Springville police arrested a 23-year-old Bluffdale man on suspicion of murder after a dispute escalated into a fatal stabbing outside a Springville home on Saturday. Jaxson Clift was booked into the Utah County Jail facing charges including murder, aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, and criminal mischief, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Officers responded to a report of a stabbing at approximately 3:14 a.m. on Saturday. Upon arrival, police found the victim inside the home with what appeared to be multiple stab wounds. The victim was transported to a hospital where he later died.
The victim's girlfriend told investigators that the man had been involved in a disagreement with another person. She stated the victim went outside after receiving a text message and returned to the house bleeding before collapsing. Ring doorbell footage reviewed by investigators reportedly shows the victim leaving the home, engaging in a physical altercation with another individual, and returning inside while bleeding.
Police examined the victim's cellphone and discovered a series of text messages exchanged with Clift in the hours before the incident. According to the affidavit, Clift allegedly sent photographs of the victim's home and vehicle and challenged him to meet.
The messages included threats such as telling the victim why he was scared and suggesting he would have more problems if he came to Clift's workplace. Clift also allegedly sent his own home address with the message, Mean anything to you?, and issued further threats regarding the victim's family members.
Additionally, surveillance video from a neighboring property appears to show someone slashing tires on vehicles outside the victim's residence. Investigators believe Clift was responsible for the damage, which is estimated at approximately $1,800.
Investigators have not yet recovered the knife believed to be the weapon used in the stabbing and allege that Clift may have hidden, cleaned, or discarded it. A roommate told investigators that Clift returned home around 5 a.m., appeared to wash his hands, and instructed the roommate to claim he was not home if police arrived. Due to the seriousness of the allegations and public safety concerns, investigators requested that Clift be held without bail.
