- Two men were charged Wednesday with murder tied to a shooting at a Christmas party.
- Zachary Prescott and Kevin Scarbourough are accused of arguing with Alexander Powell over gang-related matters.
- Prescott shot Powell twice after Scarbourough urged him to, charges say.
SOUTH JORDAN — Two men arrested in the shooting death of a third man at a friend's Christmas party were charged Wednesday with murder.
Zachary Gage Prescott, 25, of Taylorsville, and Kevin Charles Scarbourough, 38, of Kearns, are charged in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony, and discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony. Prescott was also charged with prohibited dangerous weapon conduct, a third-degree felony, and drug possession, a class B misdemeanor.
Investigators say the men were at a home, 11536 S. Copper Stone Drive, on Dec. 27 with several others when they got into an argument with 34-year-old Alexander Powell.
"(The men) were attending a Christmas party when the defendants got into a verbal argument with the victim over gang-related matters. The verbal argument escalated into a physical altercation during which Scarbourough punched the victim multiple times," according to charging documents.
Prescott had allegedly displayed a gun several times during the night. One witness told police that Prescott "was flashing the weapon all night, appearing to brag about it while throwing out gang slurs," the charges state.
Multiple witnesses made statements to investigators that Scarbourough and Powell were talking "about gang-related matters," that all three men "claim gang affiliation and take it seriously," and that when the trio went into the backyard, Prescott "got into a fight with Scarbourough and Prescott over something gang-related," according to the charges.
After the argument continued in the backyard, Scarbourough told Prescott to shoot Powell, the charges allege, "but Prescott said he didn't want to go to prison. Scarbourough raised his voice and told Prescott to shoot the victim. Prescott then fired the gun twice, striking the victim in the abdomen."
Witnesses told police that Scarbourough ordered Prescott to "drop him" or "shoot him," the charges state.
Scarbourough was found laying in a field near the crime scene and was arrested. Prescott was located the next day in Duchesne County and was arrested by members of the South Valley SWAT team.
Friends and family members of Powell claim the shooting was not gang-related.
Also on Wednesday, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office refiled additional charges against Prescott that were originally filed last year. Prescott was charged in 3rd District Court with being a restricted person in possession of a gun and drug possession with intent to distribute, third-degree felonies; carrying a weapon while under the influence and possession of drug paraphernalia, class B misdemeanors; and intoxication, a class C misdemeanor.
In January 2025, police found an intoxicated Prescott in front of a business that was closed. He had a gun and knife in his pocket and marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his backpack, according to charging documents. The case was dismissed in June, however, on the day the preliminary hearing was scheduled to begin because the state was unable to proceed due to "witness issues," according to the court docket.
