Duchesne woman shot, killed boyfriend, police say

Duchesne woman shot, killed boyfriend, police say

(Millard County Sheriff's Office)


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DUCHESNE — A Duchesne woman was arrested Wednesday after police say she shot her live-in boyfriend in the back, killing him, after he told her that he was leaving her.

The body of Guy Wells Mecham, 51, was found inside his Duchesne home, 683 E. 300 North, about 9:40 p.m. Wednesday. Stephanie Dawn Payan, 41, was arrested for investigation of murder.

Mecham lived with his girlfriend, Payan, and her teenage daughter. The two had moved to Duchesne from Heber City about four months ago, according to the Duchesne County Sheriff's Office.

Wednesday afternoon, the couple got into an argument and Mecham left the home for several hours. Information about what the initial argument was over was not immediately available.

Payan told investigators that Mecham returned home about four or five hours later, at which time they argued again, the sheriff's office said in a statement. At that point, Payan claims Mecham told her that he was leaving her.

"When Mecham walked out of the master bedroom, Payan retrieved a handgun, followed Mecham down the hall and shot him once in the back," the statement said. "Mecham made it back to the bedroom despite the wound and handed his cellphone to Payan’s daughter, asking her to call 911."

Detectives were investigating whether Payan then took the phone from her daughter to prevent her from calling 911.

Payan, who had given her daughter a credit card and cash before Mecham returned and told her “you’re going to need this,” told her after the shooting to "pack her belongings and called the girl’s father, telling him he needed to come get their daughter because she had just shot Mecham," the sheriff's office said.

The girl’s father urged Payan to call 911, and then called emergency dispatchers himself, though he did not know the exact address of the shooting, investigators said.

Payan eventually called 911 herself, "telling dispatchers she shot Mecham and he might be dead," according to the statement.

Payan was booked into the Duchesne County Jail for investigation of murder, domestic violence in the presence of a minor and interruption of a communication device.

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