A Utah man has been charged with manslaughter in the November shooting death of his girlfriend.
Steven Howard Scruggs, 47, of Salt Lake City, was also charged in 3rd District Court with possession of a gun by a restricted person, a second-degree felony, in addition to manslaughter, also a second-degree felony.
On Nov. 26, police received a report of shots fired at an apartment at 1798 W. 700 North and arrived to find Scruggs lying on the ground outside “bleeding from a gunshot wound to the chest," according to a charging document. His girlfriend, Letitia Smith, was found at the top of the stairs; she had been shot in the abdomen.
According to police, Smith told three different officers that Scruggs had shot her. Both Smith and Scruggs were taken by ambulance to a hospital, and Smith died a short time later.
Police found a gun and two shell casings on the floor of the apartment, according to a probable cause statement, and Scruggs’ DNA was found on the gun. His phone records showed that, earlier that evening, he had texted a friend “telling him that he is suicidal” and that “he and Lety are breaking up.”
According to police, Scruggs said he has “no recollection” of how he or Smith were shot.
Scruggs is being held in the Salt Lake County jail. His bail is set at $100,000.
Editor’s note • If you or people you know are at risk of self-harm, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24-hour support at 1-800-273-8255. The Live On help line is 1-800-273-TALK
