In the quiet morning hours of January 23, 2022, in Salt Lake City, Utah, a tragedy unfolded that would leave a family and community in mourning. Anetupou Niualiku, a 50-year-old Tongan woman, was fatally shot near 130 South and 800 West at approximately 9:22 a.m. Despite the immediate life-saving efforts of officers and paramedics who responded to the scene, Niualiku succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead.
The initial investigation into Niualiku's death pointed to an isolated
incident, but for years, the case remained unsolved, with no arrests made or suspect information released to the public. Investigators were, however, able to identify a suspect vehicle, a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Sonata, that was seen leaving the area at a high rate of speed immediately after the shots were fired. In an effort to generate new leads, the Salt Lake City Police Department released photos of this vehicle to the public in March 2025.
A significant breakthrough in the cold case came in April 2025, more than three years after Niualiku's death. Following the release of the vehicle photos, a witness came forward with crucial information that identified 31-year-old Oakland Alope Taoipu Faamoe as the alleged shooter. The witness also implicated another individual who was reportedly with Faamoe during the incident and had confessed to the witness that Faamoe was the one who fired the weapon. This new information, which included details not known to the public, was consistent with the facts of the case.
The subsequent investigation by Salt Lake City Police Department's Homicide Squad, with assistance from the SWAT Team, led to the arrest of Faamoe. Detectives discovered that Faamoe had been driving a white Hyundai that matched the description of the suspect vehicle and had even received a traffic ticket in it just days before the homicide. Further evidence, including cellphone records, placed Faamoe and the second individual in the vicinity of the shooting at the time it occurred and showed they were in contact before and after the incident. Faamoe was subsequently booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on charges of murder, obstruction of justice, and felony discharge of a firearm. While an arrest has been made, the firearm used in the shooting has not been recovered, and the motive remains under investigation.
