SALT LAKE CITY — Esperanza Chavez was one of eight siblings; she had a huge love for family and a passion for food. Her mom, Jontue Chavez, described her as a wild child with an unforgettable smile.
“She was so fierce, such a bright personality, and her smile lit up the room. She always had something funny to say,” Jontue said.
At 24 years old, Esperanza’s life was taken from her. She was found dead with a gunshot wound near a dumpster in Millcreek early Saturday morning .
“He just left her there on the side of a trashcan like a piece of trash, and just left her body there in the cold all night to be there by herself, in the freezing cold, dead,” Jontue said.
Esperanza’s ex-boyfriend, Fred Edwards, was arrested for murder, obstruction of justice, and abuse or desecration of a human body. He’s currently being held without bail. Jontue says when the detectives arrived at her home Saturday afternoon, she was in shock.
“My instant reaction was: ‘Did he kill her?’ and the detective was like, ‘What do you mean he?’ and it was my greatest fear coming true,” Jontue said. “I screamed and cried and bawled.”