Fred Edwards: Utah gang member arrested for shooting girlfriend and abandoning body beside dumpster after failed disposal attempts

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

MILLCREEK, UTAH: In a tragic incident, a 46-year-old man fatally shot his 25-year-old girlfriend inside his pickup truck. Following the murder, Fred Jason Edwards attempted to dispose of her body in a dumpster, but his efforts were unsuccessful as per Law&Crime.

Eventually, Edwards abandoned Esperanza Chavez’s body next to a dumpster and proceeded to drive to a psychiatric hospital for himself.

At present, he is in police custody, and while no additional charges have been filed, he is expected to be booked into Salt Lake County Jail on a murder charge.

Police found Esperanza Chavez dead

As per a press release, officers responded to a call on Saturday at 6:20 a.m. reporting the discovery of a body near a dumpster at 3994 300 West. 

At the scene, they found Chavez deceased. Detectives launched an investigation, canvassing the area for surveillance footage. Crucial footage from a nearby business revealed a black truck arriving at 12:28 a.m. 

The footage depicted a male figure pulling a body from the vehicle and attempting to dispose of it in the dumpster. However, the suspect abandoned the scene, leaving the victim beside the dumpster.

Utilizing the footage, officers obtained the license plate number, discovering that Edwards owned the vehicle. 

Police stated, "Preliminary findings suggest the incident occurred within the vehicle belonging to Mr Edwards."

Edwards was located at the University of Utah hospital, where he was attempting to undergo evaluation.

Fred Edwards denies involvement in girlfriend’s death

In an interview conducted after receiving his Miranda warning, Edwards reportedly denied any involvement in Chavez's death and discarding the body. 

Even when confronted with the existence of surveillance footage by the police, he continued to deny his participation. 

Edwards is purportedly associated with the King Mafia Disciple gang, and his criminal record includes numerous charges such as assaults, mayhem, resisting arrest, threats, retaliation against a witness, and escape from custody.

One notable prior incident dates back to September 2020, when an ex-girlfriend entered a 7-Eleven in West Valley City. With a bloodied mouth, she urgently called for assistance, stating that Edwards was about to kill her. 

Allegedly, he had punched her and forcibly dragged her by her hair into a vehicle, telling her to call her mother because it would be the last time she spoke to her. Fearful for her life, the victim jumped out of the moving vehicle.

Edwards also purportedly made threats to his mother, messaging her that he would "chop her in half" if she contacted his probation officer.