A man accused of shooting and killing his brother-in-law in Orem is out on bail.

Stephen Edward Strate, 54, was booked into the Utah County Jail on Oct. 25 after he allegedly shot his brother-in-law multiple times at the victim's home near 300 W. 400 South in Orem. Marvin Sidwell, 51, died at the scene.

Prosecutors asked for a high bail the day after he was booked, and Strate was given a $1 million cash bail. According to jail records, Strate posted the bail and was released around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Prosecutor Craig Johnson said it was a concern that Strate would be able to post bail, given rumors that he had a significant amount of money. However, he said there have not been any cases he has known of in Utah County where a defendant was assigned more than a $1 million bail.

"The state is certainly concerned that he is out of custody," Johnson said.

At his bail hearing, Strate was ordered to surrender his passport if he managed to post bail. Although prosecutors did not want to see Strate released, Johnson said $1 million is a lot of money to guarantee the defendant's return for his future hearings.

A significant concern in the case is also the public's safety and Strate's access to weapons, Johnson said. However, he would not comment on whether Strate has other weapons or whether possible weapons have been seized.

Orem police Sgt. Craig Martinez said he was not aware that Strate bailed out, but the fact will not change what the police department does. Any concerns the department had over Strate's release and the safety of other family members or citizens would have been addressed at his bail hearing.

Martinez said police have still not been able to interview Strate, but he said now that Strate has retained an attorney and is out of jail, they may be able to sit down with him.

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