By CAMERON ALDE
Utah County investigators took a 19-year-old Orem man into custody Sunday evening and charged him with second degree murder in connection with the death of 17-year-old Natalie Michele Farrer, whose body was discovered behind an LDS Church Saturday on Geneva Road.
Monte Hatch White is facing multiple charges, including criminal homicide, second degree murder, distribution of a controlled substance, tampering with evidence and abuse of a dead body.
White is being held in Utah County Jail on $250,000 cash-only bail pending trial set for March 18.
Lt. Craig Turner said according to information they have obtained, the victim died at the residence of 1685 S. 270 West where the suspect was arrested.
“Based on the evidence we have, there is probable cause to believe that the suspect provided a controlled substance to the victim as well as administered it to her,” Turner said.
“We believe White had been acquainted with the victim for several months, having been introduced to the victim through a mutual friend,” Lt. Scott Carter said. “There has been some discussion that there was a party at the residence when the death occurred.”
A 17-year-old female was also arrested on charges of destruction of evidence and is being held in a Youth Detention pending a hearing.
Natalie Farrer’s body was found in a flower garden behind the LDS chapel on 1680 N. Geneva Road on Saturday after a 911-emergency caller tipped the police off to the location of the body.
The sheriff’s department was originally unable to identify the body and enlisted the help of the local media to find the parents of the dead female. Just hours after her description hit the television and newspapers, more than 200 phone calls flooded the sheriff’s department from concerned parents who did not know the whereabouts of their daughters and believed the girl might have been theirs.
Farrer’s parents called the Utah County Sheriff’s Department after seeing her picture and reading the description of the body in The Daily Herald, an article in the Herald reported.
An autopsy and a toxicology test was performed on the body Sunday and the results are not yet available to the public, Turner said.
Natalie’s grandfather, Mark Farrer, said, “She went over to this fellow’s house Friday night and he injected her then; after she left and returned he injected her again and that’s what did it.”
According to Mark, Natalie became involved with drugs over a year ago but has been straight since then.
“She was helping a lot in the community and doing great in school when this happened,” Mark said. “She was very proficient at sign language and was helping to translate talks and things for local church wards.”
Mark said she will be remembered as a very giving and special young woman who enjoyed the outdoors and loved to travel with her family and church friends.
The Farrer family has had over 200 visitors a day since their daughters death, receiving food, cards, flowers and a lot of love and support. “The reaction from the community has been absolutely wonderful,” Mark said.
“The LDS Church members in this area have been particularly supportive, it’s like a big family and everyone just wants to help us through this,” Mark said.
A viewing is scheduled for Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Walker Mortuary and the funeral will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. in the Farrer’s local LDS chapel.
