I’m hearing little bits and stories from friends of of Tawny that Tawny was living in fear of Vicky. We all love loved her and and but but there was really something was was not right. The knife was already in her hand while the car was still moving. Tawny was behind the wheel, no one next to her. Victoria was in the backseat.
They had just dropped off a friend. Just a few seconds earlier, everything looked normal. Then the argument started out of nowhere. Victoria pulled a knife from her pocket and like started stabbing her while the car was still in motion, blow after blow. Tawny was losing control of the vehicle. The car crashed in a parking lot in West Ogden.
But that didn’t stop the attack. Victoria kept stabbing her again and again. Almost 50 wounds. After that, she moved Tawny’s body into the passenger seat. And she kept driving for a while. Then she started calling people she knew. By the time the police arrived, Victoria was already there waiting. She calmly said what she had done, told them where the knife was.
Tawny was found in the car, no signs of life. Just a few hours earlier, they had been on their way to visit someone, laughing together, driving back home together. They had been a couple for 5 years. People saw them as inseparable. But what was really happening between them, almost no one saw it. All right, guys.
I’m going to pause for just a minute. I’m really curious where my audience is from, so like drop a comment and tell me what city you’re watching this from and what time it is for you right now. Thanks for your attention. I really appreciate it. Go ahead and share that in the comments and I’ll keep going. Tawny Marie Byrd was born in June 1993 to her parents, Dana Anderson and Casey Baird.
Her parents split up when she was just 1 year old, but they stayed on good terms. Casey was always in touch with his daughter, spending holidays with her and staying involved in her life. Family members said Tawny was like a natural-born leader, someone who loved being social and surrounded by people. Her dad even said she had so many loyal, loving friends it felt like she had this whole circle of people just drawn to her.
She lived in Holiday, not far from Salt Lake City, Utah. She enrolled at Salt Lake City Community College and worked as an assistant accountant. She was ambitious, dreamed of becoming a well-known singer, and hoped that one day she’d live in California near the ocean. When Tawny was 17, she was riding in a car with a group of older friends smoking marijuana when they got pulled over by a police officer.
The officer searched the car and found more drugs and paraphernalia in the backseat. One of her friends later said that Tawny took the blame for everything, understanding that her older friends could have faced much harsher consequences. She was charged with a class B misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.
Her father, Casey, got really worried. He had his own history with addiction and decided to reach out to her probation officer. He asked for random drug testing to be set up, but the officer said they didn’t have the authority to do that and the issue was referred to juvenile court. Tawny was placed under the care of the Division of Child and Family Services and was put into foster care with her aunt.
After that, she was sent to a youth treatment center for 90 days. That’s where she met Victoria Mendoza. Victoria had a really difficult life. She lost her father to suicide when she was just 10 years old. She often ran away from home and skipped school. She had been in and out of different youth facilities. On top of losing her dad, her mother was terminally ill with cancer and they were living in a small one-bedroom apartment in Ogden with almost no money.
Dana said her daughter was in a very vulnerable state when they met. This wasn’t Victoria’s first time in a place like that, but for Tawny, it was. And Tawny like really gravitated toward Victoria, feeling safe around her. Family and friends said it was a classic case of opposites attract. Victoria was much quieter and easily jealous, while Tawny was more playful and like flirty.
And that often created tension between them. Still, they shared something important, a love for music. They would often write lyrics and songs for each other. What started as a friendship quickly turned into a romantic relationship and they became inseparable. After completing the 90-day program, Tawny was released and about a month later, Victoria was released, too.
>> [music] >> Tawny and her father, Casey, went to pick Victoria up. Casey later said that the moment he saw Victoria, he felt thrown off. They were just so [music] different. Something inside him told him that something about his daughter’s new relationship [music] wasn’t right and it made him uneasy. He said that there was just something about Victoria that made him feel uncomfortable, but he understood how important this relationship [music] was to his daughter, so he accepted it.
Dana also welcomed Victoria into her home and the whole family [music] treated her warmly. Her best friend, Lacey, said Victoria could be a little rough around the edges, but it was obvious they had a strong connection and really [music] understood each other. They often posted photos and videos on social media, looking like a couple that was genuinely in love.
But like as it usually goes, social media doesn’t always reflect reality. Tension in their relationship slowly started to build and they broke up and got back together many times. When Victoria cheated on Tawny with one of her friends, she uploaded a video to YouTube begging Tawny to forgive her and come back.
I have a lot of things on my mind that I want to say, but I I keep going blank because I know that I’m recording myself and I know that I’m doing like I know that I’m on video and stuff, but I’m going to just start from where I feel like I need to start and where I need to end. First I want to say is I’m sorry for hurting you and cheating on you with your best friend.
And your best friend is a [ __ ] and I don’t like her. She’s gross and I can give a [ __ ] less. All right. So, um this video is like an apology to you and the girl I’m talking about is Tawny and I’m trying to get her back to be with me so I can keep her again and for her to give me another chance because I’m in love with her and I love her and I want her back and I’ll do anything I have to do to show her that I can be a better girlfriend.
We met in our sex and I liked you and I wanted to get to know you and stuff and one of the letters you wrote me in our sex, I read all the time because it meant a lot to me and it’s probably like one of my favorite letters I have from you and the letters you wrote, but um it says Victoria at the top and it says I can’t stop thinking about you.
I can’t stop thinking about you either. I miss you so much. I wish so much that you were getting out earlier for real. I miss you so much and I don’t I don’t know how I’m going to do when I can’t see you for that long. I like you so much, really. I usually like different when I like someone a lot.
I don’t want to be with them all the time and I don’t don’t always miss them as much as I miss you. It’s different. I’m so happy that I met you for real. I talked to my aunt and she said right when you get out we can hang out cuz I told her you don’t do drugs and you want to do good when you get out. Whenever I see you, I just want to jump on you.
You make me so happy. I’m not afraid to tell people I like you. It doesn’t weird me out at all my family and some knows already cuz I always talk about you, so I always think about you. I already really trust you and like I care about you a lot. When they’re being [ __ ] to you in terms of our sex, if something makes me pissed, I always say something then.
And I’m not and I’m going to wait for you, okay? So, don’t think I’m going to be out here smoking a bunch of people. No way. You’re the only one I want and I promise I’m being serious about everything I everything I say, okay? If you think about it, you really meant that. And look at all the feelings that and everything we’ve been through and first met each other in our program and then when we got out besides the [ __ ] that I did and all the [ __ ] little notes that you’ve wrote me and all the [ __ ] that you got me and all that [ __ ] means a lot to me and I
don’t want to lose you at all. Like I really really really do love you and I’m really sorry for everything I did. And I’m just wanting to have you back in my arms again and treat you better than I ever treated any other girl before. I swear on the hell and don’t give a [ __ ] what anyone says about this video.
You guys can [ __ ] off and go suck a dick cuz I want to be with somebody and I’m going to do everything in my power to get her back instead of letting her walk free and letting her go with somebody else. That’s not what I want. I want her with me, so I’m going to do everything I have to do in my power, but until then I’m not single.
I’m waiting for somebody. The couple got back together again. At first, [music] Victoria became really close with Tawny’s family. Casey treated her like another daughter and both he and Dana [music] supported her while her mother was dying from a terminal illness. Casey was even there in her mother’s home at the moment she passed away.
After that, Victoria fully moved into Tawny’s family home. She worked hard, really trying to get her life together and build some kind of future. Tawny’s grandmother said the family even paid to have some of Victoria’s tattoos [music] removed and everyone supported her, helping her prepare for her first job as a security guard.
But pretty soon, the arguments and tension followed them into the house. Dana often stepped in during their conflicts. Even though the fights were getting more intense, she couldn’t have imagined just how far Victoria would go. Tawny’s grandmother said their relationship had become very codependent and honestly pretty unhealthy.
Victoria was extremely controlling and jealous of Tawny when it came to other people, but at the same time, they kept trying to make it look like everything was fine. Everything changed when Tonny came home with cuts, a split lip, and a knocked-out front tooth. Dana immediately understood that Victoria was behind it and said she was going to call the police.
“Please, don’t.” Tonny begged, realizing that now that Victoria was an adult, the consequences would be much more serious. When Casey saw his daughter’s tooth was gone and noticed scratches on Victoria’s face, he started to suspect that something much more serious was going on. But both of them insisted the injuries came from a fight at a party, and [music] like that was the end of the conversation.
Her grandmother said, She knew exactly how to manipulate all of us. Like she always knew what to say. After Victoria knocked out Tonny’s tooth, her best friend Lacey was sure that would be the breaking point that Tonny would finally leave her. But mhm, Tonny acted like nothing had happened, and they stayed together.
By 2014, Tonny and Victoria had already been together for 5 years. They often drove out to Ogden to visit family, and on October 17th, 2014, they did it again. That night, another argument broke out between them. Victoria spent a long time in the bathroom, and when she came back, she insisted they leave right away.
The evening ended abruptly. Victoria, Tonny, and Lacey got into the car and headed home. Victoria was sitting in the back seat, still clearly upset about something no one else really understood. Tonny dropped Lacey off at her house. “I love you.” Lacey said. “I love you, too.” Tonny replied. The friends said goodbye.
What happened next isn’t fully known, but according to Victoria, another argument started between them. And this time, Victoria pulled out a knife. She started stabbing Tonny while she was driving before Tonny crashed into a parking lot at 2484 East Avenue in West Ogden. Victoria kept stabbing her again and again, leaving nearly 50 wounds.
After that, Victoria called several people, including her friend Erin, just after midnight, when it was already October 18th, and told them what had happened. Good. She was talking about Tonny and Tonny was talking about Victoria. She was talking about Victoria. Do you understand? I went crazy when I seen Victoria, you know? And then I realized Tonny was dead.
Oh my god, she died. I was so scared. You have no idea how scared I was. The police received the call and immediately headed to the parking lot, responding without hesitation. The alert came in sharp, cutting through the normal flow of the evening, and within minutes, patrol units were already on the move. Flashing lights sliced through the darkness [music] as the tension kept building with every second they got closer.
Calls like this, you never really know what you’re walking into. It could be anything. That’s why the officers moved fast, but carefully preparing for like any possible [music] scenario. As they pulled up to the parking lot, it was already clear. This wasn’t just some obychnyy incident.
Something serious had happened, and what they were about to face would require quick decisions and a very steady mindset. And then what What is the address of the city of your emergency? I have to report a murder. Okay, do you know who was murdered? Yeah, her name’s Tonny. Law enforcement later said that who exactly made the 911 call was never fully determined.
However, based on preliminary findings, it may have been someone Victoria had [music] called shortly before. That detail, like, adds even more tension to the whole situation because those final moments before help was called are still kind of unclear. Almost like they’re missing from the timeline. When officers arrived on scene, the situation already looked critical.
Victoria didn’t hesitate. She admitted she had pulled a knife with about a 4-in blade from her front pocket and stabbed Tonny during an argument. Her words were direct, no emotion, just stating what happened. Police immediately asked where the knife was, and she said it was still in the car. Like it was just another detail, not the key piece of evidence in a homicide.
Tonny was slumped inside the vehicle, completely motionless, with multiple stab wounds across her body. What the officers saw, it was tasky, even for experienced responders. There were no signs of life. She was pronounced dead at the scene, with no chance of saving her. Further investigation showed that after the attack, Victoria moved Tonny’s body into the passenger seat.
After that, she kept driving for some time before she started calling friends. And that window of time, it’s honestly one of the most disturbing parts. A silent stretch where the worst had already happened, but everything still wasn’t over yet. KSL 5 News. The family member was contacted by the suspect, and the family member in turn contacted called 911.
This 22-year-old woman in jail tonight accused of stabbing her domestic partner to death during an argument. Good evening, everyone. Police say it happened early this morning as the couple was driving home to Salt Lake from Ogden. News specialist Sandra Yi has been talking to the victim’s relatives and is live with our top story. Sandra.
We’re live in Holiday, where police say Tonny Baird lived with her partner, who is the suspect in this crime. Now, Baird’s father on Facebook told me that he was on his way back to Salt Lake City tonight from a work trip out of state, but on Facebook, he did post that he was lost, hurt, and devastated over the death of his daughter, and he also said that he wants justice.
They were traveling back to Holiday. But Victoria Mendoza and Tonny Baird never made it out of Ogden. Police say the couple, who had been visiting friends, began to argue during the car ride home. They pulled into this church parking lot on E Avenue, where the argument escalated. Police say Mendoza stabbed her domestic partner to death, then called a family member who showed up to the scene and called 911.
But she implicated herself enough that, you know, our initial response to this call was it was someone was reporting a murder. They’re now looking to see if there was any history of domestic violence. Tonny’s aunt, who declined to go on camera, says Tonny was a student at Salt Lake Community College. She said her niece was a kind woman who loved her family.
Police say a tragedy like this doesn’t have to happen. If anyone knows anyone that’s in a violent domestic situation, uh feel free to report it to law enforcement and so we can intervene before something like this takes place. And this heartbroken mom tells me she wishes she could have done more to protect her child, and now she’s urging victims of domestic violence to get out.
21 years, she’s been my baby, and it’s not fair. She lights up a room. She’s just always like so happy. A beautiful, blonde, 21-year-old college student, Tonny had been dating 22-year-old Vicky Mendoza for about 5 years. They’d been living in Dana’s Holiday home for two. >> I’ve taken Victoria as a daughter, you know, like loved her.
My daughter came home a couple months ago, just bawling in the middle of the night, woke me up crying, [music] and her tooth was gone. And Vicky had punched her in the face and knocked her tooth out. >> Dana always threatened to call police, but was always convinced not to. They just begged me not to do it. I was so stupid. I should have done it.
By early Saturday morning, she says it was too late. All of a sudden, see the police mobile up. And so I just knew, you know? That she was gone. Victoria was charged [music] with first-degree murder, one of the most serious crimes in the criminal justice system, carrying the harshest possible consequences. The wording itself sounded strogo and absolute, immediately making it clear just how serious this case was and the level of responsibility she was facing.
The atmosphere around the case kept getting more intense because every detail pointed to the mashtabi of the tragedy and the fact that there was no turning back. At first, bail was set at $100,000, a number that, on its own, already showed how serious the charges were. But later, that decision was reconsidered, and the bail was completely revoked.
That move meant the risks were considered too high, both in terms of public safety and the possibility that she could try to avoid justice. From that point on, she remained in custody with no option for release, waiting for the next court decisions in a case that was only gaining more momentum.
felony murder charges in the stabbing death of her 21-year-old girlfriend, Tonny Baird. Now, most of the hour-long hearing today was spent arguing over the bail amount for Mendoza and whether or not the accused murderer is a threat to the public. Deputy District Attorney for Weber County, Chris Allred, admitted he was surprised to hear Victoria Mendoza’s defense attorney argue she wasn’t a threat to the public.
Our case is incredibly strong. There’s overwhelming evidence, we believe. Uh so, I don’t anticipate there being any problems. I don’t know what sort of defenses uh the that they might raise at this point, but uh I don’t see any obvious concerns. Mendoza’s bail was initially set at $100,000. That amount was later temporarily revoked, and a no bail order was set.
Monday, the judge ordered to uphold the no bail despite the defense arguing it was preemptive punishment for Mendoza. The argument was that it’s against the constitutional requirements that she has, and and that’s the issue more than anything. Uh my job is to stand up for the Constitution, and that’s what I intend to do. Family and friends of Baird left the courtroom happy with the judge’s decision.
I’m very happy. The no bail is appropriate on a murderer. 46 times stabbed. I was really happy that um we got the no bail for Vicky today. So, they can see how dangerous she is and you know what she’s done. Now, Carly, any indication of how she’s going to plea? You know, uh the defense team has not mentioned that at all.
We haven’t heard from her at all either. Of course, it’s still early, but today the prosecution did mention that initially uh Mendoza has admitted to the crime several times. Apparently, they say According to the defense, her initial position in court was clear and firm, not guilty. In the early stages of the process, she stood by that claim.
Holding on to it despite the growing pressure >> [music] >> and the increasingly strong evidence against her. In the courtroom, it felt like she was like clinging to her last line of defense, even as the situation started turning against her. During the hearings, her behavior [music] raised concerns.
In the already tense atmosphere of the courtroom, she even threatened to take her own life. Those words came out sharp and unsettling, adding even more intensity to everything that was happening. It reflected the pressure building inside her and just how overwhelming the psychological weight [music] of the case had become at every stage.
She’s a flight risk and a danger to the community. It’s the supporters that seems to be on Mr. Baird on his Facebook page who are making threats to Ms. Mendoza. Is that a consideration I should take into account? >> No, it’s not. But, the state what what’s going on is the state says that Ms. Mendoza is a risk to society or danger to the community when she’s not.
She’s not the one who’s making the threats against her. We’re also concerned that she may be a danger to others, your honor. Uh in this case, the defendant, Ms. Baird, had gotten into an argument while they were traveling. Uh looks like uh on I-15. Uh the defendant stated that Baird had quote smacked her and pulled her hair, which caused the defendant to become enraged and to snap.
The defendant then proceeded to draw her knife and stab Ms. Baird uh in excess of 40 times. Your honor, uh if a person can snap and violently attack and kill another person with such little provocation, with such disproportionate response, we’re concerned that she could also snap or become enraged in the community.
All right, thank you, counsel. Very well-written briefs, well-argued. I appreciate it. Given how strong the evidence already was and the fact that it kept growing stronger with each passing day as police continued gathering statements from friends and family, the situation for the defense was becoming like almost impossible.
Every new interview, every clarified detail only reinforced the overall picture, leaving less and less room for denial or alternative explanations. The atmosphere around the case kept getting more intense and the weight of the evidence became undeniable. In those circumstances, her attorneys, understanding the real risks and potential consequences, advised her to change her position on pleading.
It wasn’t an easy decision. It meant abandoning her original defense and basically admitting that the evidence left no real chance of acquittal. They were trying to minimize the possible sentence, knowing that continuing to deny everything would only make things worse. In the end, Victoria Mendoza pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.
That moment became a turning point in the case. A short but telling statement that finally accepted her legal responsibility and put an end to any question about her guilt. Um I understand they’re hurt and I’m hurt as well. I have no excuse for what I’ve done, you know. That’s mainly reason why I pleaded guilty.
Um you know, I did knock out her tooth, but her family also covered it. We have nothing to say. I’m in the wrong, you know, I’m the monster here, so. This is a a case that is not a life without parole case up to the board when she gets out. Um A lot of things could have been said, but the reality is no matter what happened, uh Ms.
Mendoza took somebody’s life and she’s pleaded guilty to that. So, we’re prepared for formal sentencing now. My daughter, Toni, had her whole life ahead of her. Toni was a beautiful girl with lots of wonderful aura. When she walked into a room, you could feel the love and see the wonderful personality in Toni. Toni had a lot of dreams, like being an actress, being in the music industry, among a lot of others.
Casey, [music] along with other family members, held back their emotions, but couldn’t hide the pain as they pleaded with Second District [music] Court Judge Joseph Bean to sentence the 23-year-old defendant to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The courtroom was filled with this heavy, tense silence, broken only by the trembling voices of her loved ones.
Every word they [music] spoke felt like a desperate attempt to show just how deep their loss was and how irreversible the tragedy had [music] become. They were asking for the harshest punishment, hoping it might bring at least some sense of justice and make sure she would never walk free again. But, Judge Bean, staying [music] composed and strictly within the law, said his hands were tied.
He explained that he didn’t have the legal authority to impose a harsher sentence than a range [music] of 16 years to life in prison. The reason was that the case was not classified as aggravated murder, which automatically ruled out life without parole. His words [music] came across cold and emotionless, but Turkey via the harsh reality of the legal system, where even the [music] strongest emotions can’t change the limits set by law.
Yeah, this morning a judge handed down her sentence, but the victim’s family says they’re not satisfied with the court’s decision. It’s clear that Toni was uh I think a a bright light. >> Victoria Mendoza accepted responsibility for the crime. >> of murder in the first degree, 16 years to life in prison.
Do I wish there there would have been harsher? Absolutely. I asked for life without parole. >> Family members say they understand the sentence, but think Mendoza should have been charged with aggravated murder, which could have carried a stiffer penalty. >> I don’t see what wasn’t aggravated about stabbing my daughter 46 times and then letting her bleed out.
>> Court will remand uh Ms. Mendoza into the custody of that department of corrections. The Board of Pardons determined that Victoria would not be eligible to apply for parole until she had served nearly 24 years in the Utah State Prison. This wasn’t just some formality. It came after a detailed review of the case, the severity of the crime, and the potential risks involved.
All those years, she’ll remain behind bars in strict conditions where every single day is controlled and regulated. Any future chance of release will depend on a series of evaluations and psychological assessments conducted during her sentence. Those findings will ultimately decide whether she’s still considered a danger to society and whether she could ever realistically be given a chance at freedom.
While in prison, despite the restrictions and constant supervision, Victoria somehow managed to create a TikTok account and a YouTube [music] channel. And like, that raised serious concerns because that kind of activity directly violates the Utah Department of Corrections policy on unauthorized communication with the outside world.
In a place where access to technology is tightly controlled, the fact that those accounts even existed brings up major questions about how effective that control really is. A spokesperson later stated that no one was aware of these accounts. And honestly, that sounds pretty alarming considering the level of security that’s supposed to be in place in facilities like this.
Right now, the situation is under official review. Authorities are trying to figure out how this even happened, who might have been involved, and whether internal procedures meant to prevent something like this were actually violated. I had no idea about like 99% of the violence in their relationship.
I still feel this agromnia guilt. There are things I wish I had known sooner and things I wish I had done differently. I truly believe she would still be alive today if I had really understood what was going on.
