Font ResizeA Copperton man who shot and killed his carpet installer two years ago, after the worker assaulted the man's girlfriend, pleaded guilty Friday to a lesser misdemeanor charge.
Steven Lovendahl, 32, was charged in 3rd District Court with first-degree felony murder in connection with the Aug. 11, 2007, death of 36-year-old Kevin Michael Shepherd.
Lovendahl pleaded guilty to a class A misdemeanor count of negligent homicide.
He faces up to a year in jail when he sentenced Oct. 7 by Judge Robert Adkins.
Explaining the significant reduction in the charge, prosecutor Alicia Cook cited problems with proving Lovendahl's intent to kill, as well as Lovendahl's potential ability to claim self-defense or defense of others.
Cook said that at the time of the shooting, Shepherd was still in the act of assaulting the woman, whom defense attorneys described as Lovendahl's common-law wife. Also, the shooting occurred in Lovendahl's own front yard.
According to police and charging documents, Shepherd, of West Jordan, and Lovendahl went to a tavern with Lovendahl's girlfriend and others after the carpet work was finished at Lovendahl's home in the 200 South block of 500 East in Copperton.
After leaving the bar, Shepherd began flirting with a woman in the group, and Lovendahl asked him to stop.
Defense attorney Steven Shapiro said Shepherd responded by beating up Lovendahl. And when the group reached Lovendahl's home,
After getting a semi-automatic .45-caliber handgun from his house, Lovendahl told Shepherd to stop, then swung at him with the gun, which accidentally discharged into Shepherd's shoulder, Shapiro said.
"We acknowledge there was some negligence in his swinging the firearm in that manner," Shapiro said, explaining Lovendahl's guilty plea.
Two of Shepherd's friends put him in a car and drove him more than five miles before stopping to call 911, according to police. When paramedics responded to 9054 S. Ripple Drive, Shepherd was already dead, the Sheriff's Office reported.
