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SPRINGVILLE — A Springville man allegedly having a mental health crisis is facing a criminal charge accusing him of planning to kill his family.
Police say he was stopped after his gun misfired on the first victim.
Nathan Rex Roberts, 51, was charged Friday in 4th District Court with attempted murder, a first-degree felony.
On Sept. 21, Roberts' adult son woke up to find "his father standing over his bed pointing a handgun at his head. The defendant pulled the trigger but the weapon misfired, and the victim saw the defendant rack the gun and begin to raise it again in his direction," according to charging documents.
The son was able to get the gun away from his father before he could pull the trigger again. Roberts then "broke down in tears," the charges state.
"The victim told detectives that Nathan 'crumpled' onto the bed and began bawling, exclaiming how sorry he was, that he can't believe he did this and that he just destroyed their family," a police booking affidavit says.
Roberts was taken to Utah Valley Hospital for mental health treatment. A few days later, Roberts disclosed to his family that "he had been planning this for a couple of weeks. Nathan told them that his plan was to kill the (son) first because he was the only one that could stop him, after which he would kill the rest of the family members and then himself. Nathan made the statement to them that he knew he would go to hell for this, but at least his family would be in heaven and not suffering anymore," according to the affidavit.
Family members told investigators Roberts had been struggling with depression recently. They also did not initially report the details of the incident to police.
"The victim said they called 911 because they believed Nathan needed help, but they did not report all of the details because they did not want Nathan to get in trouble. The victim and other family members expressed multiple times that they did not believe Nathan would harm them and that this only happened because of Nathan's current mental health status," the affidavit states.
Suicide prevention resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Crisis hotlines
- Huntsman Mental Health Institute Crisis Line: 801-587-3000
- SafeUT Crisis Line: 833-372-3388
- 988 Suicide and Crisis LifeLine at 988
- Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386
Online resources
- NAMI Utah: namiut.org
- SafeUT: safeut.org
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Utah chapter: afsp.org/chapter/utah
Warning signs of suicide
- Talking about wanting to die
- Looking for a way to kill oneself
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
- Acting anxious, agitated or recklessly
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Withdrawing or feeling isolated
- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
- Displaying extreme mood swings
The more of these signs a person shows, the greater the risk. Warning signs are associated with suicide but may not be what causes a suicide.
Information from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
What to do if you see warning signs of suicide
- Do not leave the person alone
- Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt
- Call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255)
- Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional
Information from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
