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ST. GEORGE — An Ivins man who shot and killed his wife in front of their children was ordered Thursday to serve a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. And a judge recommended that he never be released.
Steven Timothy Smith, 59, fired a gun multiple times at his wife, Shawntell Smith, in their home on May 22, 2021, hours after she had told him that she planned to leave him, according to testimony at his jury trial. Some of their children were at home, including the youngest child who was 14.
Only one family member was present at the sentencing, and none of them wanted to speak, according to Brandon Merrill, an attorney who represents the family.
"That is not because they don't care, it is because it is too hard for them. They do not want to have the defendant have the satisfaction of seeing them or them hearing what he has to say because as far as they are concerned, nothing he can say will change anything that they feel," Merrill said.
Merrill said the family wanted him to explain how Smith had tried to manipulate his children throughout the judicial process, including trying to bargain with them to get them to meet with him and saying at his trial that his favorite children were the ones who did not testify against him. He said Smith's actions at the trial were manipulative and an attempt to cause his children more pain.
"The family, and the children, have lost both of their parents. And they have lost a loving and caring mother who only sought the best for them, which is why she was choosing to leave," Merrill said.
Fifth District Judge Jeffrey Wilcox said he hopes the family is able to find "some sort of peace." He said he believes their mother is in a better place and the children will see her again, but noted they were robbed of having her in their lives by Smith.
The judge told Smith that he does not believe his claims that he was planning to commit suicide and after seeing his wife, he shot at her instead.
"God may have mercy on you but this court and this state won't. You don't deserve mercy from this tribunal. You sentenced the children of Shawntel Smith to life sentences. To never again see their mother in this life. You should not ever see the light of day," Wilcox said.
Washington County Deputy Attorney Eric Gentry said Smith put his children through a trial in order to satisfy a need for attention. He said he wishes there was a way to lengthen the maximum sentence that Smith received.
"This trial was nothing more than a platform for the defendant to focus attention on himself and his pitiful plight. There was never really any defense. There was no real question of fact, or guilt. This was performance, an indulgent showcase of the defendant's obvious narcissism," Gentry said.
Smith's attorney, Nathan Reeve, disputed Gentry's claims and argued that there are other reasons to hold a trial. He said Smith not admitting guilt at the trial should not be turned against him at his sentencing.
"Mr. Smith wanting to speak to his children and have them try to understand is not manipulation. Those are natural feelings," Reeve said.
Smith spoke at the sentencing hearing and said multiple times that he takes full responsibility for his actions and that he loves his children, and is proud of them.
He said he learned a lot during his trial about how his wife and children felt about him before that day. He said that he loved his wife and did not know that anything was wrong in their marriage. He asked why police or social services had not ever been called to the home if things in the house were as horrible as family members testified that they were.
"Why didn't they approach me in all those years? No one ever even said I had a problem," Smith said.
"I just want to let my kids know I love them very much and I hope they can at least forgive me someday. I love them no matter what they think of me. I know they hate me so much, I'm sure. I took their mother."
