In November 1978, 25-year-old Anthony “Tony” Adams was found viciously murdered in his Salt Lake City apartment. For more than 40 years, Tony’s case has remained unsolved, but not for lack of theories about what might have led up to his slaying. Was Tony targeted for his political beliefs, his sexuality, or his race? Was he the victim of a random robbery? Was this a bar pick-up gone horribly wrong? These are the questions police and community members have pondered over the past four decades that have never been answered.
Courtesy of Utah Cold Case Coalition
Episode Info
If you have any information about the murder of Anthony “Tony” Adams in November of 1978, please call the Salt Lake City Police Department at 801-799-3000. Or you can submit a tip by texting TIP-SLCPD to 274637. His case number is 1978-86442.
Tony poses in an undated photo. Photo Courtesy: Ben Williams
Tony poses in an undated photo. Photo Courtesy: Ben Williams
Tony’s yearbook photo from Judge Memorial High School. Photo Courtesy: Ben Williams
Tony (standing) poses with his brother’s family. Photo Courtesy: Ben Williams
Tony holds a sign that reads “overturn Bakke decision.” Tony also voiced his disapproval of the recent Supreme Court decision in a Letter to the Editor that was featured in The Daily Utah Chronicle. Photo Courtesy: Ben Williams
A Letter to the Editor written by Tony about the recent Regents of the University of California v. Bakke Supreme Court case, which held that a university couldn’t use race as an exclusive basis for admission because it was a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Tony’s letter was published in the February 22, 1978, issue of The Daily Utah Chronicle. Photo Courtesy: The Daily Utah Chronicle
Tony wrote “Letters to the Editor” as a way to get his community talking about important and sometimes taboo topics. This letter was featured in the October 21, 1978, issue of The Salt Lake Tribune. (Part 1) Photo Courtesy: The Salt Lake Tribune
Tony wrote “Letters to the Editor” as a way to get his community talking about important and sometimes taboo topics. This letter was featured in the October 21, 1978, issue of The Salt Lake Tribune. (Part 2) Photo Courtesy: The Salt Lake Tribune
A November 8, 1978, article in The Salt Lake Tribune about Tony’s murder. Photo Courtesy: The Salt Lake Tribune
A November 7, 1978, article in The Daily Herald announcing Tony’s identity after his lifeless body was discovered in his apartment on November 6. Photo Courtesy: The Daily Herald
A Daily Utah Chronicle article dated November 13, 1978, about Tony’s slaying. Photo Courtesy: The Daily Utah Chronicle
Gay community leaders voiced their frustration in the weeks and months following Tony’s murder. This Salt Lake Tribune article was published on December 14, 1978. Photo Courtesy: The Salt Lake Tribune
After another gay man in Salt Lake City was murdered, community leaders theorized that Tony’s murder might be connected. Some believed that there might be an “L.A. slasher type out there.” This article appeared in The Salt Lake Tribune on December 15, 1978. Photo Courtesy: The Salt Lake Tribune
The Socialist Workers Party (SWP) asked the U.S. attorney for Utah to investigate Tony’s case. Tony was an active member of the SWP. This article is dated December 29, 1978. Photo Courtesy: The Salt Lake Tribune
Two years after Tony’s death, the SWP state headquarters was vandalized. According to an article in The Daily Herald dated January 19, 1981, the assailant(s) smashed two windows and a glass door and left a threatening message: “Death to the traitor, communists, race-mixers and black rioters. It’s time for some good old fashioned American justice.” This message also showed a picture of a lynching. Photo Courtesy: The Daily Herald
Tony's grave reads “Anthony Charles Adams — ‘Anton’ — July 30, 1953 - Nov. 3, 1978.” Photo Courtesy: Ben Williams
Episode Source Material
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The United States Department of Justice: Anthony Adams – Notice to Close File
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YouTube: Cold Case: 1978 Anthony Adams Missing Evidence Salt Lake City by Matthew Michela
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Radiowest: The Murder of Anthony Adams: Utah’s Dark LGBT History by Doug Fabrizio
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FBI: Serial Killers, Part 4: White Supremacist Joseph Franklin