Herriman woman killed in alleged murder-suicide filed for divorce before death; suspect identified

SALT LAKE CITY — Police on Monday identified the victim and suspect in what they're calling a murder-suicide at a Herriman home Friday evening.

Herriman police responded to 4596 W. Watchmen Way on a welfare check. Upon making entry to the residence, Lindha P Zerpa Lara, 43, of Herriman, and Manuel R. Ramirez Perez, 56, were both found dead.

Close family friends say Paola was a mother, an entrepreneur and an active member of the Venezuelan community in Utah.

KSL found court records showing that Paola legally filed a petition for divorce on Thursday, April 16, just one day before being killed in her home.

Ramirez Perez's name matches the one in the divorce document.

Police have not yet released the names of the two people; they say they are still working to notify some family members. They said the female victim appeared to have been killed by blunt force trauma, while the male suspect's death was self-inflicted. Police found both bodies just after 7:15 p.m. on Friday at 4596 W. Watchmen Way in Herriman.

Family friends Patricia Quinonez and Fabian Rapalino spoke with KSL with the help of a translator. They spoke on behalf of Paola's mother, who lives in Magna and has been working with police to piece together what happened.

"She was always a bright light for her mom. A person that was always trying to do the best for their community, the Venezuelan community," Quinonez said.

They said that Paola planned to meet her estranged husband at her home on Friday afternoon; the two didn't live together, but both spent time with their 10-year-old child and had a civil relationship.

Quinonez explained, "Grandma started getting concerned that she was not getting any phone calls or text messages." Eventually friends called police, who carried out a welfare check.

Friends told KSL the child was not home at the time of the incident and is safe now with family.

Paola immigrated to Utah from Venezuela eight years ago; she trained as an esthetician, opened her own business, and helped organize We All Must Shine, a support organization for people undergoing cancer treatment.

She opened a medical spa in 2022, but just two months ago, her business space burned to the ground, and she was working to rebuild. Her friends hope her death inspires other women to get help long before they are in crisis.

Rapalino urged, "Start talking about it. To your friends, to your families. Don't be quiet. Seek assistance."

But they said in many immigrant communities, asking for help feels too risky for some people now that police work so closely with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"When police show up, instead of providing help, they go and they have taken people into detention," Quinonez said.

Paola's friends said they can't know for sure if that was the case for her, but they hope that other victims reach out and find the help they need.

Related topics