Police looking into 15-year-old killing, warrants show

SALT LAKE CITY — A pair of search warrants made public this week reveal Salt Lake police are investigating two men in connection with the 15-year-old slaying of a Phoenix woman.

On Nov. 12, 1994, the body of Cornelia Salt, 22, was found in a rental car near 970 West and 900 South. She was shot several times in the head with a .22-caliber gun, according to the search warrant. Four shell casings were found in the vehicle.

In December of 2009, investigators sought DNA samples from Richard Byrd, 40, and Gilbert Loretto, 40, according to the warrants filed in 3rd District Court.

Salt's fingernails, preserved since the homicide, were sent in the summer of 2009 to Sorenson Forensics for analysis.

A confidential informant told police that Byrd, Salt's former boyfriend, was upset with her for leaving him to marry another man, "so he shot her three times in the head. (The confidential informant) knew details of the crime scene that were not public," state court records.

Donna Byrd, Richard's mother, asked her son in a jailhouse phone conversation, "Didn't Gummer do it? I thought Gummer killed her."

Richard Byrd responded with, "Mom, this phone is being recorded," court documents state.

Detectives determined Gummer was Loretto and that he had purchased a .22-caliber pistol two weeks before the homicide.

In the rental agreement of the car Salt was found in, Donna Byrd was listed as a contact. Donna Byrd told police that Salt came to Utah to visit her daughter, Shannon Byrd.

Shannon Byrd said she and her brother Richard and her boyfriend picked up Salt at the airport. The four then went to a party and later returned to Byrd's house, according to court documents. There, Shannon's 5-year-old son told police Richard and Salt had a conversation, and Salt left the home shortly after Richard, looking unhappy.

But Richard Byrd later told police he never went to the party. He said when he went to Shannon Byrd's home in the morning, he felt unwelcome and walked home, according to the search warrant. He said he used to date Salt many years ago but was no longer interested in her.

One of Richard's co-workers, however, told police that he left work early on the day Salt arrived because he was "excited" his "girlfriend" was coming to town, court documents state.

When Richard Byrd was interviewed by police, he refused to get out of bed, according to the warrant.