Police identify victim, charge suspect with murder in Deer Valley Drive stabbing

Photo: Park City Police Department.

PARK CITY, Utah — Park City police have identified the man killed in Friday morning’s stabbing on Deer Valley Drive and announced the arrest of a Salt Lake County man on a murder charge.

Officers with the Park City Police Department responded at approximately 8:35 a.m. Friday to a report of a stabbing at 505 Deer Valley Drive. Two people were transported to area hospitals, where 34-year-old Damon Enman of Salt Lake County died from his injuries.

Police identified the suspect as Austin Garceau, 38, also of Salt Lake County. According to court documents, Garceau was taken to a hospital to be treated for a laceration to his arm before being booked into the Summit County Jail on a murder charge.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed in 3rd District Court, Summit County dispatch received a 911 call at approximately 8:27 a.m. from a residence on Deer Valley Drive. The caller identified himself as Enman and told dispatch he had been stabbed by Garceau before he stopped responding.

The affidavit states officers found Enman suffering from a stab wound to the chest and Garceau with an apparent laceration to his arm. According to the document, Enman told an officer that Garceau had said, “I’m going to kill you,” before grabbing a knife.

Court documents also summarize statements from two witnesses who were inside the residence. One witness told investigators he heard a physical altercation from upstairs and went down to break up a fight between Enman and Garceau. As he returned upstairs, he saw Garceau head toward the kitchen and said he heard a knife being pulled from the butcher block. Once he was upstairs, he heard Garceau say something to the effect of someone being a reptilian and then heard another person say they had been stabbed.

A second witness that was in the same room the whole time told investigators Garceau referred to Enman as “a reptilian” before allegedly stabbing him. The witness said he attempted to stop the attack and eventually got Garceau to drop the knife.

Enman was transported to University of Utah Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 10:30 a.m. According to the affidavit, the Office of the Medical Examiner plans to rule the manner of death a homicide caused by multiple sharp force injuries.

Police have said the incident appears to be isolated and there is no ongoing threat to the public.

The investigation remains active, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.