SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. 7, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake City police have filed charges against 27-year-old Timothy Vaughn in the shooting death last month of Alicia Baxter.
Baxter, 33, was bleeding on a sidewalk at 800 W. North Temple when first responders arrived. She was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
A warrant has been issued for Vaughn, who is believed to be homeless, and who was not yet in custody as of Saturday morning. His proposed bail is set at $1 million.
Vaughn is charged on suspicion of:
- Murder, a first-degree felony
- Theft by receiving stolen property, a second-degree felony
- Possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a second-degree felony
The shooting happened on Aug. 15.
Witness accounts
“When officers arrived on scene, they observed an unresponsive female who appeared to have a gunshot wound to her head,” the probable cause statement says.
A male witness said that while he was speaking with Baxter, Vaughn walked up to him and asked if he wanted to buy a gun, saying it was “registered stolen.”
As the witness stood up, he heard a loud bang, the statement says. The witness looked and saw Baxter lying on the ground. The witness “observed Vaughn gather his belongings and walk toward the TRAX,” the statement said. The male witness identified Vaughn from a photo lineup as the man who tried to sell him a gun and who shot Baxter.
A female witness also told police that earlier, she had spoken to Vaughn, “who was selling sodas in order to make money to get back to Park City, where he lives.”
Vaughn told the female witness he had purchased the sodas from the nearby Rancho Market and Walgreens, the woman said.
The woman left the area briefly, “and when she returned, she saw Alicia arguing with Tim near the Wiener Schnitzel, located at 800 W. North Temple,” the probable cause statement says. “She witnessed Tim pull a gun from his waistband and shoot Alicia. Tim then ran toward TRAX.”
The female witness identified Vaughn in a photo lineup as the shooter.
Evidence, interview
Receipts for sodas were found at the scene, and surveillance video from Rancho Market showed Vaughn making the transaction.
At a later date, Salt Lake City Police detectives learned Vaughn was incarcerated in Provo, the statement says.
“Post Miranda, Vaughn admitted he was in possession of a handgun when he was arrested in Provo. He stated that he lives in Park City in the mountains, and that a friend gave him a handgun for ‘safety precautions’ about a month ago.”
Preliminary forensic testing determined the casing found at the Salt Lake City crime scene was from a handgun reported stolen from a Park City car two days prior to Baxter’s fatal shooting.
The Utah County case
The Utah County booking, on Aug. 17, was for aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; and unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon, a class A misdemeanor. A probable cause statement in that case says Vaughn reportedly punched a man in the face, then pulled a knife and threatened to stab him.
In the Utah County case, Vaughn’s bail was set at $15,000. Online records do not indicate when he was released from jail.
