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Team coverageSome are asking why it took so long for police to discover what had happened inside the South Salt Lake home where four people were shot to death.
Part of the reason that nobody heard anything may have been that the home, located near 2400 South and West Temple, is surrounded by businesses. There aren't any residential neighbors who may have heard something or who could have stepped in to help.
Business workers across from the house were surprised to see crime tape today. Many didn't realize children, a 10-year-old and a 1-year-old, even lived there. "It's very shocking. It's very sad that there were children, very sad," worker Suzy White said.
Pricilla Lister, also an employee of a nearby business, said, "We never saw her going to school or coming back from school. There were never any kids playing over there."
Jenica Love, who also works in the area, says she is even in her showroom on Saturdays but still rarely saw anyone.
Police went to the home on a welfare check three days ago but got no answer. At the request of the family, they went again last night.
"It was a little bit of a gut feeling. When [the officer] pried that window open, he could immediately detect the odor of what he knows to be a decomposing body. He was able to move a curtain aside and was able to see a body in that room," explained South Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Snyder.
Inside the home, officers found the bodies of the little girls, as well as the 10-year-old girl's mother and the 1-year-old girl's father. Police believe the 34-year-old man shot and killed the three before he turned the gun on himself. "It's overwhelming," Snyder said.
Investigators say they also performed two welfare checks in April and were told both times by the 28-year-old woman that everything was fine. According to the chief of police, unless someone makes a complaint or officers see a crime being committed, there's little else they can do. "You know, we can't make adults get protective orders. We can't make adults move out," Snyder said. He added, "Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot we can do. If we respond on an actual domestic violence situation and there's a crime that's occurred, we would obviously take enforcement action."
There was no action taken because there were no domestic calls, according to police, just calls from Tracie's family asking for police to check in on her. And when officers visited her in April? "She wasn't concerned for her safety, so there may be some more things that the family knows," Chief Snyder said.
Judy Kasten Bell, head of the Utah Domestic Violence Council, said, "We always say the victims know best what's going on in that relationship and knows when it's time to leave." She says there's no clear answer when a woman is not ready to go.
But for a woman's family, she has this advice: "Know where your local domestic violence shelter is. Have the phone number. Call and find out what they can offer."
Tracie's sister, Natalie Cleverly, offers this to families facing the very same fears: "Families need to intervene in their lives, no matter how much they're pushed away. Always look for warning signs of unhappiness in people."
There are 16 domestic violence shelters in the state. They will not turn you or your children away, period. They have food, clothing and bedding if you decide you want to leave right now. If you're thinking about leaving, the number for the Domestic Violence hotline is 1-800-897-5465.
Police believe Peter Perez shot and killed the three females then turned the gun on himself. As far as police know, he didn't have a violent criminal history. The only arrest they have on record was for fraudulent use of a credit card. He was scheduled to appear in court on those third-degree felony charges on May 19.
Police say Perez did leave a suicide note behind. However, right now they are declining to say what that note contained.
Williamson's family has set up a trust fund in her name at Cyprus Credit Union.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
E-mail: tcallan@ksl.com
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
E-mail: lprichard@ksl.com
