Ivins man faces murder charge following shooting

ST. GEORGE — An Ivins man suspected of killing his wife Friday is facing a first-degree murder charge.

The location in Ivins where 59-year-old Steven Timothy Smith is alleged to have killed his wife over her telling him she was leaving, Ivins, Utah, May 21, 2021 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Santa Clara-Ivins Police officers were responding to the report of a gunshot around 6:30 p.m. in the area of 1020 South and 375 East in Ivins when they were informed on the way that the person told dispatch a man had “shot his wife after being told she was leaving him,” according to a probable cause statement.

When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered the victim had “suffered several gunshot injuries” and was pronounced dead. Officers subsequently took 59-year-old Steven Timothy Smith in custody.

Officers noted Smith had blood on his hands and clothes, according to arrest documents.

After speaking to witnesses at the scene, officers learned that one of the witnesses entered the home after hearing gunshots from inside and found the victim on the ground and unresponsive. They also said they saw Smith walking away from the victim and into another room.

Santa Clara-Ivins Police officers speak to a neighbor of 59-year-old Steven Timothy Smith, who is accused of killing his wife over her telling him she was leaving, Ivins, Utah, May 21, 2021 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

The witness also saw a handgun they said belonged to Smith with “the slide locked back” sitting on the cabinet nearby, and also noted that there was no one else near the victim at the time.

The witness then fought with Smith, during which time Smith told them, “I’m done, I have nothing else,” according to the probable cause statement.

Smith waived his Miranda rights, according to the statement, and told police he had been angry at the victim. Prior to the shooting, he had left the home to withdraw a large amount of money. When he returned, he told anyone who wasn’t a family member to leave the house.

After this point, Smith told officers “that he did not remember what happened between the time he told nonfamily members to leave the residence and when officers arrived on the scene.”

Witnesses tending to the victim told police Smith was wandering around the home. They also said the handgun was no longer on the cabinet where they had seen it originally when leaving the home. Police later found the gun hidden in a closet in Smith’s bedroom, according to the statement.

The location in Ivins where police were investigating the shooting death of a woman believe to have been killed by 59-year-old Steven Timothy Smith. He is accused of killing his wife over her telling him she was leaving, Ivins, Utah, May 21, 2021 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

After being taken into custody by police Friday evening, Smith was arrested and booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility early Saturday morning and charged with first-degree felony murder.

Due to his having taken out a large amount of money prior to the shooting, police listed Smith as a potential flight risk on the probable cause statement connected to the arrest.

Fundraiser for the victim’s funeral costs

The woman killed in Friday’s shooting incident has been identified by a family member as Shawntell Smith.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family cover funeral costs.

Ed. Note: A new Utah law generally prohibits the release of arrest booking photos until after a conviction is obtained.

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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