Teen charged for murder of a 14-year-old in Duchesne County

DUCHESNE — A 16-year-old boy has been charged as an adult for fatally shooting a 14-year-old boy on Sunday.

Haegan Ray Sagers, 16, will have his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon in Duchesne County. He’s charged with killing his 14-year-old stepbrother.

Duchesne County Attorney Stephen Foote said the investigation is ongoing, and said this is a sad situation where nobody wins.

“We’re dealing with a 14-year-old child who is dead and a 16-year-old charged with murder,” Foote said. “And it’s all in these families, and they have to deal with both sides of the situation. It’s just a tragedy.”

According to the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office, on Sunday evening, deputies responded to a “report of a family fight in northwest Duchesne County that involved the discharge of a firearm.”

The office said that deputies found Sagers outside of the home and the teen dead inside of the home from a gunshot wound to his upper body. Deputies reported that there were no other family members at the house during the shooting.

Foote said the investigation did not show this was a case of self-defense.

“There’s evidence that the discharge of the firearm was not accidental,” Foote said. “The gun belonged to someone in the family. It was retrieved as part of the investigation.”

Foote also said there has not been a murder case involving teens in Duchesne County in the 20-plus years he’s been there. He said that he’s been working in the juvenile system since January, and this teen had not come through the system during his time.

Sagers faces murder charges as an adult, based on a state law. He will find out in court if he will be released on bail.

This story has been updated.