Recent St. George Murder Highlights Issues with Domestic Violence

A St. George woman was found dead in her home Sunday with domestic violence believed to be the root cause of the crime.

A statement from the St. George Police Department provided details surrounding the murder.

The SGPD said, “On September 1, 2024 at approximately 8:35 pm, officers were dispatched to the area of 2800 S 2300 E on a cardiac arrest. When officers arrived on scene they found Niki A. Sampson (47) deceased inside the home. Circumstances around her death were suspicious and upon further investigation, her husband, Eric L. Sampson (50) was identified as a suspect and arrested. Eric was booked into Purgatory and charged with DV Aggravated Assault and Murder.”

Niki reportedly filed a case of domestic violence against her husband in July with Eric scheduled for a pretrial conference for the case on October 30. According to an article from Kayla Baggerly and our news partners at ABC4 Utah, police went as far to arrest Eric for the domestic violence report earlier this year.

Baggerly wrote, “Eric was arrested for a previous assault against Niki in July of this year. He had pled not guilty and was set for a pretrial conference on Oct. 30. According to the probable cause statement, Niki reported she was attacked by her husband and he held her down and pulled her hair.”

Eric reportedly told authorities that he was trying to calm Niki down at the time, and that she kicked him while doing so; However, Eric showed no sign of injury and reportedly smelled of alcohol.

If you or anyone you know is dealing with issues related to domestic violence, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the proper authorities. You can also receive advice from the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition by calling 1-800-897-LINK (5465).

According to 2023 statistics from the Utah Women & Leadership Project and the University of Utah, 33.6% of women will experience contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking in their lifetime. On top of that, 41.6% will experience forms of psychological aggression.

Please remember you’re not alone. No matter your gender, don’t tolerate any sort of domestic abuse. There are professionals ready to listen to every word you have to say.