MAGNA, Utah (ABC 4 Utah) – One year after two people were murdered, friends and loved ones are still waiting for justice and closure. Saturday, dozens gathered at Magna Copper Park to honor the victims and keep the case alive.
Tiffany Chambers says the last year has been agonizing.
“It really changes your view on things… I used to think people were good,” she explained.
The sister of murder victim, Stevan Chambers says the only thing family members hope for is an arrest.
“The updates haven’t changed,” she said.
It was a year ago that Chambers was found shot to death in the middle of a street in Magna. Then, two days later, the body of Shelli Brown turned up on bleachers at a nearby park.
Investigators immediately connected the murders.
“We’re currently waiting for forensic evidence to return from the lab,” said Det. Tim Duran of Unified Police Dept.
Since then, friends and loved ones have desperately searched for any kind of closure but can not find it. Chambers says it is tearing her family apart.
“My other two brothers left the state because they said they don’t want to be here anymore,” she sobbed.
So far, no charges are filed, and no justice for the 26 year-old victims, who police say ran in the same social circles. Family members are trying to move forward but spend every day, they say, wondering what happened and why anyone would commit these murders.
“I’ve been told by several people they saw [Stevan] beforehand and that he was crying and that he was scared,” Chambers said.
Loved ones say their light lives on. In fact, Chambers has a daughter named Ariel.
“She sees his picture and goes completely crazy, so she knows what he looks like,” said Leaaetohi Pouha, who was engaged to be married to Chambers before he died.
Pouha gave birth months after he died. She says coming to accept that she would be raising Ariel alone was the darkest time of her life.
“I even completely stopped talking to my family members as well,” she recalled.
Investigators say they are moving closer to finishing the case every single day. They, too, say they are ready for justice and closure.
“It’s sad to see the family going through so much sad times like this but… we have one opportunity to present a case to the district attorney’s office, and we don’t want to rush the job,” Duran said.
Detectives say they hope to finish everything up in the next month or so. Their only person of interest is currently behind bars on unrelated charges.
People at Saturday’s vigil also tell Good 4 Utah that family of the other murder victim — Shelli Brown — live in Idaho but paid special tribute to her as well.
