FARMINGTON, Utah, Oct. 28, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A Layton man has pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree felony aggravated murder in the May 2023 shooting deaths of his wife and her father and step-mother, who were visiting.
In a plea deal that took the possibility of the death penalty off the table, Jeremy Lake Bailey, 34, pleaded guilty Thursday to the May 19 murders, which occurred in the residence Bailey shared with his wife. The victims killed were Bailey’s wife, Anastasia Stevens, her father Donald Stevens, 71, and step-mother Rebecca Stevens, 61.
As part of the plea deal, two weapons charges and three torture of a companion animal charges were dismissed with prejudice. The animal torture charges were a result of the shooting deaths of three of the family’s four dogs.
Sentencing for Bailey has been set for Dec. 12. He is likely to face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Charging documents say Bailey called police at 9:45 a.m. May 19 and “reported there will be a murder suicide.”
Bailey told Layton City Police he killed his wife, in-laws and three of the family’s four dogs approximately 20 minutes before calling dispatch. The shootings occurred “after engaging in a domestic violence incident with his wife,” charging documents say.
“He told Layton Police dispatch he had firearms which had been stored at a friend’s garage because he was thinking of doing this a few days ago.” The friend later confirmed that fact to police, saying he had been given the gun by the suspect on May 17.
“Furthermore, the suspect stated he was armed with a Springfield 9mm firearm which had belonged to one of the victims, and he had forgotten about it until May 19th, 2023,” the affidavit says. “He told Layton Police dispatch he was currently at his home located at (about 1800 east) Gentile Street Layton.”
Upon officer’s arrival, “the suspect again contacted dispatch and stated that he was exiting the home to be taken into custody. The suspect exited the front, west facing door of the home and complied with commands to walk back to officers where he was taken into custody without incident.”
Officers entered the house and found the three victims deceased. The three dogs were also dead, and a fourth dog was found alive.
“The suspect made an excited utterance: ‘I can’t believe I did it,’ while he was in a holding cell awaiting to be interviewed,” charging documents say.
Police said a post announcing the “MASSACRE SUICIDE,” stating Bailey had killed three people and three dogs, was posted on a victim’s social media page at about the time Bailey called Layton Police dispatch to report the crimes.
The affidavit also states that in the police interview room, Bailey “requested his surviving dog not be taken to the pound.”
