Police investigating ‘suspicious death’ as homicide after family demands justice
Dec 16, 2025, 11:01 AM | Updated: 5:07 pm
Police are now investigating a homicide in Sugar House. (Photo courtesy of Tichia Kallas Davis)
(Photo courtesy of Tichia Kallas Davis)
SALT LAKE CITY — Police are now investigating a homicide in Sugar House.
“Mr. Kallas’ death is being investigated as a homicide,” The Salt Lake City Police Department announced on Tuesday.
Originally, police said they were investigating the case as a “suspicious death”, but the family of 57-year-old Steve Kallas insisted he was murdered, and they wanted answers.
It happened early Sunday morning. Around 3 a.m., shots were reported in the area where a homeless man later found Kallas lying on the sidewalk near his RV just off of 2100 South and Lincoln Avenue, which is 935 East. His family said the vehicle had been riddled with bullets, though police have not confirmed those details.
“This is where they found him. They found him on the ground right here,” a family member said, pointing to the spot on Lincoln Avenue. where a small candlelit memorial now stands.
As Trichia and Michael Davis approached the memorial, they reflected on the man they lost.
“He was accepting of all people,” Trichia said, recalling their last conversation just weeks ago. “My brother was always happy.”
Although Kallas was homeless, he lived in an RV and was well-known in the community.
“People were saying, you know, ‘This man was like a father to me, he was like a brother to me,’” Michael added. “He was such a beautiful person, inside and out.”
Sophia Gilbert, Kallas’ niece, stood alongside her family at the memorial.
“We hope that justice is going to come for my uncle because he absolutely deserves it,” she said.
The family believes Steve’s death was not an accident and that people in the community may be withholding information.
“These guys know who did it, they’re just not willing to say,” Michael told KSLTV.
At the crime scene, markers could be seen near Kallas’s RV, which family members believe indicate shell casings. Police, however, have said there are no new updates at this time.
Despite the uncertainty, Kallas’s loved ones are determined to keep his memory alive.
“He may not have been rich, he may not have been famous, but he was a human being and he deserves justice,” his family said.
If you have additional information on this case you’re urged to call Salt Lake City Police Department.
