Price man arrested in woman’s 2019 death now being called a murder

PRICE, Utah — What was once thought to be an accidental shooting in Carbon County three years ago has now turned into a homicide investigation.

Colton James Price, 27, of Price, was arrested Friday and booked into the Carbon County Jail for investigation of murder, discharge of a firearm and obstruction of justice.

On Dec. 9, 2019, emergency dispatchers received a call of a woman who had possibly suffered “an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.” However, evidence collected at the scene and statements given by Price — whom police described as the woman’s “paramour” — did not match, according to a police booking affidavit.

“During the course of that investigation, Price gave several conflicting accounts as to how the victim was shot. Ten days after the initial incident, the victim succumbed to her injuries,” the affidavit states.

Evidence was collected and sent off to the Utah State Crime Lab and the Rocky Mountain Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory to be examined.

“After receiving all evidence reports and analysis back, careful review of all case information was performed. The conclusion of that review is Colton James Price pointed the weapon at and shot the victim,” police said in the affidavit.

Price was convicted of misdemeanor drug and theft charges and was placed on two years of probation in May, according to court records. He was since arrested by Carbon County sheriff’s deputies while he was a fugitive from Adult Probation and Parole, police said. A warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to obey the conditions of his probation.

The name of the deceased woman is not mentioned in court documents and was not immediately available Friday.