Tommy Joe Ortega was 30 when he was killed in Salt Lake City during the early morning hours of April 14, 1996. Ortega, a Hispanic/Latino father of two, had been at a bachelor party with a friend at an apartment at 3569 S. 455 E. An altercation broke out; what sparked the dispute is not clear, but it ended with Ortega’s death. Law enforcement classified the death as a homicide and the Unified Police Department opened an investigation.

No arrests have been publicly announced and no suspect information has been released. Ortega’s family continues to seek answers about what happened that night. If anyone has information about the events at that apartment on April 14, 1996, please come forward.