A new true crime series hosted by author James Patterson has shed light on the unsolved case of Elizabeth Laguna Salgado, a 26-year-old woman who moved to Provo in March 2015 and was killed barely a month later.
Available on Fox News Media’s streaming service, Fox Nation, “Unsolved with James Patterson” is a three-part series investigating cold cases from around the country. The first and third episodes cover cases from Louisiana and California, respectively. Episode 2, “The Canyon,” delves into the disappearance and death of Elizabeth Laguna Salgado, who went missing from Provo in 2015 and was found dead in Hobble Creek Canyon three years later.
There is little evidence in the case and few leads, but “Unsolved with James Patterson” explored potential evidence that may provide new information in the case.
Who was Elizabeth Laguna Salgado?
Elizabeth Elena Laguna Salgado was an engineer from Chiapas, Mexico, who moved to Provo in March 2015 to study English, her family told The Daily Universe. She had recently returned home from serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pachuca, Mexico.
Laguna Salgado’s uncle, Rosemberg Salgado, spoke about his niece’s faith in an interview with “Unsolved with James Patterson.”
“Her faith is what taught me that every time that we have a problem in this life, there is a solution, and that’s God and Jesus,” Salgado said. “I’m putting all my faith in them so that they can help us to find out who killed my niece.”
What happened to Elizabeth Laguna Salgado?
On April 16, 2015, Laguna Salgado texted her sister to let her know she was heading home from school. She never made it back to her apartment, which was less than two miles away.
Private investigator Jason Jensen said on “Unsolved with James Patterson” that Laguna Salgado regularly communicated with her family. After several texts went unanswered and her uncle discovered she wasn’t at her apartment, the family reported her missing.
Over the next few years, the family, police and the public participated in searches for the missing woman. On May 18, 2018, a hiker in Hobble Creek Canyon happened upon a set of human remains, which were later confirmed as Laguna Salgado’s. NBC reports the cause and manner of her death were not made known, but the Utah County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the case as a homicide.
Who killed Elizabeth Laguna Salgado?
Investigators have never named any official people of interest in the case. “Unsolved with James Patterson” refers to several potential suspects. Police told producers that all had been cleared as people of interest, although they could not definitively rule anyone out of their investigation.
The show revealed there may be a single piece of evidence that could help advance the case — a penny Jensen found at the spot Laguna Salgado’s body was recovered and hopes belongs to her killer. DNA testing revealed two profiles, which can be compared with that of any potential suspects.
Both Jensen and Sergeant Spencer Cannon, public information officer for the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, clarified the penny may have been left at the scene by someone unrelated to the case. However, they both said they are willing to explore any potential evidence in order to bring justice to the Laguna Salgado family.
Anyone with information regarding the case can contact the Investigations Department of the Utah County Sheriff’s office at (801) 851-4010.