Salt Lake City, Utah — In a dramatic courtroom scene, Terence Trent Vos, accused of the aggravated murder of his girlfriend on May 1, 2021, testified in his own defense, suggesting that the fatal shooting was a case of mistaken identity with him as the intended target.
“The bullets were meant for me,” Vos claimed during the hearing, stressing that his girlfriend, Shandon Scott, was not the intended victim. Vos faces charges that include aggravated murder and obstruction of justice among others.
Attorneys Rudy Bautista and Jonathan Nish represent Vos, who provided a detailed recount of the night’s events. He described a terrifying situation where an assailant allegedly pointed a gun directly at him while he and Scott were seated in her car. According to Vos, the confrontation resulted in a struggle over the firearm, during which Scott was inadvertently shot.
“I grabbed the gun, it was hot, and suddenly he fired,” Vos recounted, describing the immediate chaos following the gunfire. He continued by explaining his frantic efforts to save Scott, attempting to drive her to a hospital before crashing on Interstate 80. Overwhelmed with emotion, Vos described the tragic moments: “I was losing her, I felt her soul leaving.”
Throughout his testimony, Vos maintained his innocence, admitting to past troubles with other individuals but denying any intent to harm Scott. He portrayed himself as a victim of circumstances, caught in a dangerous situation meant for him that tragically ensnared Scott.
The prosecution, led by Salt Lake County Deputy District Attorney Morgan Vedejs, questioned Vos’ credibility, challenging his familiarity with firearms and the consistency of his accounts. Vedejs highlighted discrepancies in Vos’ statements about the number of shooters and the details of the weapon used.
“Are you now saying there were two shooters?” Vedejs pressed Vos, who struggled to provide clear answers, eventually insisting that he always believed two individuals were involved. Vedejs’ scrutiny mirrored an attempt to expose holes in Vos’ version of events, focusing on details such as Vos’ description of the gun and his actions after the shooting.
Further adding complexity to the case, another witness, Damien Carter, is expected to provide testimony that could either corroborate or contradict Vos’ account.
In intense moments of cross-examination, Vos at times seemed agitated, culminating in an odd exchange where he insisted that involuntary twitches were being misinterpreted as winks.
As the trial progresses, the prosecution and defense paint contrasting pictures of Vos’ character and role in the tragic death of Shandon Scott. With Vos’ decision to take the stand, the jurors are left to navigate through his emotional testimony and the stern cross-examination by the prosecutors to determine the truth.
The trial is set to continue through next week, promising more revelations in this harrowing case of love, deceit, and violence, leaving the community and Scott’s family awaiting justice.