COLD CASE: Murder of six-year-old Rosie Tapia remains unsolved after thirty years

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — On August 13, 1995, six-year-old Rosa Tapia was found deceased in a Salt Lake City canal. Over thirty years later, her murder remains unsolved and her mother is still left without answers.

According to Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD), Rosa, or ‘Rosie’, Tapia was kidnapped from her bedroom on August 13, 1995. Her mother, Lewine Tapia, had checked on six-year-old Rosie and her four-year-old sister around 2:00 a.m. and saw them sleeping in their bedroom.

A few hours later, at 5:45 a.m., it was discovered that Rosie was missing from the bedroom and the screen was removed from the bedroom window. SLCPD were immediately notified and initiated a search.

At 10:00 a.m. on August 13, 1995, a man was walking his dog at a canal near 900 South and 1600 West and found Rosie’s body floating within the canal. An autopsy revealed that Rosie had been sexually assaulted and died by drowning.

Today, thirty years later, this case is still unsolved. SLCPD is still seeking any information that may help solve Rosie’s murder. Rosie’s mother has not given up hope that her daughter’s killer will be found.

Lewine Tapia said, “I know there’s people out there that has information and knows what happened to my Rosie, but they’re just not coming forward.”

Rosie’s family also has a $100,000 reward for information that helps solve Rosie’s murder. Lewine says, “I want them to know there’s still that cash reward out for any information on Rosie’s case.”

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Salt Lake City Police Department at (801) 799-3455. They can reference case number 1995-119190.

Case History

In November of 2002, someone left a rock on Rosie’s grave with a note written on it. The identity of the person who left the note is unknown and SLCPD hasn’t released information on what the note says. They are asking that person to contact SLCPD and say they can remain anonymous at this time.

In March of 2019, SLCPD also released additional details on Rosie’s case in a true crime show called “On the Case” on Investigation Discovery Network.

In the episode, Salt Lake City detectives confirmed that they collected DNA from underneath Rosie’s fingernails and sent that DNA to a genetic testing laboratory. They also said that they have over 60 DNA samples from potential people of interest in the episode.

Additionally, a witness claimed to have seen a young man walking away from the canal where Rosie’s body was found with dripping wet pants. In 1995, he told SLCPD what he saw, but they did not create a sketch. In March of 2019, ABC4 helped facilitate a meeting between that witness and a professional sketch artist.

That sketch composite, whose release has been authorized by SLCPD, is pictured above. If anyone has information about who this person is, they are being asked to contact Salt Lake City police or the Utah Cold Case Coalition which is offering an additional $3,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and/or conviction.