Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
RIVERDALE — Before a Riverdale man shot and killed his girlfriend in what he told police was an act of self-defense, the couple was fighting over finances, a newly unsealed search warrant indicates.
Police responded to the home, 4400 Parker Drive, about 11 p.m. on Feb. 7 when Scott Sandlin, 41, called to report "that he had shot his girlfriend after she charged him with a knife," according to the search warrant affidavit. An officer found the body of Jenna Manuel, 30, lying on her back on the kitchen floor.
The officer noted "that Jenna's body was not very warm" and that the woman had been shot three times — twice in the chest and once in the abdomen, the affidavit states. In her hand was a knife, the officer noted, though the knife's blade was in Manuel's partially open palm rather than the handle.
Sandlin had met the officer on the front porch of the home, a cellphone in hand. He told the officer he would find a handgun in its holster on the kitchen stove, and that Manuel's 9-year-old daughter was in the living room.
The girl told police that she had been in her bedroom trying to sleep when she heard breaking glass, became frightened and began to cry. She then heard four gunshots before Sandlin came and closed the door, the warrant states.
"(Scott) and Jenna were arguing about finances and how Jenna pays all of the bills while Scott sits and watches TV all day," the girl told the officer.
The officer had detected a smell of marijuana when he arrived at the house and spotted marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside the home, according to the affidavit.
In addition to blood and DNA samples from the couple and shell casings from the scene, detectives sought their cellphones, computers and tablets in order to review their communications.
"There may be evidence of domestic issues which led to the altercation contained on cellphones belonging to both Jenna and Scott as well as other information pertinent to the investigation contained on any computers, laptops or electronic notepads which may be found inside the house," the search warrant states.
Police have been tight-lipped about the investigation, saying only that an altercation occurred and Manuel was shot after she returned home from watching the Super Bowl with friends. At the time, Riverdale Police Lt. Casey Warren said the shooting was the first time Riverdale police had been summoned to any domestic violence-related call at that residence for Manuel and Sandlin.
Sandlin has not been arrested or charged with any crime.
