New lead pursued in 1995 Rosie Tapia slaying

Salt Lake police homicide detectives have interviewed a woman who claimed to have information about the nearly 14-year-old unsolved murder of 6-year-old Rosie Tapia.

Early on the morning of Aug. 13, 1995, Rosie was kidnapped from her parents' apartment through a window, sexually assaulted and killed. Her body was found in a Jordan River surplus canal. No one has ever been arrested in connection with her death.

Earlier this week, Salt Lake police received a call from a former Utah State Prison corrections officer who claimed to have information about the homicide from an inmate, said Salt Lake Police Sgt. Robin Snyder. The woman was interviewed and gave detectives a letter allegedly containing information about the crime.

Details about what the woman said or what was in the letter have not been released. Snyder said investigators would research the information to see if it sparked any fresh leads. They will also check the validity of the letter.

Anyone with information on the Tapia investigation can call police at 801-799-INFO (4636).

— Pat Reavy