Police interview woman claiming to have leads in Tapia murder

Salt Lake police homicide detectives interviewed a woman Wednesday 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.

Tuesday afternoon, Salt Lake police received a call from a former Salt Lake County Jail corrections officer who claimed to have information about the homicide from an inmate, said Salt Lake Police Sgt. Robin Snyder.

The woman was interviewed Wednesday and gave detectives a letter allegedly containing information about the crime, Snyder said.

Details about what the woman said or what was in the letter were not revealed Wednesday. 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