A self-storage manager was shot and killed at a Storage Etc. facility in Westminster, Colorado, on Oct. 7 by a woman police believe is the estranged wife of a man the victim was dating. Tanya Scowden, 47, was on the phone when the suspect entered the management office and began a confrontation. Video footage of the incident indicates Scowden grabbed the suspect but was shot in the head, according to a source.
Police found Scowden dead at the scene when they arrived at the property at 8390 Church Ranch Blvd. around 10:30 a.m. They arrested Sheryl Salzbrenner, 44, the following day, after questioning her husband, John Patterson, 53, at the scene. Patterson told investigators he believed Salzbrenner shot Scowden. Patterson and Salzbrenner have been married for 18 years but separated for the last two. Patterson and Scowden have been dating for two years, according to an arrest affidavit.
Patterson was at the scene property at the time of the shooting. He and Scowden had been living together in an onsite residence with another couple, a source reported.
Video indicates the shooter entered the office wearing a wig, but police used the footage to help identify Salzbrenner, a source reported. During questioning, Patterson told police that Salzbrenner and Scowden had a “physical altercation” at the storage facility about a year ago over his relationship with the victim.
Salzbrenner is being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder. Formal charges are expected to be filed today during a hearing.
During the initial investigation, police found a substance they believed to be methamphetamine inside the onsite residence. Patterson was arrested but was subsequently released, according to a source.
Storage Etc. owns or manages 30 self-storage facilities in California, Colorado and Utah. It’s portfolio comprises about 2.5 million rentable square feet.
Sources:
The Denver Post, Suspect Arrested in Westminster Shooting Death; the Suspect and Victim Were Known to Each Other
CBS Colorado, 1 Dead, 1 Arrested in Deadly Shooting Linked to Extra-Marital Affair
