In a tragic incident, the bodies of Anastasia Stevens, 36, her parents, Becky Stevens, 61, and Donald Stevens, 73, and three dogs were discovered by law enforcement officials. The incident occurred in Layton, just north of Salt Lake City on May 19 as Jeremy Bailey, 34, called the police to confess the brutal act.
Bailey, who is currently being held at the Davis County Jail, expressed a preference for execution over a life sentence and also inquired about the availability of a firing squad for the death penalty, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by KTVX.
The suspect now faces charges of three counts of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and aggravated cruelty to animals. The Layton Police Department has stated that the motive for these heinous crimes is yet to be determined, and investigations into the cause of death are ongoing.
Anastasia Stevens' death was termed a "Massacre" in a Facebook post
A Facebook post, published around the same time Anastasia Stevens' husband made the distress call to emergency services, contained alarming content. It explicitly mentioned a "MASSACRE" and revealed that the man responsible had "JUST KILLED EVERYONE," listing the names of the victims as Anastasia Stevens' stepmother, Becky Stevens, father, Don Stevens, and three of their four family dogs, as reported by The Salt Lake Tribune.
Furthermore, the Facebook post revealed that the incident occurred at Anastasia and Bailey's residence, located in the 1800 block of Gentile Ave.
On Friday, May 19, when law enforcement officers spoke with Bailey over a call, he reiterated multiple times that the victims were already deceased. He claimed to have killed them 20 minutes prior to the call. When the officers approached the house, Bailey contacted authorities once again and announced his intention to surrender, complying with their instructions without resistance.
The bodies of Anastasia Stevens, Becky Stevens, and Donald Stevens were discovered in separate rooms on the upper floor of the residence. While Anastasia Stevens and Jeremy Bailey were residing in the same house where the murders took place, the other two victims, Becky and Donald had traveled from Nevada to visit their daughter and son-in-law, according to Law&Crime.
During the subsequent investigation, Jeremy Bailey also revealed to the police that he had stored his firearms in a friend's garage, as he had contemplated the act a few days earlier.
Stevens' husband was reportedly cheating according to victim's close friend
Janessa Baldwin, a close friend of Anastasia Stevens, revealed details about her last conversation with the victim, which took place two days before the murders. During that conversation, Stevens confided in Baldwin about her suspicions that her husband had been unfaithful to her once again, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
Baldwin recalled that Stevens' message did not indicate immediate danger but rather expressed her disbelief at her husband's actions. Baldwin mentioned that Anastasia Stevens and her husband had been attending couples therapy, but she never indicated any potential for violence from her husband.
While emotional abuse resulting from infidelity was evident, Baldwin stated that she was unaware of any verbal or physical abuse. She also admitted that she never perceived the husband as someone who would commit such a heinous act as the alleged killing of Stevens and her parents, Donald Stevens and Becky Lloyd Stevens.