WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — A West Valley City man accused of killing a code enforcement officer pleaded guilty to multiple charges Friday, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
Kevin Wayne Billings pleaded guilty to criminal homicide, aggravated murder, aggravated arson, arson and aggravated cruelty to animals, the district attorney’s office said. He faces a maximum penalty for the aggravated murder charge of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Billings is accused of shooting and killing Code Enforcement Officer Jill Robinson and setting her body and city vehicle on fire in August of 2018. Billings is also accused of setting his neighbor’s home on fire, resulting in the death of the neighbor’s dogs and destruction of their house, the district attorney’s office said.
The district attorney’s office said that when he was asked why he killed Robinson and started the fire, Billings stated that “I’ve had all the harassment I can take.”
“According to the neighbor whose house Mr. Billings burned, Mr. Billings recently blamed the neighbors for reporting him to city code enforcement for ostensible violations,” the district attorney’s office said. “Based on the investigation, it appears Mr. Billings called the Code Enforcement office and scheduled a meeting with Officer Robinson, whereupon he shot and killed her when she arrived at the home.”
District Attorney Sim Gill released the following statement to those affected by Robinson’s death:
“On behalf of the office, District Attorney Sim Gill expresses his condolences to the family and friends of Code Enforcement Officer Robinson, including her law enforcement family and West Valley City colleagues. The District Attorney’s Office commends the excellent professionalism of Salt Lake City Police Department, West Valley City Police Department, West Valley City Fire Department, West Valley City Code Enforcement Office, for their significant work in this important case.”
