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Show Gunman surrenders to police i after holding family hostage MT. Mortensen, charged with ag-pavated ag-pavated kidnapping after he held two people hostage at gunpoint Wednesday Mming in Duchesne, was transported jthe Utah State Mental Hospital in o for a pyschiatric evaluation ttursday afternoon according to Duchesne County Sheriff Clair Poulson. e incident occured at about 12 : 50 am- Wednesday when Lee Swenson ered a knock at the door and Mortenson standing there arm-ith arm-ith a .357-magnum derringer, a "magnum revolver, and a 12 gauge W Mortenson was ordered to he lace down on the floor. Swenson's wife, Linda, realized something was wrong when Mr. Swenson Swen-son did not return to bed after answering answer-ing the door. The lights in the house were out, and Mrs. Swenson left the house though a bedroom window. She called the Duchesne County Sheriff's office from a neighbor's house, according accor-ding to Sheriff Poulson. The call was made at 12:55 a.m. Kristen Swenson, age 13, came into the room where her father was being held at gunpoint. She was ordered to tie her father's hands behind his back, then Mortenson also bound Kristen. Five Duchesne County deputies, and Sheriff Poulson, responded to the call and surrounded the Swenson home. A sheriff's office dispatcher called the Swenson residence, Mortenson allowed allow-ed Mr. Swenson to talk to the dispatcher dispat-cher while he held a gun to Mr. Swenson's Swen-son's head. Mortenson would not talk on the phone himself. Shortly after the phone call Mortenson Morten-son partially unloaded his weapons and laid them on a coffee table and untied un-tied the hostages. He then allowed Mr. Swenson to call for the officers outside. The Swenson's year-old son slept through the entire incident. Mortenson was booked into Duchesne County Jail. There has been no motive identified in the incident. Sheriff Poulson said the only connection connec-tion that has been found is that Mortenson is an out of work biologist and Mr. Swenson works as a biologist. Although there is no known connection, connec-tion, Poulson said he thinks there must be some correlation. At the request of Duchesne County Attorney Dennis L. Draney, Seventh District Judge Richard C. Davidson committed Mortenson to the mental hospital for a psychologial evaluation to see if he is mentally competent to stand trial. |
