhelmingly helpful," he said. "My concern was to get them home."
Winslow Young said his own reaction when he heard of Boughton's arrest was surprise.
"I figured they'd never catch him because there were no other witnesses," he said.
But now that an arrest has been made, Young said it gave him a sense of gratification and appreciation.
"Of course we have to remember a person is innocent until proven guilty. I'm going to presume the judicial system of the commonwealth of Virginia will handle (the case) in a proficient manner," he said. "This type of thing shouldn't go on. . . . The long arm of the law will get him."
Heidbrink, meanwhile, returned to Colorado Thursday. Before he left, however, he and Young's parents spoke at a gathering of the other LDS missionaries serving in the LDS Church's Virginia Richmond Mission.
"It was really incredible to anyone the way (Young's parents) responded," said mission spokesman Jim Russell. "They had complete composure. They spoke to the missionaries of the importance of not having fear and going out and doing the work they had to do and intensify their efforts."
The Youngs told the group that they knew their son would have said the same thing, Russell said.
"They're feeling tremendous grief. But they gave an encouraging and powerful message," he said.
Likewise, Young's companion, Heidbrink, spoke highly of his fallen companion, calling him a great teacher and a "very faithful missionary," Russell said.
"He said Elder Young would not miss an opportunity to spread the message of Jesus Christ," Russell said. "He was very praising of Elder Young."
Russell said Heidbrink is doing well. He said the bullet that struck him entered through his neck and exited through his shoulder, and that no vital organs were hit.
Russell said Heidbrink's injury will not require any surgery. His arm is currently in a sling.
Heidbrink plans to return to Virginia to finish his mission once he's finished recovering at his Colorado home, Russell said.
No missionaries are currently assigned to the Chesapeake area where the shootings happened. Russell said it was likely missionaries will return to that area in about four or five weeks.
"My sense was everyone was very encouraged and very determined to go out and do the work," he said, referring to the remaining 170 missionaries in the Virginia Richmond Mission.
Russell said the shootings, which occurred a 10-minute bike ride away from where the missionaries were living, were a rare occurrence and he did not foresee any changes in daily procedures of other missionaries happening as a result.
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com