SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – The family of Elizabeth Salgado is reaching out to church members.
The anniversary of the disappearance of Elizabeth Salgado is approaching. She vanished on April 16, 2015 while leaving her language school in Provo. Her remains were found three years later in Hobble Creek Canyon in Utah County. Her killer has never been found.
“How come a country that has all the technology in the world that they haven’t been able to catch whoever killed my niece,” said her uncle Rosemberg Salgado.
They’ve become frustrated with the investigation by the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. They took over the investigation from Provo police.
“Why is it taking too long for them to actually solve this murder,” the uncle said. “We know if it was the president’s daughter this would have already been resolved.”
A spokesman for the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said the case remains active and they still get leads but so far, it hasn’t resulted in a suspect.
On Facebook, Elizabeth’s mother reached out to members of her daughter’s “YSA ward in Provo,” asking, “please be supportive” and “who my daughter Elizabeth was related to,” meaning, who did she befriend during her brief time in Provo? Elizabeth arrived in late March and moved into an apartment. Her friends were limited according to her family.
Her mother also targeted one person, Mackey Smith, who lived in the same apartment complex and taught her English. But, he suddenly moved away after she disappeared, according to the Salgado’s.
Her uncle said Elizabeth liked Spanish-spekaing young white men.
“She was very excited with white people,” he said. “She was very impressed, like every time she would see a white guy, she was always talking about him.”
The family hired their own private investigator to help solve the case. He said he cleared him as a suspect.
“He was very helpful to come forward and very helpful in getting the message out and we want to clear him as well,” Jason Jensen said. “According to him, he only hung out with her two or three times and the individual we’re looking for, we suspect hung out with her a lot more times than that.”
Jensen said a construction project was in progress when Salgado disappeared. Salgado was known to pass that site each day she walked to school.
“There was a report from somebody that worked there that he said co-workers may have done something,” Jensen said. “Now that hasn’t been verified and we would like more information about that.”
Jensen also said the two Salgado uncles were cleared early in the investigation.
“(Rosemberg) was in California when she disappeared,” Jensen said. “The other one was not in the area based on his phone records.”
It’s approaching seven years since the family last heard from Elizabeth. They only hope justice will soon come their way.
“Her family is not doing good, until they actually get some closure and find out what really happened,” said Rosemberg Salgado.
Anyone with information, especially members of Elizabeth’s church ward, is urged to contact the Utah County Sheriff’s Office or Jason Jensen, the private investigator.
