Utah girl, 15, was on phone with mom when she was 'brutally attacked' and killed; person of interest sought
Baleigh Bagshaw (left) was found dead inside her Utah home on Monday. Police are still looking for the person of interest, Shaun French.
(Facebook/Salt Lake City Police))
A 15-year-old Utah girl was on their phone with her mother when she was “brutally attacked” and killed inside her home, police said as they hunted for a person of interest who is accused of a previous unlawful sexual encounter with the teen.
Baleigh Bagshaw was found dead inside her Salt Lake City home just after 3 p.m. when cops conducted a welfare check, FOX13 Utah reported. Authorities said the 15-year-old’ mother was on the phone with the teenage girl when someone attacked her. The mother heard part of the assault before the phone went dead.
Baleigh Bagshaw had just returned home and was on the phone with her mother was she was attacked and killed.
(Facebook)
"She was on the phone with her mother, she was brutally attacked while inside her home," said Sgt. Brandon Shearer with the Salt Lake Police Department. "The mother heard the attack going on, and then the phone went dead. At that time, the mother called a neighbor to go check on Baileigh, and who also contacted police."
FLORIDA WIDOW ARRESTED IN 2000 COLD-CASE MURDER OF HUSBAND
Shaun French, 24, was identified as a person of interest in Bagshaw’s death. Police said Tuesday there is an active warrant out for French’s arrest stemming from a previous unlawful sexual encounter he had with the teen. He also used to live in the same house as Bagshaw, but didn’t live there at the time of the teen’s death, Deseret News reported.
French, who was described as having a beard and wears glasses, is believed to be traveling along Interstate 80 and heading to Cleveland, Ohio, where he has contacts. He also has relatives in Evanston, Wyo., and Denver, Colo. Police said he’s driving in a camouflage-painted Daihatsu SUV with a Wyoming license plate number 19-13974.
Bagshaw had just returned from West High School and called her mother to let her know she was OK, a routine thing she did, FOX13 reported. It’s unclear if the attacker was waiting inside or outside of the home at the time. Police have not released her cause of death.
"I can't even guess what the mother would be going through right now. Our hearts and thoughts are with her,” Shearer said.
Talia Zamir, who knew Bagshaw from school, said the teen was well liked.
"She was incredibly smart and talented and she always got along with people around her. She was really friendly and nice," Zamir told Deseret News. "And that's what makes everything so heartbreaking, honestly."
Police said French is considered armed and dangerous, but said he is not considered a suspect at this time.