SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City Police are now asking for help from the public in relation to one of their most nagging, unsolved cases; the 1995 kidnapping and murder of 6-year-old Rosie Tapia.
Rosie’s body was found in an irrigation canal near Redwood Road and California Drive after an exhaustive search the morning of Aug. 13, 1995.
The killer remains unknown and at large.
This case has been frustrating for police and an emotional roller coaster for Rosie‘s family, according to her mom, Lewine Tapia.
“I’m getting old. My health isn’t good. I don’t want to leave this world without knowing who took my Rosie," she said.
And now, SLCPD Detective Michael Ruff says the department is asking for help to locate and identify two men who may have been among the last to see Rosie alive.
“Teenage boys, 16 to 20 years old, that were drinking with some babysitters that were in the Tapia apartment," he said. "Her parents did not know they were in the apartment; they did not have permission to be in the apartment.”
WATCH: 26 years after Rosie Tapia was murdered, her case remains one of Utah's biggest unsolved mysteries
That information dropped late Monday as detectives continue to review the kidnapping and murder of Rosie.
Detective Ruff says they’re now hoping to locate and interview two individuals, both described as Latino.
“We believe they were there, but we’ve never been able to identify them or speak with them. So we’re hoping someone out there would now know these two individuals, who are now in their 40s or maybe even 50s, would know who they are so that we can identify them and speak with them and find out what they knew about this case," Ruff said. "Because we don’t know what they know and we’d love to talk to them.”
After more than three decades, detectives know this is a long shot. But they also know complex and old cases can and are solved with the smallest tidbits of information.
Lewine Tapia remains hopeful.
“I cannot live without knowing who did it, and why they did it," she said. "I need closure for me and my family. I just want to find the person who took her and come forward.”
If you have any information, you are urged to call SLCPD at 801-799-3000. You can remain anonymous and there is also a significant reward available for the right tip.
