WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) – A man has been arrested for first-degree murder after a woman’s body was discovered in a St. George home on Wednesday.

St. George Police have identified the suspect as Jonathon David Cross, 43. The victim has been identified as Lisa Breinholt.

Police first responded to a welfare check at a residence around 8:28 a.m. after receiving a call from someone reporting that Cross admitted to killing his girlfriend while also expressing suicidal thoughts.

Cross had reportedly driven to the St. George Police Department parking lot at the time of the call, while allegedly holding a knife. Officers located Cross in the parking lot while sitting inside a vehicle registered to the victim. 

After asking Cross to “put down the knife,” he was transported to a local hospital after he repeatedly mentioned that he “wanted to die.”

At the suspect’s residence, police discovered Breinholt’s body with multiple stab wounds.

Police noted the room that Breinholt was found in was “extremely bloody” and “it was apparent that Lisa met her demise in an extremely violent and brutal manner.” Her body also exhibited wounds correlating with taking a defensive stance.

While investigating, police learned the couple had been together for about five or six years and were living together. 

Officers say the stabbing happened after the couple got into an argument. According to police documents, Breinholt locked herself inside a room during the argument and Cross used force to gain entry into her room.

While being interviewed by police, Cross “kept making statements that he wanted to die and that officers should just kill him, and that he should not be there.”

Cross is currently booked at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office on charges of first-degree murder and criminal mischief.

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