Duane Youd
1970-2018
This story differs from any I've told, particularly on this page. Usually, I do not name the perpetrator but instead focus on the victim and their story. This is going to turn that format upside down. Today we're talking about Duane Youd.
Duane was 47 years old when he flew a plane into his house where his wife and stepson were sleeping. Earlier in the day, Duane and his wife had gotten into an argument after drinking all day, and he assaulted her and was arrested. Just hours after posting bail, he went to his place of work, stole a plane, and crashed it into their house. Miraculously his wife and stepson, who were home, made it out unharmed.
Duane had been married once before, and the couple had two children. At the time of the attack, Duane lived in Payson, Utah. His ex-wife lived close by, although I'm not exactly sure where. Eventually, the marriage soured, and he found a new love interest. And this is where my format also goes out the window. I won't name our victim here, our victim lived, and I want to support her having privacy. I'm sure this was incredibly traumatic.
Anyways, the two met, and in 2013 the two got engaged on Lovers beach in Cabo, and by August 2014, the two were married. Two years, in 2016, they purchased an upscale two-story home in a quiet subdivision near the foothills in Payson, Utah. Payson is about 60 miles south of Salt Lake. His second wife had a son, and it appears ey had a functional relationship with his second wife. Duane's children remember their dads as being loving and hard-working. Even after the attack, they spoke highly of him and quickly defended him.
Duane was an experienced pilot. He learned to fly at Utah Valley and worked as a medevac in Alaska, and in 2017 he got a job a pilot and plane manager, just 15 minutes from their house. The plane he flew was housed at a general aviation airport meaning it does not have a traffic control tower. His employers recall him being a "rock solid" employee who was the manager of the plane. He had complete access to it, every inch, at any time because he had fully earned the firm's trust. His colleagues and bosses trusted Duane with their lives. Literally, he flew them wherever they needed to go. The airport community held him in high regard. He was known as an exemplary and trusted member.
2018 wasn't so good. In April, he was arrested for disorderly conduct, and the offense was labeled domestic violence. He was released and pleaded guilty in July when he agreed to attend family and marriage counseling. It was obvious to everyone, even the three children, that the two were having issues and they were hurting.
On Sunday, August 12th, the two started drinking early in the day. The two bickered and argued all day. At some point, they decided to drive their truck to a nearby canyon, American fork canyon, to talk about some martial issues they were experiencing. When I heard this, I thought of a massive drop-off, but it has boardwalks, paved trails, natural springs, streams, and waterfalls.
As they were walking and "talking," an affair was brought up. I have no idea who was having an affair or anything; once someone brought that up, Duane got upset and started screaming and shouting. The two walked back to the truck and continued yelling at each other as they drove. At one point, Duane stopped the truck abruptly and ran to her side of the car, yanking open the door, drug her out of the vehicle, and punching her. Then he got back in the car and attempted to leave her on the side of the road. She jumped in the bed of the truck, and he started weaving and driving erratically. She was tumbling around, and he slammed the brakes to throw her out. She managed to climb into the cab, and he punched her from behind. He looked at her and headbutted her several times in the face. She started clawing and scratching at him, trying to get him off her.
Finally, witnesses saw what was happening, called 911, and intervened. He was arrested around 7:30 pm in the Canyon and was booked on suspicion of domestic violence. Just hours later, he posted his bond and was released.
About a half hour after his release, roughly 12:30, he requested an officer accompany him to his home to retrieve some of his belongings, including his vehicle. The event went smoothly, and there was no sign of anything wrong in Duane's demeanor. His 17-year-old son from his previous marriage was there, and as Duane left, they told each other they loved one another.
A few hours later, Duane called his son and told him to leave and stay at his mother's house. A few moments later, he pulled up to his work site and made his way to the company aircraft, a twin-engine Cessna 525. He got the aircraft up and running and took off into the night sky. Duane flew the plane over his neighborhood and circled. Neighbors (remember) hearing the place pass over at least 2x before he decided to attack the house where his wife and stepson were sleeping. At around 2:30 am, he descended the plane, flying under high voltage power lines and avoiding other homes, maneuvers only experienced pilots could intentionally do. On his way down, he clipped a shed or a garage, then a car, both altering his trajectory. But when the plane hit the house, it erupted into flames.
(miraculously) the house was still intact, although the front was heavily burnt. No one knows for sure what his end goal was. Did he mean to hit the house low? Or was he trying to aim higher, but the shed destroyed that plan?
Duane died on the scene. Because of the fire, first responders could not immediately render first aid. One of his neighbors, Mr. Ortega, ran outside and shot this footage.
It's truly unbelievable that his wife and stepson made it out alive. I would love to hear the story from them. Although it was a significantly traumatic event, as a trauma survivor, I'm not particularly eager to bring that stuff up. His wife said I don't know what was in his head; I don't understand why and never will.
As I continue to research these cases, I am constantly reminded that DV homicides are relatively predictable and share a similar pattern of events. Although there was not enough information to see the stages and patterns clearly in this case, I still wanted to share this story in hopes that this video can raise awareness and help educate people on the signs of DV and escalating violence.
If you find it in your heart, please light a candle for anyone who has lost their lives to domestic violence. And if you or anyone you know is experiencing DV, please reach out to your support network or resources available, and check out the safety plans on this page. You are not alone, and there are a lot of people out there that want to help you.
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