Police Identify Man Accused Of Killing Girlfriend, Shooting SLC Officer

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Officials with the Salt Lake City Police Department have identified the man accused of killing his girlfriend and shooting a police officer Monday morning.

Investigators said 30-year-old Michael Nance, of Salt Lake City, was still hospitalized Tuesday, recovering from a gunshot wound.

Once released, police said he would be booked into jail on charges of homicide, attempted aggravated murder and discharging a firearm.

The case was the third deadly domestic violence situation in one week along the Wasatch Front. That had members of the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition concerned and wanting to do more on Capitol Hill.

“It’s just heartbreaking to me that we continue to see lives being lost,” said Taryn Hiatt, area director of the American Society of Suicide Prevention in Utah.

Hiatt is a domestic survivor herself and voiced her concerns with many others at a meeting held at the Utah State Capitol by the coalition.

She also said her husband once worked with the victim in Monday’s murder, 34-year-old Natalie Thurber.

“It just broke my heart,” she told KSL TV. “Everyone who knows her loves her, just devastated to see such a bright light be lost.”

Jenn Oxborrow, director of the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition, said they are watching more than a dozen bills that deal with domestic violence and gun safety. She said each of the three cases involved guns.

“We are not looking to try to control gun policy — we are just looking to prevent domestic violence homicide,” she said. “We are really interested in families where there has been a demonstrated history of risk if law enforcement has been to this house a number of times if the division of family services is working with them.”

Thurber’s friends said they are organizing a candlelight vigil, which is scheduled to be held at 125 South and 300 East on Thursday, beginning at 7 p.m.