This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
MOAB - Police combed a densely wooded area on Moab's north side Tuesday afternoon and evening in search of a felon wanted on an outstanding warrant for violating his parole.
Kenneth Lankford, 38, fled into woods near the Moab sloughs along the Colorado River after a sheriff's deputy spotted him driving and attempted an arrest at about 1:30 p.m. Lankford drove off-road through an alfalfa field, then fled on foot when his car became bogged down in mud, Moab Police Chief Mike Navarre said late Tuesday night. Grand County Chief Deputy Curt Brewer alerted city and county law enforcement.
“We formed a pretty tight perimeter and within an hour we had some 30 officers containing him in the sloughs on the south side of the river,” Navarre said. An officer also patrolled the opposite side of the Colorado in the event Lankford attempted to escape by swimming across the river, Navarre said. Officers will continue patrolling the perimeter through the night if necessary, Navarre said.
Police believe Lankford, a former Moab resident who was recently released from the Utah State Prison where he served time for aggravated assault, is armed with a handgun, Navarre said.
The Utah Department of Corrections dispatched a SWAT team and search dogs from Gunnison. The team of specially trained officers arrived late Tuesday evening and entered the wooded area at about 8:30 p.m. and planned to search until after dark, Navarre said.
As darkness set in, Navarre held little hope that Lankford would be found before morning.
“He's hiding in thick, dense growth. It's very difficult to maneuver,” Navarre said. “If we don't find him tonight, we'll be at it again very early in the morning.”