Sai Foisia

Sai Foisia was a charismatic and beloved 25-year-old man from Carson, California, known by friends and family as a "jokester" and the "life of the party." A talented musician, he was a member of the hip-hop group Brownzville, which he started with his cousin, Trent Foisia. The two grew up together and were more like brothers than cousins. Sai was a family man, and at the time of his death, he had a wife and three children. His wife was pregnant with their youngest daughter when he was killed, and he would now be a grandfather.

In July 2000, Sai and his band traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, for what was their very first out-of-town performance. On the night of Saturday, July 22, Brownzville performed at the Utah State Fairpark. After the show, a large crowd of people followed the band back to the Days Inn motel at 1900 W. North Temple for an impromptu afterparty. Trent Foisia recalled that at least 50 people were already gathered in the parking lot when the band arrived. The celebration, however, would soon take a dark and violent turn.

As the party continued into the early morning hours of Sunday, July 23, 2000, some members of the group became uncomfortable with a few uninvited guests. Trent Foisia remembered having a bad feeling about two individuals in particular. The men were asked to leave, and Sai escorted them out of a motel room. A short time later, a confrontation involving Sai and three individuals broke out in the parking lot. Around 3:15 a.m., screams erupted from behind the hotel. Trent rushed outside to find his cousin on the ground, unresponsive.

When Salt Lake City Police arrived, they found Sai Foisia bleeding but still walking around the parking lot. He had been shot multiple times in the back. He was rushed to LDS Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The shooting was one of several unrelated homicides that occurred during a sweltering summer weekend in the Salt Lake City area, a wave of violence that police at the time partly attributed to the strain of a severe heatwave.

The Salt Lake City Police Department investigated the homicide, and while an early news report mentioned one man was arrested, no charges were ever filed in connection with Sai's murder. Police had an initial suspect, but no arrests were ultimately made. The case grew cold, leaving a family devastated and without answers. Decades later, the case remains an open and unsolved homicide, one of more than 400 cold cases in the state of Utah.

Sai's family continues to feel the profound pain of his absence. His cousin Trent, leaning on the faith he was taught growing up as the grandson of two pastors, has expressed forgiveness toward the people responsible, stating he holds no animosity. Each year on the anniversary of his death, Sai's aunts, uncles, siblings, and cousins gather to celebrate his life and share memories. They remember his vibrant personality and the joy he brought to their lives. As of a July 2025 report, a quarter of a century after Sai Foisia was killed, his murder remains unsolved, and his loved ones are still waiting for justice.