SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 20, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — The family and supporters of a little girl who was murdered 22 years ago in Salt Lake City are asking for the public’s help in solving the case.
A new coalition made up of family, attorneys, businesses and former neighbors has been formed to help solve the mysterious case of Rosie Tapia, who was 6 years old when she disappeared from her bedroom at the Hartland Apartments at 1616 Snow Queen Place (about 1700 West and 1700 South) in the early morning hours of Aug. 13, 1995. Police found her body hours later in a nearby canal.
The coalition held a press conference Monday morning to ask for assistance.
“This murder has been unsolved for 22 years; it’s just too long,” said Karra Porter, an attorney from Christensen and Jensen in Salt Lake City.
“With that in mind, what you see here is the beginnings of a new coalition, who have come together to work together and to appeal to the community to help solve this crime.”
Porter said the coalition has created a confidential tip line that is manned 24/7 as well as a website that gives more information about the case.
She said the coalition is looking for information about a male who is a potential person of interest, and also a female that is believed to have been a potential witness. The group is also looking for information about a second female that may have been visited by one of the persons of interest.
A composite sketch of a possible male person of interest was shown at the press conference, that was released by the Salt Lake City Police Department in 2010. The sketch shows a Caucasian man with a narrow face, wearing a light-colored baseball hat and with dark glasses.
“The family, through it’s unceasing efforts the past 22 years, has recently uncovered some leads in this case,” Porter added. “The information about these leads has been shared with the police. Because of those leads on various persons of interest, we now have something to compare information to.
“So again, if you knew somebody who lived here, and you think, well it probably doesn’t matter, they were only here a few months, we have something to compare that information to now, and that’s why it’s critical, if you lived in this apartment complex in 1995 or a surrounding area in 1995, if you ever visited here in 1995, if you worked nearby in 1995, even if you just happened to remember, a person that you used to visit here, we need that information.”
Porter said the press conference was held near Thanksgiving because it’s a time when people are getting together and communicating.
“This is the family’s plea to the community: Please, if you have any of that information, please provide it, and more than that, please talk about this case,” she said. “Ask everyone you know if they lived here, worked here, knew anyone here. Every bit of information that seems unimportant is now critical.”
The website states that Rosie was sexually assaulted, murdered, and her body dumped into a nearby canal.
The website adds that the family would like particularly to hear from anyone who:
- Lived in the Hartland Apartments in 1995
- Visited the apartments or were in the area in the months surrounding the murder
- Was friends with Rosie or family members
- Had kids who played on the playground there or knew kids who did
- Was familiar with anyone who lived in the apartments, or who might have seen someone on the playground or around the area
- Recognizes anyone in four YouTube videos that were shot by KSL at the time of the murder.
Rosie’s mother, Lewine Tapia, also spoke at the news conference.
“I’m here today to ask the public, if you have any information in regards to my daughter, or you know of anybody you can think of that might know somebody, please come forward, we need all the information we can get,” Tapia said.
“Twenty-two years has been a long time and I would like to solve her case as soon as possible. I don’t want her case closed, I want justice for her.”
The tip line phone number is 385-258-3313 and the website address is whokilledrosie.com.
