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ROY — They were described as a family who had never been seen fighting with each other and never had a prior report of domestic violence.
But Shawna Smith, 26, had reportedly planned to leave her husband, 29-year-old Russell Smith, before he killed her, their two young children, and then himself, according to a newly released search warrant affidavit.
On Father's Day June 21, family members found the couple's bodies and their children — 6-year-old Tylee and 2-year-old Blake — dead inside their Roy home at 2106 W. 4750 South. Police believe Russell Smith shot and killed his family before taking his own life.
Shawna Smith's family has stated that it was her brother who had last talked to her that afternoon and was the one who found the family dead in their home about 10 p.m. The warrant says it was Russell Smith's sister who notified police of an unknown problem at the house, however, it's possible it was her brother's girlfriend who called.
"(She) informed dispatch that she believes (Russell Smith) has been drinking tonight and has a gun inside the house," the affidavit states.
The woman told police she hadn't heard from Shawna Smith for a couple of days, so she and her boyfriend decided to go to her house to check on her. She said she was "worried" about Shawna.
Related:
'We may never understand' says family of Roy man who killed wife, children
The father of a man who police say shot and killed his two young children and his wife before taking his own life released a statement Friday saying the family may never know why he did what he did."The complainant informed dispatch that her sister-in-law was leaving her husband," according to the affidavit.
Shawna Smith's mother, Sheila Pruitt, said her daughter was considering a separation to allow her husband to deal with problems at the time of their deaths.
"She wasn't talking about a divorce. She just needed him to have some space," she said Monday. Though she didn't know the details of their marital problems, she said the issues appeared normal.
The woman who called police said she saw Tylee on the living room floor, noticed blood and said she suspected the girl's father was responsible, the warrant states. The woman did not go inside the house.
When officers arrived, they first found Tylee's body on the living room floor as they entered the house. Shawna Smith's naked body was found in the bathroom, the warrant states. Blake's body was found in his crib in the same bedroom where Russell Smith's body was found. All victims were shot in the head. Police recovered six shell casings from the house.
Roy police had little to say Monday, saying it would let the search warrant speak for itself.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1−800−787−3224, www.thehotline.org
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition hotline: 1-800-897-LINK (5465), udvc.org
"We're just as stunned as the community," department spokesman Matthew Gwynn said.
Detectives were still waiting for toxicology results from the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office before completing their investigation.
Shawna Smith had worked at Busy Bee's Playhouse, a child-care facility in Roy, for nearly nine years. Neighbors described Russell Smith as a sweet man and doting father who loved the Atlanta Braves and umpired kids baseball games for a local league. Russell Smith had recently quit his job with defense contractor L-3 Communications, and he was excited about starting a new job, Pruitt said.
The couple had met shortly before Shawna Smith graduated from high school. They were friends before the relationship turned romantic, and they wed six years ago, Pruitt said.
Russell Smith's parents have said they were stunned by the deaths because their son loved his family and life. "We don't understand what happened or why. Unfortunately, we may never know, we may never understand," they previously said.
Exactly what led up to the family's deaths may never been fully explained, according to Pruitt.
"I don't know that we'll ever know why. They took that with them," she said.
Roy police remind the public that if they are in an abusive relationship or having problems with domestic violence to contact police or someone they can trust.
Help can also be found by contacting the YWCA Women in Jeopardy, 801-537-8600 or the Domestic Violence Hotline, 800-897-LINK.
Contributing: Associated Press
