Accused killer still on the loose

SANDPOINT — A Bonner County man suspected of killing a retired Hope city official remained on the loose on Friday.

Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall said Nathan Lane Utt is still being sought for arrest on a charge of first-degree murder.

Utt’s victim, meanwhile, has been identified as Shirley Ann Ramey, 78. Ramey had long served as the city of Hope’s clerk.

Ramey was found unresponsive by her husband at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

Ramey’s cause of death was not released, although dispatch records county officials were unable to remove from the Internet indicated she had been shot to death.

Sheriff’s officials waited nearly 24 hours before acknowledging a member of the community had been violently killed and that her killer was still on the loose.

Bonner County Undersheriff Ror Lakewold referred inquiries about the killing on Thursday to Johnston, who didn’t respond. Wheeler was also unresponsive on Thursday and broke his silence on Friday only to complain about reporting on the case.

Bonner County officials redacted the murder from its dispatch call log and removed Internet links which allow the public to view rudimentary information about fire and EMS calls in the community. However, a cached version remained accessible, which indicated that Clark Fork Ambulance said a paramedic was not needed because the patient was dead and that shell casings were present at the scene.

The killing happened in the 1600 block of Trestle Creek Road.

Utt, 41, is a Caucasian male who stands 6 feet 1 inch tall. He weighs 180 pounds and may be wearing a blue jacket or a green trench coat and a backpack.

Despite the department’s reluctance to inform the public of the slaying, the sheriff’s office admitted that it wanted the public’s help in locating Utt. Investigators believe he may have been seen, or possibly even picked up while hitchhiking, on Highway 200. Utt is known to frequent local soup kitchens, food banks and other charitable organizations.

Utt is considered armed and dangerous and sheriff’s officials urged the public to exercise caution if they encounter him.

Utt, according to 1st District Court records, is a diagnosed schizophrenic with a hearing impairment. He was convicted of first- and second-degree stalking in 2008 and 2007, respectively.

Those with information about the incident or Utt’s whereabouts are urged to call Johnston at the sheriff’s office (263-8417) or Bonner Dispatch (265-5525).