BLANDING, Utah (KUTV) — The roommate of two missing men in Southern Utah has been arrested in a case which officials are now investigating as a homicide.
Deputies with the San Juan County Sheriffs Office arrested 35-year-old Charles Yoo and charged him with a second-degree felony of obstruction of justice.
William Bull, 29, and Christopher Owens, 28, were last heard from on Feb. 26 in the Blanding area.
A search warrant was served on their residence on Friday, where officials said all three men lived. Yoo, who is the owner of the home, was reportedly arrested afterward.
"A mutual friend of both Bull and Owens had reported to law enforcement officials some concerning interactions he had had with Yoo during the days immediately after the two men had stopped using social media and cell phones to make contact with friends and family," a press release stated.
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Deputies said the case has become a homicide investigation due to evidence collected at the residence, interviews with Yoo, and "lack of proof of life" from Bull and Owens.
They reported that Bull and Owens had been driving back from Moab on Feb. 25, and surveillance footage from a gas station in Blanding confirmed their safe return from the trip.
According to arresting documents, Yoo claimed he last saw Bull and Owens on the morning of Feb. 26.
He told law enforcement that the two men left in a black Dodge, but did not provide any other details "that would have been apparent to someone with basic knowledge of a vehicle." Officials added that Yoo's main occupation is a vehicle mechanic.
They reviewed video from nearby security cameras but were unable to confirm any black Dodge coming or going from the area.
After conducting an emergency cell phone ping, detectives did not find any location data for Owens but said Bull's phone location showed it was somewhere approximately 700 yards from their residence. Upon checking the area, however, no phone was found.
Yoo had traveled on March 1, but turned off his shared data location while he was away. Detectives were able to figure out where Yoo had gone while he was away, however, when they interviewed him, they said Yoo did not provide correct information.
Court documents stated that Yoo is a former military veteran with a large gun collection. In February, he allegedly claimed that one of his guns had gone missing but he did not report it to law enforcement. It was not specified whether this gun had been recovered.
"It's breaking my heart man," said Jeff LeBlanc, a good friend of Owens. "I'm doing everything I can to hold it together and try to be here for my family and be strong for them."
LeBlanc grew up with both missing men, and said Owens moved to Utah just a couple of months ago to hang with Bull, and prep off-roading excursions in the southeastern part of the state.
"Chris is the one who gives you the last cigarette out of his pack," LeBlanc said. "He'll give you the shirt off his back, the last bite of his food, just to make sure you're taken care of, to make sure you're okay, just a kind, loving soul."
Anyone with information or who has seen anything suspicious that could be related to this investigation was asked to call the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office at (435) 587-2237.