In Salt Lake City, Utah, on the evening of September 25, 2022, a 24-year-old Mixed Race woman named Lyberdee Cisneros was shot and killed in her apartment. Her life was cut short in what should have been the safety of her own home, a place she shared with her boyfriend. The tragic events of that night brought an end to a life that her family remembered as vibrant and full of love, marked by an infectious smile and a loud, joyful laugh.
Just hours before her death, Lyberdee had confided
in her sister, expressing her intention to leave her two-year relationship with her boyfriend, which she described as abusive. She had even mentioned rebuilding a legal case against him in the hopes of ensuring he could not harm her or anyone else again. This conversation would be their last. That evening, police were called to the Downtown West Liberty Apartments with a report of a woman being shot.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a grim scene. Lyberdee was found lying on the floor, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics rushed her to a nearby hospital, but her injuries were too severe, and she passed away. Also present in the apartment was her 20-year-old boyfriend, Jayden Fernelius. Police noted that he had what appeared to be significant amounts of blood on his hands and clothing. A 9mm handgun was also found in his possession.
In the initial aftermath, Jayden Fernelius provided conflicting accounts of what had transpired. He claimed at one point that he was outside when he heard a gunshot and ran back to the apartment to find Lyberdee dead. In another version of events, he alleged that she had shot herself. However, the evidence at the scene told a different story. The nature of Lyberdee's multiple gunshot wounds was not consistent with being self-inflicted. Subsequently, Jayden Fernelius was arrested and taken into custody. He was later charged with first-degree murder in connection with Lyberdee Cisneros's death.
