Morgan Kay Harris, 27, was unconscious when flames spread beneath her chair inside a locked storage unit, investigators revealed.
Authorities say a Utah man, accused of locking his girlfriend and her dog inside a burning storage unit in 2023, is now facing murder charges.
On Feb. 18, 2023, 27-year-old Morgan Kay Harris and her dog, Huck, were discovered dead in a CubeSmart Self Storage unit in Murray after a row of storage units went up in flames, officials confirmed.
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Investigators alleged that her boyfriend, 30-year-old Alexander Paul Wardell, had locked Harris and Huck inside, leaving them trapped as the fire ignited.
Wardell was initially arrested and booked into Salt Lake County Jail on charges of kidnapping and negligent homicide, KSL.com reported at the time.
However, following an extended investigation, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office announced in May 2024 that no charges would be pursued against Wardell due to “the current evidence,” District Attorney Sim Gill said, according to KUTV.
Calling the case heartbreaking, Gill stated, “This office turned every stone to make sure Ms. Harris’s memory was served with our best effort.”
Frustrated by the DA’s decision, Harris’s mother, Laurice Williamson, formally requested that the Utah Attorney General’s Office reexamine the case, KUTV reported. On Thursday, Aug. 28, the Attorney General’s Office filed charges against Wardell for Harris’s death.
Wardell is now facing multiple charges, including felony murder-domestic violence, kidnapping-domestic violence, aggravated animal cruelty, and additional related crimes.
Morgan Kay Harris and her dog Huck were found dead in a CubeSmart Self Storage unit.
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When District Attorney Sim Gill announced at a press conference that no charges would be filed against Wardell, he explained that his office’s investigation found it was “not likely” Wardell had set the fire, KSL reports.
According to the charging documents, just before Wardell allegedly locked Harris and her dog in the storage unit, surveillance video captured the two arguing, per the probable cause declaration.
Wardell told police that when he left the unit, there was no candle or any other source of fire burning, the declaration says.
Investigators determined that the fire originated beneath and to the left of Harris, who was unconscious and seated in a folding plastic lawn chair with metal supports.
As she remained unconscious, her buttocks and left side caught fire, according to the declaration, which noted that a conscious person would have instinctively tried to evade the flames — which Harris did not do.
“After some time,” the declaration continues, Harris regained consciousness, stood up inside the unit, and inhaled the fiery hot air, which caused burns to her upper airway and larynx.
As the flames spread, Harris reportedly moved toward her dog and lay on the floor, desperately trying to breathe air from underneath the unit door, the declaration states.
She was ultimately found dead on the ground, approximately a foot from the door, from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries.
During the Attorney General’s investigation, authorities executed a search warrant for a duffle bag belonging to Wardell, the charging documents state.
Inside, investigators discovered an extra-large blue button-down long-sleeve shirt wadded up among other XL clothing, the documents allege.
“Blood stains and burn marks appeared on the shirt. A rapid DNA test confirmed the red-brown stains were blood, and the DNA matched Harris,” the filing states.
The documents further describe that a burnt cardboard box was located near where Harris’s chair had been. Inside the box was an intact candlestick, and a lighter was found on Harris’s body.
The District Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
On Thursday, Aug. 28, Gill reiterated that he stands by his team’s earlier decision not to file charges based on the evidence available at the time, KSL reports.
It remains unclear whether Wardell has retained legal counsel to speak on his behalf.
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