In the early hours of January 20, 2024, the life of 25-year-old Esperanza Elizabeth Espie Chavez, a Caucasian female from Salt Lake City, Utah, was tragically cut short. Her body was discovered by a passerby at approximately 6:24 a.m., left beside a dumpster in a Millcreek business complex. Responding officers from the Unified Police Department found Chavez deceased at the scene with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head.
The investigation quickly turned toward identifying who
had left her there. Detectives canvassed the area for surveillance footage, which proved to be a critical step in the case. Video from a nearby business captured a black pickup truck arriving at the location at 12:28 a.m. The footage showed a male figure dragging a body from the vehicle and attempting, unsuccessfully, to place it in the dumpster. After two failed attempts, the man left the body on the ground next to the dumpster and drove away.
Through the surveillance video, investigators were able to identify the truck's license plate, which led them to its owner, 46-year-old Fred Jason Edwards of Salt Lake City. Police determined that the shooting likely occurred inside Edwards' vehicle. The relationship between Chavez and Edwards was described as a romantic one, and the incident was believed to be the culmination of a long history of domestic violence. This history was documented, with previous reports of assault filed by Chavez against Edwards. Family members reported that Chavez had left Edwards two weeks prior to her death after he allegedly stabbed her, and she had obtained a protective order against him. She was in the process of moving out of state with the help of her family.
Later that same day, authorities located and apprehended Fred Jason Edwards at the University of Utah Hospital, where he was attempting to be evaluated. He was taken into custody and subsequently booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. Initially, Edwards denied any involvement in Chavez's death, even after being informed about the existence of the surveillance video. Edwards, who is a documented gang member, has a violent and extensive criminal history that includes numerous assaults. He was charged with murder, obstruction of justice, and abuse or desecration of a human body. Nearly 21 months after her death, in a surprising turn of events, Fred Jason Edwards pleaded guilty to the murder of Esperanza Chavez. In exchange for his guilty plea, the charges of obstruction of justice and desecration of a human body were dismissed.
