Tooele man sentenced to 15-years-to-life in prison for Easter Sunday murder of Matthew Holt

Jeffery R. Shepherd. Photo: Salt Lake County

SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah, Dec. 5, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — A Tooele man who pleaded guilty in the shooting death of Matthew Holt on Easter Sunday in a South Salt Lake parking lot was sentenced Tuesday.

Jeffery Ray Shepherd, 35, was charged with first-degree felony murder, first-degree felony aggravated robbery with serious bodily injury and second-degree felony tampering with evidence in connection to the April 16 killing of Holt, 46, of South Jordan.

He was sentenced to 15-years-to-life in prison, and will be eligible for parole in 15 years.

Holt was shot in a parking lot near 3200 South 900 West.

Police arrested Shepherd on May 14 in connection with the incident.

A probable cause statement from Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office said an off-duty South Salt Lake officer who lives in Tooele spotted a vehicle that matched the description of the suspect’s. The SSLPD had previously released three photos of the Chevrolet from surveillance video.

Tooele County Sheriff’s Office and Tooele Police responded to the area of Quebec Circle to make contact with the driver. South Salt Lake investigators were called out to look at the vehicle and talk to him. Early the next morning Shepherd, from Tooele, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail.

The probable cause statement said after being read his Miranda rights, Shepherd admitted to demanding and taking money from the victim at gunpoint then shooting him.

“He then picked up the spent shell casing at the scene, washed blood from his car and disposed of the casing, gun and his clothing,” the statement went on to say.

Matthew Holt Photo SLCPD

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