By Jacquelyn Springgay
An Orem man who allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend in front of her children last week may face the death penalty.
Keith L. Morton, 50, is being held in jail on charges of the aggravated murder of his girlfriend, Tonya Nash.
On Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006, 4th District Judge Anthony Schofield told Morton that the aggravated murder charge, a first-degree felony, is a capital offense, which carries a death penalty option.
Schofield appointed the public defender office as Morton”s counsel.
On Oct. 16, Orem police officers responded to a report of a disturbance at an Orem residence at 723 S. 1200 West. Officers were told that shots had been fired. When they arrived, they found a woman lying on the sidewalk who was later identified as 40-year-old Tonya Nash.
“She had been shot in the back and was unresponsive,” according to police reports.
She was later pronounced dead at Timpanogos hospital.
According to police reports, Loretta Zapata, Nash”s neighbor, witnessed Nash and her 8-year-old son running from the residence with Morton. Zapata reported to police that she had seen Morton chasing Nash.
Zapata heard two gunshots and saw Nash fall to the ground. She then “observed Morton kick Tonya in the stomach and then run towards his residence,” according to police reports.
Morton called his mother, Faye Cassingham and told her that he had just shot Tonya, Orem police reported.
When Morton found out she was dead, he said that he did not mean to kill her, police said.
Morton will appear again in 4th District Court for a hearing on Thursday, at 1 p.m. in front of Judge James Taylor.
