SALT LAKE CITY — Wednesday, July 27 marked three years since Marie Leavitt lost her daughter Blaire.
“Beautiful girl," Marie said. "Beautiful and loving, caring. And she's missed every minute of every day.”
Exactly three years to the day since Blaire was murdered, a suspect was arrested after a SWAT standoff in San Mateo, California, a city 20 miles south of San Francisco.
Out of six total, Timote Fonua is the third suspect in the case to have been arrested in 2022. In February, Lachelle Fiefia was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice. A month later,Katoa Pahulu turned himself in to police in Hawaii on an outstanding warrant in relation to the homicide.
The three remaining suspects are Mapilivai Laulea, Sunia Cavazos and Tevita Kofutua.
“I think that she would, honestly, she would be very proud of the process and the progress that's been made," Marie said. “It's bittersweet. We’ve waited three years for this to happen.”
On the morning of July 27, 2019, someone kicked down the door of Blaire's apartment on Redwood Road in Salt Lake City and shot her in the head, according to police records. For nearly three years, no arrests were made and her case went unsolved — until the Salt Lake City Police Department announced six newly identified suspects in February of this year.
“They didn't care," Marie said. "They did not care how I felt. They didn't care what I thought. They didn't care two bits about it.”
She added that seeing these individuals arrested is one thing, but seeing their convictions will be another.
“I will pursue this," Marie said. "I will see this to the end.”
The Salt Lake City Police Department is continuing to investigate this case. Anyone with information should contact 801-799-3000 and reference the Blaire Leavitt homicide.
