Carbon County man charged with murder in brother's death

A 55-year-old Carbon County man was charged with murder Thursday after police found his brother's decomposing body in a bedroom sealed with duct tape and plastic inside their mobile home earlier this month.

Kurt Alan Morris was charged with murder, a first degree felony, in 7th District Court on Thursday.

The Carbon County Attorney's Office listed the date of the murder as on or about Aug. 18, nearly three weeks before deputies found Jack Roger Morris, 50, inside the home with a gunshot wound to the head.

Carbon County sheriff's Chief Deputy Tom Stefanoff reported that deputies were called to the mobile home at 1711 Carbonville Road near Helper on Sept. 4 after neighbors spotted a hose running from the exhaust pipe of a truck into the mobile home.

A deputy came to the home and saw the vehicle was still running. After no one answered the door, the deputy went inside to find Kurt Morris on the floor, Stefanoff said.

Medical units were called to treat the man, while deputies searched the rest of the home to see if anyone else was inside.

During the search, Stefanoff said deputies found a bedroom door that had been sealed with plastic and duct tape. Once they were able to pull the tape down, and open the door, they found the deceased brother.

It appeared that Kurt Morris was attempting to commit suicide, Stefanoff said. He was treated and released from the hospital, and was then taken to the sheriff's office for an interview, and was subsequently booked into jail.

Stefanoff would not divulge whether Kurt Morris admitted to killing his brother, but said Morris was "cooperative." He also would not discuss any motive.

A court appearance for Kurt Morris has not yet been set.

jmiller@sltrib.com

Twitter: @jm_miller