An Emery County man died after being allegedly beaten by a can of soup during a drunken argument on Saturday. Zachary James Tuttle, age 37 of St. George, has been arrested in relation to the incident.
According to a probable cause statement, an Emery County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched to Ace Hardware in Castle Dale to meet with the reporting party, a 14-year-old. The child stated that their father, Tuttle, had been drinking with another male subject at a home close by.
The minor reported that his father and the other man began to fight because Tuttle was encouraging his child to drink. The child reported that the man was trying to stop Tuttle, and ultimately, Tuttle backhanded the child, injuring him, before he got away and contacted authorities.
The deputy took the child’s statement and then ensured that he was in a safe location before traveling to the home to assess the situation. Upon arrival, the deputy knocked on the door, which Tuttle answered.
“When Zach opened the door, I noticed blood on his hands,” the deputy reported in the probable cause statement. “I asked Zach what was going on and that I had spoke with his son. I asked about the blood on him and he said it was his.”
The deputy reported that Tuttle was intoxicated and needed to be held to avoid falling. Tuttle assured that he and the other man were fine, but he was eventually detained while the deputy continued to assess the scene, making entry into the home.
The deputy reported seeing “a lot of blood in the hallway,” and ultimately found the victim lying face up in a pool of blood. The probable cause stated that it appeared as if the victim had been severely beaten, and no pulse was detected. An EMT was paged to the scene and confirmed that the male victim was deceased.
“I was advised that a can of soup appeared to be what was used by Zach to beat the male subject,” the deputy reported. “Zach also admitted to me that he had been drinking.”
Tuttle was transported to the Emery County Jail and booked on one count of aggravated murder, a first-degree felony; obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony; child abuse with injury, a class A misdemeanor; and intoxication, a class C misdemeanor. He is being held without bail.