OGDEN — A stroke of investigative luck leads to the arrest of a suspect in connection to a body found in Ogden near the 21st Street Pond.
Cory Fitzwater, 35, was arrested by a Weber County deputy after drugs and a .45-caliber gun were found in the car being driven by another individual. The driver was also taken into custody. Ogden police received a call of a body found near the pond about an hour later.
Having a limited amount of evidence and a single shell casing found near the body, detectives investigating the body were running out of leads. A bit of collaborative police work broke the case.
The Weber County Sheriff’s Office shared details of the arrest of Fitzwater with Ogden police, and they were able to put two and two together.
“We were able to do some initial testing that put those two — the casing at the scene and the firearm that was located in that vehicle — together,” says Ogden Police Captain Danielle Croyle.
Ogden police say Fitzwater has admitted to owning the gun and being in the area at the time of the shooting. The driver of the car, who was also arrested, reportedly told police he saw Fitzwater shoot the victim in the head during an interview.
Fitzwater was booked into the Weber County Jail on suspicion of murder Friday morning.
The area where the victim was shot is known for homeless camps.
Croyle says, “Due to the push out of Salt Lake from [Operation] Rio Grande, we’ve seen an influx of transients. It has been a place that we go in frequently.”
Despite repeated visits to the area, Croyle says violent crime is rare.
The victim is not being identified while an autopsy is conducted and family notified.