Rosie Tapia Identification Project

The Coalition provides grants to eligible agencies and organizations for the DNA testing process to make identifications through forensic investigative genetic genealogy.

Image of Rosie Tapia, a six-year-old girl from Salt Lake City

Who is eligible (United States applicants only):

Law enforcement
Medical examiners
District attorneys’ offices
Innocence organizations

Eligible applicants may apply to cover part or all of the costs of:

SNP DNA extraction for unidentified human remains or crime scene DNA
Whole genome sequencing (including bioinformatics)
Upload fees to law-enforcement-accessible databases

Please note:

By using RTIP grant funding for DNA testing, you consent to allow the Coalition’s FIGG team to perform forensic genetic genealogy.
This grant does NOT cover STR DNA testing, i.e., that which is uploaded to CODIS; however, DNA extracted for STR testing can sometimes be used to develop a SNP profile.
RTIP funding covers one sample per case.
Additional restrictions or conditions may apply.

How to apply:

About Rosie Tapia

Rosie was a six-year-old girl about to start kindergarten. She loved to dance, play with Barbie dolls, and play with her friends. She was a happy little girl.

On August 13, 1995, Rosie’s older sister Emo babysat while their parents, Lewine and Roberto, were on a date. When they arrived home around 2 a.m., Lewine checked on Rosie and her twin sisters in their bedroom and left their door ajar.

At around 5 a.m., Lewine awoke to find the girls’ bedroom door closed shut, their bedroom window open, and the screen removed. The twins were asleep, but Rosie’s bed was empty.

The family searched frantically.

Rosie’s body was found later that morning in a canal. She had been assaulted and murdered.

Her case remains unsolved.

Rosie's Law

In 2018, the Coalition spearheaded an effort to enact legislation creating a database to help law enforcement coordinate cases across jurisdictions. Rosie’s Law ultimately passed both the Utah House and Senate unanimously. It required law enforcement to enter cases that remain unresolved after three years.

Almost immediately after the law went into effect, Utah's previously estimated 200 cold cases jumped to more than 400.