PROVO — A Salem man accused of shooting and killing his wife in their home last year had Ambien in his system at the time of the shooting. 

Tracy Scott, 48, has been charged with one count first-degree murder in the death of his wife Teresa. 

Scott’s attorney, Richard Gale, said during a hearing Thursday morning that Scott’s blood shows there was Ambien in his system several hours after the shooting occurred. Gale is waiting for an expert to determine the level of the drug in Scott’s system and whether it would have made an impact on his client’s behavior. 

“Sometimes people on Ambien suffer amnesia and they don’t remember what happened, or don’t remember doing things, or don’t know what they are doing,” Gale said. “Sometimes they act out violently.” 

Scott was arrested and charged in March 2013. Police were called March 23 to the couple’s home at 455 E. 300 South in Salem. Teresa Scott, 45, was dead when police arrived on scene. Police said the Scotts had a history of domestic violence, but said officers hadn’t been recently called to the home.

A preliminary hearing held in September revealed it was Scott who called 911 and told the dispatcher he had shot his wife. The 911 call came in just before 7 p.m. 

Gale said the shooting occurred under “extreme emotional distress.” In Utah, a murder charge could be reduced to manslaughter if the defendant is convicted but found to have been under extreme emotional distress. 

Scott is scheduled to stand trial in August. He will be in court again July 10 for another pretrial hearing.