IVINS, Utah, May 22, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — An Ivins man is charged with murder in the shooting death of his wife Friday night.
According to a probable cause statement filed in Fifth District Court in Washington County, Steven Timothy Smith, 59, was booked into jail early Saturday morning on a single count of first-degree felony murder.
The statement says Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety officers responded to the scene, near 1000 S. 375 E. Circle, in Ivins, late Friday afternoon after being alerted to shots fired.
“While en route, dispatch informed responding officers that the complainant stated that Steven Smith shot his wife after being told that she was leaving him,” Smith’s probable cause statement says.
“Upon arrival, officers found that the victim suffered from several gunshot injuries and was declared deceased on the scene.”
The victim has been identified by family members as Shawntell Smith. They have posted a GoFundMe account to help pay funeral costs, the account says.
Officers at the scene located Steven Smith and placed him into custody, police said. They observed he “had blood on his hands and clothes.”
A witness who entered the house after hearing a gunshot reported seeing the victim on the floor, unconscious and unresponsive, the statement said.
“The witness then observed Steven Smith walking away from the victim towards another room in the house.”
The witness claimed they saw a handgun, which belonged to Smith, in a nearby cabinet.
The witness said he then fought with Smith, who allegedly said, “I’m done, I have nothing else,” according to the statement.
Police said Smith waived his Miranda Rights and informed officers he was angry with his wife after she informed him she was leaving him. He allegedly told officers he left the residence and withdrew a large sum of money. When he returned, he said, he told anyone who was not family to leave the home.
Smith said he did not remember what happened between the time he told non-family members to leave and when officers arrived after the shooting.
Police located the firearm described by the witness “hidden in a closet inside Steven Smith’s bedroom. The handgun contained blood on the grip.”
“Witnesses said that Steven wandered around the home while they were attending to the victim. Witnesses also stated that when they were leaving the home, they noticed that the handgun was not on the cabinet where they saw it earlier.”
Smith was taken into custody and transported to the Washington County Jail, where he was booked at 1:39 a.m. Saturday.
