Victim searching for lost wallet, fatally stabbed by man multiple times, Tooele police say

TOOELE — A man claims that a homicide victim was acting “shady” while searching for their wallet inside his home, prompting him to stab the victim multiple times.

Police said that on Sunday evening, officers and investigators responded to the stabbing of a 54-year-old man at a home near 90 N. 100 East.

According to the police affidavit, officers located the victim “covered in blood, lying on the shoulder of the street.”

Dispatchers told officers that Isaac Daniel Gray Smith, 21, called 911, claiming that the victim attacked him and that he “‘stabbed his (expletive).’ When asked what part of the body was stabbed, Mr. Smith responded, “‘neck, face, head,’” according to the affidavit.

Officers asked dispatchers to tell Smith to exit the home, which he did, and officers detained him.

According to the affidavit, the victim was treated on the scene and transported to a local hospital for lifesaving treatment, but was shortly pronounced dead.

Officers reported the victim had “traumatic bleeding injuries, consistent with being caused by a cutting instrument(s),” but the official cause of death was pending.

Investigators began processing the scene and found an unlocked and empty car parked on the street in front of the home where the stabbing occurred.

According to the affidavit, a backpack that was in plain view inside the vehicle had the phone and wallet belonging to the victim.

Investigators followed a trail of blood from where the victim was found “up the sidewalk and porch stairs, onto the front porch, and into the residence,” where more blood was found “in the front entry way, the living room, a hallway and bedroom.”

The phone that Smith used to call 911 was found on a living room table next to a “5-6 inch folded folding knife” that had blood on it, according to the affidavit.

Interview with Smith’s Mother

Investigators called Smith’s mother, who confirmed that she lives with Smith at the home.

“The mother advised that the victim is a childhood friend who visits infrequently, but did come to the residence (Sunday) to visit before the mother left for work,” the affidavit stated.

The mother told police she did not know of any issues between her son and the victim.

According to the affidavit, after Smith’s mother left for work, the victim called her, saying that he might have left his wallet at her home. The mother told the victim she was not home, but Smith was, and the victim could look for it, which the victim did.

The mother said that the victim told her that he arrived at her home, and she told Smith that the victim was there to search for his wallet.

“The mother added that she specifically told Mr. Smith NOT to cause any problems with the victim because the mother has been concerned about Mr. Smith’s mental illness,” the affidavit stated.

The mother said that Smith has “caused her to fear for her own safety due to the past,” due to the mental illness, which resulted in “unreported violent outbursts resulting in property damage,” according to the affidavit.

The mother told police that the victim notified her that he was at her home and that Smith was helping him look for his wallet. She said she heard nothing from either man until police called her.

Interviewing Smith

Investigators went to the Tooele Police Department to interview Smith, whose clothes and hands were stained with blood, according to the affidavit.

After being read his Miranda rights, Smith confirmed to investigators that the victim was at his home earlier Sunday, then returned around midnight.

“Mr. Smith confirmed that his mother had contacted him to communicate that the victim was returning to look for something, but Mr. Smith did not know, or could not recall, what the victim was looking for,” the affidavit stated.

Smith told investigators that he opened the door for the victim and allowed him into the house.

“Mr. Smith stated the victim was acting ‘shady’, as if he was looking for more than he should be. Although Mr. Smith indicated that Mr. Smith had not found anything at the point, Mr. Smith felt the victim was looking for more than he should be,” the affidavit stated.

According to the affidavit, Smith confronted the victim about acting shady while they were both in the bedroom where the blood was found by investigators.

Smith said that the victim denied the shady behavior and tried to offer him cigarettes with his right hand.

“Mr. Smith stated that, while being approached by the victim, the victim reached for Mr. Smith’s right wrist with the victim’s empty left hand, which Mr. Smith alleged caused him to panic and
feel the need to defend himself by pulling a knife from his back right pocket and stabbing the victim (with his right hand) in their neck/head area,” the affidavit stated.

Smith said the victim did not say anything that would suggest a serious threat before being stabbed.

“Mr. Smith stated that after he first stabbed the victim, the victim ‘rushed’ him, which Mr. Smith stated he perceived as an escalation by the victim, so Mr. Smith continued attempting to stab the victim (with his right hand) multiple times in the head, neck, and stomach,” the affidavit stated.

Investigative agents asked Smith if he thought that the victim was actually trying to escape. Smith acknowledged that it could have been the case.

Smith also described the knife he used to stab the victim, and it matched the blood-covered knife found next to his phone at his home.

According to the affidavit, Smith complained of minor back pain from being pushed into the bedroom door, but did not have any visible injuries there. Smith did have a minor scratch on his left hand and above his lip. He refused to be evaluated by EMS or a doctor.

Smith told police he takes prescribed medications that he does not take as prescribed for a mental illness, which investigators were unable to verify.

According to the affidavit, Smith “self-medicates with unprescribed marijuana, which he believes helps manage his mental illness and makes him calmer.”

Smith said he consumed marijuana before the victim came to his mother earlier in the day, and when the victim returned to look for his wallet.

On Monday, Smith was booked into the Tooele County Jail on suspicion of murder, a first-degree felony, according to the affidavit. 

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This is a breaking news story and may be updated when more information is provided.