A man charged with Aggravated Kidnapping after drug search in West Valley City

West Valley City, Utah — A man was taken into custody after detectives serving a drug warrant located a woman bound with duct tape in his bedroom.

According to police, Michael Irish Curwick, 45, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on charges for Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Assault, Criminal Conspiracy, and drug possession charges.

Detectives with the WVCPD Street Crimes Unit served a drug warrant at Curwick’s address in Murray, whereupon they discovered a 27-year-old woman in his bedroom bound with duct tape. After taking him into custody, the woman was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

According to the victim’s report, she had been staying with Curwick for the last two or three days. She had returned to the residence at approximately 6:30 AM that morning when he immediately accused her of stealing from him.

When she denied the allegations, Curwick told her that she was not allowed to leave the apartment and threatened to kill her with what he called a “hotshot,” which she later described to detectives as a syringe filled with a cocktail of drugs that would cause her to overdose. Detective was able to locate a set of the “hotshots” in plain view in the bedroom where the victim was being held.

Curwick repeatedly threatened and beat the victim, saying repeatedly that he was going to “bury her in the Salt Flats with three other girls after he had killed her.” The victim later said that he had made a phone call to arrange for a van to transport her body.

At one point, the victim began screaming, prompting Curwick to tape her mouth closed with duct tape. According to the victim, the detectives arrived three minutes later.