Crime Solvers Central
CSC
263 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.
Phillip Kioa death by force case profile photo

Phillip Lipa Vakaihevaha Kioa

Case from Salt Lake City, UT dated Apr 15, 2025

Victim Details

Phillip Kioa

Male

Pacific Islander

Salt Lake City

UT

2025-04-15

40

Phillip

Lipa Vakaihevaha Kioa

07/09/2026

Case Description

Any updates on this case? Let us know!
In the early hours of April 15, 2025, a dispute in a downtown Salt Lake City hotel room escalated into a violent confrontation that claimed the life of 40-year-old Phillip Kioa, a Black / African American man. The incident, which also resulted in the death of 36-year-old Sofeni Heimuli, unfolded at the Comfort Inn Downtown on West 500 South.

The tragic events began with a disagreement over payment between a man renting a room at the hotel and a woman he had contacted for escort services. ...
MEMBER ACCESS

Continue reading the complete case summary

Unlock the full case narrative for Phillip Lipa Vakaihevaha Kioa, all available source links, additional videos, and member discussions.

Unlock Full Case Access — $3.97/month
Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in

Links to Additional Sources (11)

See any mistakes? Let us know!
  • FOX 13 News Utah (KSTU): Three people — but not the shooter — arrested after 2 men shot, killed in downtown Salt Lake City
  • https://www.abc4.com/news/police-investigating-apparent-double-homicide-at-downtown-salt-lake-hotel/
    • MEMBER ACCESS

    Unlock 9 additional sources

    View the complete collection of available reporting and reference links for this case.

    View All Case Sources — $3.97/month
    Cancel anytime.
    Already a member? Log in

    Latest News

    View All

    Forum Posts (1)

    Reading about Phillip Kioa and Sofeni Heimuli’s tragic deaths, I'm left feeling deeply for their f... ...Read More
    05/03/2025
    MEMBER ACCESS

    Join the discussion for Phillip Lipa Vakaihevaha Kioa

    Read full forum posts and contribute to this case discussion.

    Unlock forum access — $3.97/month
    Already a member? Log in

    Other Cases from Salt Lake City, Utah

    Mario Zelaya-Zuniga death by force case in Salt Lake City, UT

    Mario Zelaya-Zuniga

    Death: Dec 19, 2014
    On a cold December evening in Salt Lake City, a meeting that was intended to be a drug transaction t ...Read More
    Miguel Prado Burciaga death by force case in Salt Lake City, UT

    Miguel Prado Burciaga

    Death: Dec 06, 2020
    In the early morning hours of December 6, 2020, the life of 23-year-old Miguel Angel Prado Burciaga, a ...Read More
    Richard E Stanley death by force case in Salt Lake City, UT

    Richard E Stanley

    Death: Aug 21, 1978
    In the late summer of 1978, a 37-year-old male named Richard E. Stanley was enjoying an evening with t ...Read More
    Marco Cardenas death by force case in Salt Lake City, UT

    Marco Cardenas

    Death: Jun 10, 2015
    On a summer evening in 2015, the life of 22-year-old Marco Cardenas was cut short in a tragic and se s ...Read More
    Jesse Ray Rakes death by force case in Salt Lake City, UT

    Jesse Ray Rakes

    Death: Aug 28, 2016
    In the early morning hours of August 28, 2016, a sequence of events that began with a seemingly inno n ...Read More
    Abdiaziz Abdirahman death by force case in Salt Lake City, UT

    Abdiaziz Abdirahman

    Death: May 30, 2024
    On the evening of May 30, 2024, a burst of gunfire shattered the peace near the Murray North TRAX St S ...Read More
    Josue David Magadan death by force case in Salt Lake City, UT

    Josue David Magadan

    Death: Mar 02, 2024
    In the quiet moments of a Saturday, the life of 16-year-old Josue David Magadan, a Hispanic male, wa w ...Read More