Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
TOOELE — A Salt Lake woman has been arrested and accused of obstructing a murder investigation in Tooele County.
Esperanza Elizabeth Chavez, 23, was booked into the Tooele County Jail on Thursday for investigation of obstruction of justice and having drugs in a correctional facility. Her arrest is tied to the homicide investigation of Ajmal Mullahkhel, 34, of West Valley City, in August, according to the Tooele County Sheriff's Office.
His body was found near Stockton about two weeks after he was reported missing. A cause of death has not been released.
Chavez's boyfriend, Larry Williams, 40, was charged with obstruction of justice in Tooele County's 3rd District Court in November for the same case, according to court documents. The charge, however, was dismissed in December. But Williams, who was recently indicted in federal court on a firearms offense, remains behind bars at the Salt Lake County Jail.
Both Chavez and Williams are considered persons of interest in Mullahkhel's death, according to court documents.
On Thursday, Chavez went to visit Williams at the jail and was met by detectives who had a search warrant for her phone. Investigators believe Chavez's cellphone "could contain evidence regarding an aggravated homicide" and the warrant ordered her to open it, according to a police booking affidavit.
When police approached her, however, "Esperanza said she did not know the password and it was not her phone. I advised Esperanza if she did not unlock the phone, she would be charged with obstruction of justice. Esperanza did not unlock the phone," the affidavit states.
Investigators also noted in the affidavit that on Nov. 8, in a recorded jail call between Chavez and Williams, "Esperanza said she was trying to build her boyfriend the best alibi. Esperanza told her boyfriend the police were wanting his phone's password to unlock his phone. Esperanza said she was not giving it to the police, but the police want it. Esperanza asked her boyfriend if she should give the police the password or not. Larry said, 'If it saves, if it saves ... you have to talk to the attorney.' Based upon the phone call between Esperanza and her boyfriend, Esperanza intentionally did not unlock the cellphone."
After Chavez was transported to the Tooele County Jail, she was searched and marijuana was found in her possession, the affidavit says.
Investigators went to a home in West Jordan in October as part of the homicide investigation.
"We received information that would indicate the residence was the possible murder location based off evidence that was located with the body," according to a search warrant served by Tooele County sheriff's detectives in November.
Chavez, who was in the house when police arrived, is a person of interest in the investigation because she "has made contradictory statements on several occasions when questioned about the disappearance and death of the victim," the warrant states.
The warrant says Chavez uses social media "to discuss the distribution and sale of drugs as well as agreeing to acquire firearms for different individuals" and in one conversation, "Esperanza was asked by an individual where the victim of the homicide was located. Esperanza responded that if the price was right, she would tell him."
Investigators also looked through Chavez's phone records which showed she called and communicated with Mullahkhel's number for several days after the victim went missing, according to the warrant.
Traces of blood where found in several places inside the West Jordan home. Those DNA samples were being tested for comparison with Mullahkhel's DNA, the warrant states.
"Larry and Esperanza were the last known people to see the victim alive when they came and picked the victim up from his residence the morning he went missing. The night prior we had a separate witness that brought the victim to the West Jordan address and met with Larry and Esperanza," according to the warrant.
