A Utah man was arrested after he allegedly killed his 45-year-old mother at a home in North Salt Lake on Saturday. Police launched an investigation after arriving at 24-year-old Jeffrey Langford's home.
According to police, Langford livestreamed several incriminating segments on Facebook but during questioning said that he did that as "a call for help." However, the Deseret News reported that police were told that one of the live videos on Facebook showed the woman seemingly deceased as Langford said aloud that he wasn't going to jail.
Langford was charged with first-degree murder, obstruction of justice and a misdemeanor count of carrying a dangerous weapon under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. When officers arrived at the scene, Langford allegedly left the apartment.
"Jeffrey had a reddish-brown substance on his face and clothing consistent in appearance to blood," an officer wrote in an affidavit, according to reports. "Jeffrey also exhibited signs of being intoxicated."
When Langford was taken into custody, he told police that his mother had been drinking alcohol and shot herself in the head. However, investigators said that according to three videos Langford posted online, his mother "would be unable to manipulate a firearm and fire another shot to her head."
Police found a revolver near Holker's body in the apartment. Holker suffered from at least one gunshot wound, police said.
Langford initially told investigators he did not touch the gun, but he later said the hammer was cocked because "he was going to kill himself," but said it stayed in his mom's hand.
During questioning, Langford provided conflicting information, with him saying that "he removed the gun from Holker's hand, unloaded the spent casings, and reloaded the revolver," according to Deseret News.
When investigators asked Langford what happened when his videos ended, "he paused for a time but later admitted that he did shoot her after the video."
"I asked him to tell me more. Jeffrey stated his mom did shoot herself in front of him...but she was still alive and in pain," an officer said, according to the affidavit. "Jeffrey stated he did not want her to be in pain or be a vegetable, so he shot her once in the back of the head with the revolver while she was still alive."
