Sarah Donovan: February 21, 1980-April 10, 2024

Sarah Donovan (née Wendt) was born on February 21, 1980 in Provo, Utah to Jeremy Bolton and Eliza Wendt. She grew up in Utah and attended Arizona State University, where she majored in International Letters and Cultures. During her time at ASU, she wrote for their student newspaper, the Arizona State Press, which sparked her interest in journalism. After graduating in 2002, she got a job in the mailroom at the Tempe Tribune.

Sarah moved around a lot during the mid-2000s. She worked as a freelance reporter for five years, always looking for the next big story. In 2011, she met Charles Donovan, who was the Local News reporter at the Emerson Valley Gazette. They married the following year, and she was hired at the Gazette in 2013. Charles had been promoted to the position of Editor, and Sarah took over the Local News beat.

Over the next decade and a half, Sarah became an integral part of the newspaper’s staff. When Joseph Arden retired as Editor-in-Chief in 2016, Charles took over running the Gazette. He began to rely on Sarah more and more to keep things running smoothly. The Gazette was taken online in 2019, and Sarah was made an editor in addition to her responsibilities as the Local News reporter.

In 2022, she took a step back from the paper in order to focus on finishing her long-gestating book about the folklore and mythology of Emerson Valley. Blackwood Forest in particular held great interest to her. Unfortunately, her work remains unfinished. Sarah went missing sometime between March 31 and April 9 of this year.

Due to marital troubles between her and Charles, they had separated in March 2023, and they were no longer living together. Sarah remained in their home while he moved to an apartment across town. There is some confusion about her exact whereabouts following the Easter holiday on March 31. She had gone to visit her family in Utah, but texts and emails she allegedly sent out indicated she had decided to remain there indefinitely.

When the Gazette reached out to her family for clarification of her movements, they claimed that she went home after the holiday weekend. Nobody recalls seeing her in town after she left for Utah, and she wasn’t seen again until her body was found buried under a section of fresh concrete in the basement. The subsequent police investigation confirmed the exact date of her murder.

Our hearts go out to Sarah’s loved ones, including our own staff. She was a beloved member of the Gazette, and we won’t soon forget her warm smile or kind words. Her family wishes to bury her near their home in Provo once the authorities release her body. The Gazette will be holding a memorial service for her at St. Gabriel’s Church on Sermon Road. For more information, contact us at emersonvalleygazette@gmail.com.