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An 18-year-old woman whose body was found in the foothills east of Bountiful had allegedly been dumped there by her acquaintances after she died of an overdose of heroin and cocaine - an illicit drug combination that kills more Utahns than any other.
Now, the acquaintances, Jasen Calacino, 19; and Macall Peterson, 18, are in the Salt Lake County jail on suspicion of desecration of human remains and tampering with evidence.
South Jordan Sgt. Dan Starks said Calacino, who showed up at the police department on his own accord Tuesday, was partying with Amelia Sorich at Peterson's home in the 400 East block of South Fork Road in Draper when she lost consciousness and stopped breathing.
Calacino performed CPR on Sorich, but was unable to revive her. He panicked and drove Sorich's body to Bountiful, where he allegedly dragged her about 4 feet from the car into a streambed, said Starks.
He then drove her silver 2001 Volkswagen Jetta to Salt Lake City, parked it near 900 West and 600 North and tossed her purse and cell phone in a trash bin - apparently to confuse police, Starks said.
Draper police Sgt. Gerry Allred said McCall failed to seek help for Sorich and helped Calacino dispose of Sorich's body.
Sorich's death is a reminder of how powerful peer groups can be in influencing negative behavior, Starks said.
Between 100 and 120 people die of illicit drug overdoses each year, according to state Medical Examiner Todd Grey. The majority of those are caused by drug combinations, the most common of which is heroin and cocaine.
"Sometimes we see cocaine alone. Sometimes we see heroin alone. More often we see it as a combo," he said. "It's called 'speedballing.' It's not an uncommon event."
Cocaine, a stimulant, can cause an increase in the heart rate and blood pressure, while decreasing blood flow to the heart. Heroin, a depressant, affects the central nervous system, sometimes suppressing the area of the brain that controls breathing.
Starks said heroin and cocaine are readily available to most suburban teens.
According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, in 2001, about 2.7 percent of Utah high school students reported using heroin, compared to about 3.1 percent of high school students nationwide.
"If you go looking for it, you can find it," Starks said.
Sorich's body was discovered about 7:40 p.m. Monday by a man walking along Skyline Drive, said Davis County Sheriff's Capt. Kelly Sparks.
Sorich left her home about 8 p.m. Saturday to visit friends, said her mother, Kathy Sorich. About 10 p.m., the young woman called to say she was going to spend the night at a friend's house, then head straight to work at a car wash Sunday morning.
It was the last time Kathy Sorich talked to her daughter, who was reported missing after Salt Lake City police discovered Amelia Sorich's car and personal belongings Monday morning.
"We started calling her cell phone, started calling her friends - this is not like her. She calls and checks in," Kathy Sorich said shortly before police notified her of the death.