On Monday, an officer with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a report of a stabbing in the Spanish Fork Canyon in the unincorporated area of Utah County.
According to the probable cause statement, the officer said that the victim was being assessed by medical personnel for a cut that was on his neck. The suspect was identified as 33-year-old Linda Harman, who stated that she had been hitchhiking for a ride to Grand Junction.
Harman allegedly informed the officer that the victim offered her a ride, but began driving westbound in the opposite direction of Grand Junction. During a few stops for smoke breaks, Harman claimed that the victim was threatening that he would kill her if she attempted to run away. When they were leaving the rest stop in Spanish Fork Canyon, Harman claimed that the victim commented on eating people and said he chose her.
From there, Harman advised that she stabbed the victim to protect herself, though the victim’s report was not similar. The victim reportedly said that they offered her a ride and put into their GPS the address that she had provided, which was in Salt Lake City.
According to the victim, there was no time during the trip that Harman indicated that she wished to exit the vehicle. Upon leaving the rest stop, the victim stated that Harman stabbed him in the neck while he was making a left turn, with a knife-like sculpting tool. The victim allegedly jumped out of the vehicle, bleeding from the right side of his neck.
The victim advised the officer that there had been no conversation that took place and the attack had been unprovoked. Speaking with Harman again, she advised the officer that she stabbed him due to hearing voices.
The UCSO officer put in a request for Harman to be charged with aggravated assault and noted that she is under supervised probation in the state of Colorado. It was stated that she was in Utah without her probation officer’s knowledge or permission.