Gas Station Clerk Saw Suspect in Girl’s Disappearance Hours Before His Arrest
May 26, 2019, 10:15 PM | Updated: May 29, 2019, 3:14 pm
LOGAN, Utah – A gas station attendant was likely one of the last people to see Alex Whipple before his arrest Saturday.
Whipple, 21, is the prime suspect in 5-year-old Elizabeth Shelley’s disappearance, and the girl’s uncle.
Ryan Liljenquist works at a Sinclair gas station in Hyrum. He says he saw Whipple around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, just a couple of hours before he was arrested.
“Things like this are not meant to happen and when they do it’s completely messed up,” said Liljenquist.
Search crews were seen scouring a dumpster at the gas station Sunday. They told KSL that it was the last spot Whipple was seen on surveillance video.
Liljenquist described how Whipple looked Saturday afternoon.
“(He looked) disheveled. Like he had been on a binge of some kind,” said Liljenquist.
Liljenquist said Whipple was alone and did not have Shelley with him.
He also said Whipple was acting “off-centered” and was wearing strange clothes.
“He was wearing a gray hoodie and underneath that hoodie was kind of a suit and tie, something really weird,” said Liljenquist.
Authorities arrested Whipple a couple of hours later on a dirt road near Paradise. Police say there was a struggle.
“We’re still very confident that Alex is our prime suspect,” said Cpt. Tyson Budge.
On Sunday search crews checked a meat packing plant in Hyrum where Whipple once worked. They also searched Hyrum reservoir.
“It’s just been another long hard day,” said Cpt. Budge. “There’s been a few breaks with just a little bit of information that’s come in.”
Police also said there are several locations where they believe they’ve found evidentiary items that’ll help link Whipple to the case.
Shelley disappeared from her home near 400 W. 100 S., Logan around 2 a.m. Saturday morning. Her family says Whipple arrived at their home right before she went to bed. They discovered her missing about seven hours later.
“I feel terrible for the family,” said Liljenquist. “This is something that doesn’t deserve to happen. Things like this shouldn’t go this way, and I fear the worst.”
New search teams will be back again Monday with fresh eyes.
Police are asking anyone from Logan to the Mt. Sterling area to check their surveillance video and let them know if they see any sign of Whipple.
Police say he is not cooperating.
