SANDY, Utah — An investigation is underway after police say a man shot and killed his wife inside a Sandy home, before turning the gun on himself in a murder-suicide over the weekend.
According to the Sandy Police Department, the man told his three children to leave the home on Candle Spruce Cove on Saturday night. The children, who are between 11-17 years old, told police that they heard multiple gunshots as they were leaving.
When officers arrived, they found two people dead inside the home with gunshot wounds. Police believe the husband shot his wife multiple times before killing himself.
They were later identified as 57-year-old Stanley Siwale and 47-year-old Rebecca Siwale.
Police said officers had not previously been dispatched to the home for any reported issues.
In a statement from the Swiale children, they remembered their parents for the lives they lived before June 8.
"The girls would like to focus on the dashes that their parents lived between their arrivals and departures on earth, fixing on lives richly led instead of lives tragically lost," the statement reads in part.
"The dash for Rebecca was a brilliant career, a love for her family, her dedication to the Catholic Church, and women in STEM. Her passion for women in mining was palpable and she earned a spot as one of the top 100 women in mining. She had an adventurous soul, once brave enough to walk with lions in Zambia. She was a trailblazer, breaking barriers at her job, but in the same breath, down to earth, funny, and sweet."
"The dash for Stanley was a person who came from nothing but built a successful engineering career through education and hard work. His perseverance to his education showed in his three engineering degrees that he took to a doctoral level. He adored his children, taking them on bike rides, tennis excursions, and hikes. He was horrible at karaoke but never turned down the opportunity to sing. He was a person who mentored people not only in the U.S. but also across the world, particularly the country he was from, Zambia."
"It's really tragic, because you just don't expect something like that to happen in a quiet little neighborhood like this," said Rick Shrader, who lives nearby.
"It's sad," fellow neighbor Ramesh Patel added. "This is the safest place I have seen."
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For those struggling with thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can now be reached by simply dialing 988 any time for free support. Resources are also available online at utahsuicideprevention.org.
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Resources for domestic violence victims/prevention (free, 24/7, confidential):
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition
- Hotline: 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- Online help: udvc.org
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
- 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- Online live chat: thehotline.org
- If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or in an emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.
