On January 20, 2023, 70-year-old David Meyer called emergency dispatchers in Roy City, Utah, reporting that he had shot his 62-year-old wife, Suzanne Roth Price. Officers arriving at the scene discovered that Suzanne had been killed four days earlier, around January 17, 2023. During interrogation, Meyer claimed he performed a mercy killing because Suzanne suffered from debilitating chronic back pain following a 2012 accident and repeatedly begged him to end her life. However, police investigations revealed that Suzanne remained active as a physical trainer and fitness enthusiast. Furthermore, the couple was facing severe financial strain and foreclosure, frequently argued, and Meyer was engaged in an extramarital affair with a married client whom he brought to their home. Weeks prior to the murder, Meyer had reportedly expressed frustration to his mistress and mentioned wanting to shoot his wife. Meyer subsequently pleaded guilty to murder in March under a plea agreement that dismissed additional charges, including obstruction of justice and firearm possession by a restricted person, and received a 15-year prison sentence.
Country: United States
State/Province: Utah, United States
City/Region: Roy
Incident Type: Domestic Violence Homicide
Relationship Status: Married
Relationship Duration: 10 years
Incident Date: Jan. 17, 2023
Relationship Origins:
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How the relationship or connection began.
10 years
Important relationship phases recorded for this case.
Reported red flags or early concern points.
Contributing factors and possible motives from the available sources.
2023-01-17
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
English labels are shown first. Original-language titles are preserved for source verification.
Tangled Web Interrogations · Original language: English
Husband Kills His Wife, Thinks He's Going Home
Domestic Violence
The relationship exhibited severe marital discord characterized by extramarital infidelity, mounting financial distress leading to home foreclosure, and escalating explosive arguments. David Meyer attempted to frame the fatal shooting as a compassionate, assisted mercy killing stemming from his wife's chronic back pain. Investigative findings disproved this narrative by demonstrating that Suzanne maintained an active social and professional life, while Meyer was secretly seeing a married client and had previously voiced violent urges toward his wife.
Roy City Police Department interrogated David Meyer after he waited four days to report the shooting. Charges filed included first-degree murder, obstruction of justice for the reporting delay, and two counts of firearm possession by a restricted person due to drug use. In March, Meyer accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to murder in exchange for the dismissal of remaining counts, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Initial reporting was complicated by David Meyer's claim that he carried out a mercy killing at Suzanne's repeated requests due to unbearable back pain. Additionally, confusion arose over whether choking occurred, which Meyer denied. Police quickly dispelled the euthanasia claim after interviewing family and gym acquaintances, confirming Suzanne was active and optimistic, and uncovering Meyer's secret affair and financial conflicts.
On the evening of January 17, 2023, David Meyer retrieved a loaded 9mm handgun kept on his bedroom dresser while rubbing Suzanne's back and shot her in the back. He closed the bedroom door and remained in the home for four days, making minor trips to the store, before calling 911 on January 20. Interrogation statements and forensic evidence contradicted his mercy-killing defense, demonstrating motive tied to extramarital infidelity, marital conflict, and imminent housing foreclosure.
Key pre-incident indicators included an unaddressed extramarital affair, persistent high-conflict home dynamics, severe financial instability resulting in pending foreclosure, ready access to loaded firearms inside the bedroom, and explicit prior threats by Meyer that he had almost shot his wife weeks prior.
Perpetrators of domestic violence homicides may construct altruistic or mercy-killing narratives to minimize criminal culpability and evade accountability. Detailed background investigation into victim mobility, financial health, and third-party relationship dynamics is critical to exposing false victim-assisted suicide claims.
Early signals included frequent loud screaming arguments reported by neighbors, financial squabbles over pending foreclosure, Meyer seeking separate housing, and Meyer confessing to his mistress weeks prior that he had come close to shooting his wife.
Contradictions between Meyer's narrative and Suzanne's active lifestyle served as primary clues. While Meyer claimed she could not function or bend over, social media posts, sister interviews, and gym records confirmed she was working as a physical trainer and engaging in outdoor activities.
Key evidence included Meyer's recorded police interrogation, forensic scene evidence confirming the shooting occurred days before the 911 call, witness statements from gym members and Suzanne's sister, and digital evidence revealing Meyer's extramarital affair.
Suzanne's sister testified that Suzanne remained in good spirits, trusted her back pain would pass, and had previously confided that Meyer pressured her into unwanted sexual activities. Neighbors reported routine screaming fights between the couple, and gym acquaintances noted Meyer had complained about marital finances.
Initial dispatch notes mentioned potential choking, which was clarified during interrogation as solely a firearm discharge. Follow-up investigative work uncovered Meyer's active affair with a personal training client and prior statements expressing a desire to shoot Suzanne.
The precise timeline of conversations immediately preceding the fatal gunshot remains dependent on Meyer's self-serving statements, as he claimed memory lapses regarding the exact day and time of the shooting.