Father’s Day Murder-Suicide: Utah Mom Wanted To Leave Husband
A Father’s Day murder-suicide is even more heartbreaking, as news that Utah mom Shawna Smith — who was killed along with her two young children — was planning on leaving her husband, according to family.
The New York Daily News reports that the Father’s Day murder-suicide suspect, Russell Smith, 29, went on a bloody rampage, killing the 26-year-old mother of two children, daughter Tylee, 6, and son Blake, 2.
In newly-released court documents, the Utah mom’s sister-in-law told investigators the couple was having problems, and worried when Shawna stopped answering her text messages. When police arrived at the Smith home on June 21, they found Shawna’s naked body, her daughter dead in the living room, and her son’s body still in his crib, just feet away from Russell Smith’s body.
According to the Daily Mail, Roy City Police Lt. Kevin Smith said the following Monday, a 911 call was made about an assault at 10 p.m. on Sunday, Father’s Day. The call was from a family member who had stopped by the house, about 32 miles north of Salt Lake City.
Russell Smith’s sister was the one who discovered little Tylee’s body when she came to check on her brother’s family. She told police she suspected Russell had been drinking and was holed up in the house with a gun. When officers arrived shortly after the call, they discovered the entire family was already dead.
Neighbors were shocked when they heard about the Father’s Day murder-suicide right in their backyard, as many said they never noticed any problems. However, the Utah mom’s mother told police her daughter wanted to give her husband time to workout some undisclosed problems, but wasn’t thinking of ending the marriage.
“She wasn’t talking about a divorce,” Shawna Smith’s mother, Sheila Pruitt, said on Monday. “She just needed him to have some space.”
According to neighbors, the family seemed like any other in the area. Russell Smith was often seen carrying sports equipment into the driveway and playing ball with the kids. The murdered Utah mom was always seen with her two young children.
Police believe Russell Smith killed himself during the Father’s Day murder-suicide, and they are not looking for any other suspects. However, investigators are still trying to find a motive for the horrific crime, as there was never sign of trouble or violence, and no 911 calls from the home.
The reports show the father had recently lost his job at defense contractor L-3 Communications.
[Image via Facebook]
