PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE O-N-E BY CHRISTOPHER ONSTOTT OF THE SPECTRUM, ST. GEORGE, UTAH     Washington County, Utah,shefiff's deputies work the crime scene on Interstate 15 where Chiew Chan Saevang and Yer Yang died early Wednesday morning. Their crashed vehicle is pictured at right.

  Police say opium trafficking was the motive in the murders of a Conover family last week. The case came to a head early Wednesday morning when two suspects in the murders were found dead after a car chase in Utah, authorities said.

Catawba County Sheriff David Huffman said the suspects were Chiew Chan Saevang, 37, of Wisconsin, and his girlfriend Yer Yang, 40, of Long View. He said both suffered self-inflicted gunshot wounds after the suspects crashed their vehicle during a short police chase on Interstate 15 about 1:30 a.m. EDT.

Investigators believe both suspects were involved the trafficking of opium with Brian Tzeo, who was at work when his wife and three children were murdered March 12.

Huffman said Saevang was the primary suspect in the murders of Lisa Phan, 40, and her children, Melanie, 20, Pauline, 18, and 4-year-old Cody.

He said DNA will be sent from Utah to match with DNA evidence found in the victims’ home to confirm Saevang as their killer.

Huffman said there will be further interviews with Tzeo regarding the drug operation and that it is unknown what charges he may face as a result. No immediate action will be taken against him.

“The father has four people to bury right now,” Huffman said.

Washington County sheriff’s deputies in Utah spotted a vehicle matching the description of Saevang’s BMW released seven minutes earlier by the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. The suspects were found in St. George, Utah, on their way to California, Huffman said.

Police say Saevang shot his girlfriend and then himself after the crash. The sheriff’s deputies did not fire any shots.

Huffman said his office was preparing warrants for the arrest of Saevang and Yang when they learned of the incident. He said Saevang was to be charged with murder and Yang with assessory after the fact. Reid said they were suspects as early as Friday, just one day after the murders.

“Everything came together last night,” Huffman said.

He said they confirmed their suspects were in the vehicle at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.

“It was like a big puzzle and the pieces just kept falling into place,” said Chief Deputy Coy Reid with the sheriff’s office.

Saevang allegedly entered the victims’ home at 1406 Gristmill Drive through an unlocked back door about 7 a.m. on March 12, Huffman said.  Sheriff’s deputies found the four family members dead about 7:30 a.m. after a teenager called 911, crying and screaming that her friend Pauline had just been attacked on the front porch.

Pauline had returned to the home after being picked up for school by her friend. They decided to go back after the friend told her about a man she saw hanging around the house when she pulled her car into the driveway to get Pauline.

After killing the family, the suspect left the home with a package of opium taken from the house, Reid said.. He said the stolen opium is believed to have a street value of $160,000 to $200,000.

Police recovered a knife and gun that were dropped less than a block behind the victims’ home. Investigators believe Saevang dropped the weapons when he heard police sirens. Huffman said the gun’s registration has been tracked and linked to Saevang.

Yang allegedly helped Saevang get out of the state. Reid said investigators interviewed her about the murders on Sunday. On Monday, she boarded a plane to Wisconsin, where she met up with Saevang. The two suspects left Wisconsin in a green 1994 BMW 325i registered to Saevang.  Huffman said he’s not sure why the suspects were headed to California, but they may have had family ties there.

Reid said Tzeo was shipping the opium through the mail from Thailand. He said Tzeo was cooking the opium in the family’s home to prepare it for distribution.

It is unknown whether Tzeo’s wife and children were aware of or involved in the drug operation. Reid said investigators may never know.

Huffman said there were no previous problems reported at the home, domestic-or drug-related. He said the neighbors were unaware of any drug activity in the home.

While it’s unclear how long the drug operation had been going on, Reid said it was growing. He said the stolen package of drugs is believed to be one of the largest shipments Tzeo received.

Tzeo had a few local customers within the county, but Reid said the majority of the drugs were dispersed from Wisconsin. He said Tzeo would prepare the drugs and then transfer them to Yang, who would get them to Saevang, who would sell the opium on the streets in Wisconsin.

Huffman said the sheriff’s office received a “significant lead” after the Saturday airing of suspect’s description on the Fox-TV show “America’s Most Wanted.” He would not elaborate on what the lead entailed.

“That tip was very important, critical to the investigation and identifying the suspects,” said David Call, special agent in charge of the State Bureau of Investigation northwest district.

Investigators followed leads to Madison, Wisc, where they found the black Toyota Camry they had been searching for since March 12. Authorities believe it’s the same vehicle seen in the victims’ neighborhood on the morning of the murders.

Huffman said Saevang was arrested in Catawba County in 2004 on drug charges. Saevang was on parole when he allegedly murdered the family, following a 46-month federal sentence. Reid said Saevang’s probation for parole had recently been transferred to Wisconsin.

The investigation is ongoing as investigators continue to piece together the evidence together and look into the drug operation.

“We still have some work to do out there,” said Call.

He said they will be sending officers to Utah to follow up on the chase and that part of the investigation.

A counseling session was held for investigators and emergency personnel involved in the murder case.

“This is a crime that got to everyone emotionally and we see a lot of bad stuff happen,” Huffman said.

He said the youngest victim, 4-year-old Cody, still had his hand in the cereal bowl when he was killed.

Reid said the investigation has been rough on everyone involved as tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.

A receiving service for the family of the murder victims was held on Wednesday at Jenkins Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Newton.

Investigators have not determined what kind of provisions will be made when Tzeo attends the burial of his family in El Sobrante, Calif., near Sacramento.