LOCAL NEWS

Police Say Man Was Arrested in Death of Mother, Partially Streamed Live on Facebook

Oct 27, 2019, 9:55 PM | Updated: Feb 13, 2023, 2:44 pm

NORTH SALT LAKE, Utah – A man was arrested for investigation of murder in the death of his mother, but he’s also accused of streaming part of it live on Facebook.

Police were called to an apartment complex at 55 W. Center Street, North Salt Lake on Saturday night.

Officers were originally told that a woman had shot herself, but after speaking with her son, they say that might not be the case at all.

Police have identified the suspect as 24-year-old Jeffrey Antonio Langford.

Langford was taken into custody and his mother was found in the apartment with an apparent gunshot wound, but police say it wasn’t consistent with a suicide.

According to a probable cause statement, Langford posted three Facebook Live videos from inside the apartment.

The report says in one of the videos, “a male can be heard crying saying mom and a female is seen slumped over.”

The report also says the male “states that he didn’t do this and she shot herself right in front of me.”

It also says “the male keeps filming himself and says she’s not dead I have to finish it.”

In a probable cause statement, Langford told police his mom was “still alive and in pain” after she shot herself. He said he didn’t want her to “be in pain or be a vegetable” and shot her once.

While searching the residence, police found a revolver in Langford’s mother’s hand, according to a probable cause statement. Police said the revolver’s hammer was in the cocked position when they found it. The probable cause statement went on to say that the cylinder housed six rounds total and had three live, unspent rounds, and three empty chambers.

Three spent casings, of the same manufacture as the live rounds, were found in Langford’s room away from the victim’s body, which was found in the living room, according to the probable cause statement. Officers said they also found a note, which appeared to be a suicide note from Langford’s mother.

When police asked Langford why the gun was cocked, he said he removed the spent casings and reloaded the gun because ““he was going to kill himself”, according to the probable cause statement. He told police a family member called him and stopped him from shooting himself.

Sonia Nolazco lives in the same apartment complex.  She says it was blocked off for hours.

“There was close to 15 to 20 cops. Everything was blocked. We couldn’t get in our unit,” said Nolazco. “We’ve been here almost five years and we have never seen anything like it.”

The victim has been identified as 45-year-old Graciela Holker.

Nolazco says she didn’t know Holker well, but was saddened by the news of her death.

“She was a very friendly lady. Very happy, cleaning her house. She was always cleaning. She was always out and about throwing out her trash,” said Nolazco. “Every time she saw us she was very pleasant. We’ve never had an issue. She was always very sweet.”

Langford was arrested for investigation of murder, obstruction of justice and carrying a dangerous weapon under the influence of alcohol/drugs.

Police say the case is still under investigation and an autopsy report should give them a better idea of exactly what happened.


KSL Digital contributed to this article

KSL 5 TV Live

Top Stories

Local News

(KSL TV)...
Josh Ellis

Salt Lake sixth grade teacher named ‘Most Valuable Educator’ by Utah Jazz, Instructure

A sixth grade teacher at Meadowlark Elementary School was named the latest "Most Valuable Educator" by the Utah Jazz and Instructure, parent company of Canvas.
14 hours ago
FILE: A Salt Lake City police officer handling a revolver that's being turned in....
Eliza Pace

30 guns turned in at SLC police’s gun buy-back event

Salt Lake City Police Department's gun buy-back event resulted in 30 guns being turned in on Saturday.
14 hours ago
(UDOT)...
Josh Ellis

2 killed, 1 injured in multi-vehicle crash; NB I-15 closed in Box Elder County

Two people are dead and another was critically injured in a crash involving several vehicles on northbound Interstate 15.
14 hours ago
Gwyneth Paltrow carries two beverages as she walks past Terry Sanderson, the man suing her, after t...
Sam Metz

Gwyneth Paltrow accuser calls Utah ski crash ‘serious smack’

The man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 collision at an upscale Utah ski resort is expected to take the stand.
14 hours ago
(Derek Petersen/KSL TV)...
Josh Ellis

Davis School District goes virtual, other schools delay start times as snowstorm slams northern Utah

The Weber and Ogden school districts announced a two-hour delay to start times Monday as yet another round of snow impacted morning commutes across northern Utah.
14 hours ago
Jesus the Christ: The Mesa Easter Pageant...
Candice Madsen

Behind the scenes of the world’s largest annual Easter pageant

Spectacular pageantry, Biblical verse, music, dance, and a cast of hundreds help tell the greatest story ever told on the grounds of the Mesa Arizona Temple.
2 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...
PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.
Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...
BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.
Close up of an offset printing machine during production...
Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.
vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...
Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.
Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...
Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.
notebook with password notes highlighted...
PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.
Police Say Man Was Arrested in Death of Mother, Partially Streamed Live on Facebook