Salt Lake man sentenced to 4 years of probation in death of girlfriend

SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake man was sentenced to four years of probation on Tuesday after entering a no contest plea last week to recklessly causing the death of his live-in girlfriend while he was drunk.

Steven Howard Scruggs, 50, pleaded no contest to manslaughter, a second-degree felony, in 3rd District Court. A charge for possession of a weapon as a restricted person, a second-degree felony, was dismissed as part of a plea deal.

On the night of Nov. 26, 2019, Salt Lake police were called to the Windsor Park Apartments, 1798 W. 700 North, where two people were critically injured with gunshot wounds. Leticia Smith, 56, of Salt Lake City, later died at the hospital from her injury.

When police arrived, Scruggs was outside with a gunshot wound. Smith was alive and was able to point to Scruggs and say he was the one that shot her, according to charging documents. Text messages from Scruggs' phone that night showed that he was suicidal and that he and Smith were breaking up, police say.

Evelyn Valdivia, Smith's daughter, said holidays are ruined for their family since her mother was shot the day before Thanksgiving. During Tuesday's hearing, she described how daily life changed significantly for her and her sister, pointing out that Smith missed becoming a grandmother. Valdivia said she knows her mother would have made a great grandma.

"Steve still gets to walk away from yet another crime he has committed while my mother is gone forever," she said.

Scruggs' attorney, Michael Misner, said his client does not remember what happened. He said Scruggs spent a lot of time in the hospital undergoing multiple surgeries after the incident before being taken to jail and is hoping to get on disability after he is released. He did spend over two years in jail as the case was pending.

Valdivia claimed Scruggs was being cowardly and said he is only claiming he does not remember.

"I believe that Steve is a dangerous person who should be always watched closely," she said.

Deputy district attorney Morgan Vedejs said they had planned to show in trial that there was evidence Scruggs was in a bad mental state and wanted to commit suicide; he had a firearm he was not supposed to have, and he has a pattern of similar violent activity while under the influence. She said this is the second time Scruggs has caused a death while he was intoxicated — he hit his grandmother in a fight in California, which ultimately led to her death.

She said in that case, Scruggs also said he could not remember that incident after he got in a DUI crash shortly afterward.

"This is a difficult case. It was a difficult case for the state. It was difficult certainly for the family," Vedejs said.

Judge Elizabeth Hruby-Mills sentenced Scruggs to a term of one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison but suspended the prison time and ordered him to serve four years of probation. If he violates the probation, the prison time could be reinstated. The prosecution and defense had proposed that sentence as part of a plea bargain and the judge agreed to it beforehand.

"This is an opportunity for you, Mr. Scruggs," Hruby-Mills said. "I am extremely concerned about your ability to be successful, your desire to be successful, on probation. I see a devastating loss here, and I have concerns about your ability to fulfill your obligations under probation. My hope is that you have incentive to do so."

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