Woman sues Salt Lake police, claiming they could have prevented her daughter's murder

SALT LAKE CITY — A woman has filed a lawsuit against the Salt Lake City Police Department claiming it could have stopped her daughter's murder.

Shauna Mayne said her daughter, Amanda Mayne, was murdered by her ex-husband Taylor Ray Martin. She said in the lawsuit that there were reports of death threats from Martin against both the mother and daughter to both the Taylorsville and Salt Lake police departments in the "years, months and days" before Amanda Mayne was killed.

Amanda "Mandy" Mayne, 34, was shot and killed on Aug. 17, 2022, and her body was found on a sidewalk. The lawsuit said she was shot 14 times.

Martin then shot himself. Officers said they found his body next to a handgun and a backpack full of ammunition.

He was restricted from owning a firearm due to his criminal history of threats against Mayne's mother and a judge, in addition to other charges. Police said it appeared Martin used a ride-sharing service to travel to a gas station where he could wait for Amanda Mayne to pass while walking to work.

Shauna Mayne said Salt Lake police either knew or should have known about the threats reported to Taylorsville police and claims that the department's negligence resulted in Amanda Mayne's death.

"Despite the clarity and frequency of the threats against Amanda's life and Amanda's status as a person with diminished capacity, (the police) did not properly investigate the situation and assess its lethality or take appropriate steps to protect Amanda. If it had, she would still be alive today," the lawsuit claims.

The mother said although her daughter was 34, her cognitive ability was like a teenager, and she suffered from anxiety.

The Salt Lake City Police Department said Thursday it could not comment on the lawsuit, "due to the pending litigation."

Contesting the Supreme Court

In 1996, the Utah Supreme Court determined that the government is immune from wrongful death cases, but Shauna Mayne and her attorneys at Parker & McConkie said they are prepared to prove that ruling should be overturned.

"It relied on an incorrect assessment of the history of Utah's wrongful death actions," the lawsuit says.

The complaint which initiated the lawsuit on March 22 said the Utah Constitution does not give anyone, including government entities, immunity for negligently causing death.

Shauna Mayne is seeking a jury trial. She wants money from the police department to compensate her for the loss of her daughter, for damages caused to their family, and for the loss of her daughter's income.

History of threats

The mother said the Salt Lake City Police Department knew about Martin's propensity for violence. She said he suffered from paranoid delusions where he believed specific people, like her daughter, were responsible for his setbacks.

Shauna Mayne said her family began to be threatened in December 2016, when police learned from a co-worker that Martin planned to kill Shauna Mayne and her son.

It quoted texts from Martin saying he was "hunting" them down, that he enjoys "destroying your life and relationships," and telling Shauna Mayne her daughter will be killed. These messages were reported to the Taylorsville police in January 2022.

Two days before her death, Martin came to Amanda Mayne's work location, telling police it was a coincidence and they were not yet divorced when they were, the lawsuit says. Afterward he sent threats to the company signed by the name John Dillinger, a known gangster, and more threats to Amanda Mayne, the lawsuit says.

At that point, Amanda Mayne told police she believed he was stalking her.

Fight against domestic violence

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson is a cousin of Amanda Mayne and has said her cousin was a victim of "the sort of violence that has become far too prevalent in our state."

"We will miss this precious soul and her golden smile," she said.

Henderson encouraged those in fear due to stalking or intimate partner violence to call the domestic violence info line for help.

Since the incident, Henderson has met with law enforcement and lawmakers to push for more agencies to use a Lethality Assessment Program — specific questions to ask when officers respond to domestic violence situations to gauge whether help is needed.

"I don't have any idea if that would have ended up saving Mandy's life, but I do know that she would have been able to be connected right there on the scene to a victim service provider," Henderson said about the program.

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