Tawnee Marie Baird, 21, was brutally murdered, according to an investigation by Investigation Discovery’s “Web of Lies Fatal Facade.” On October 14th, 2014, Tawnee Baird and her partner, Victoria Ashley Mendoza, were driving on the freeway in Weber County in the early morning hours when a heated argument was fought between the two.
Within a few hours, Mendoza’s friend found out about Mendoza’s alarming phone message and quickly called 911. Police and emergency personnel arrived to discover an unsettling and horrific murder scene.
Tawnee Marie had died, murdered to death inside the vehicle, and Ashley Mendoza sat calmly next to her. There was a thorough investigation into a shocking incident of jealousy and domestic abuse that claimed a young girl’s life. Are you interested in knowing more about this horrific and bloody murder? This is what we learned.
How Did Tawnee Baird Die?
Tawnee Marie Baird, studying at Salt Lake Community College, lived in Holladay with her partner of five years, Victoria Mendoza. Tawnee had encountered Mendoza in a treatment center for youths after she was taken to a mental health treatment facility following the discovery of her possession of drugs and other paraphernalia.
Mendoza was said to be extremely close to the victim’s family. Tawnee’s father, Casey, was rumored to have her as the “other child.”
In the early dawn of October 18, 2014, Tawnee and her partner returned to the Holladay home after having a night out with their friends from Ogden. The couple, who were already suspected of having an unfaithful relationship, got into an altercation that escalated into violence in the course of their drive.
As the argument grew more heated, Mendoza was behind the steering wheel, pulled into a parking area and attacked her companion for five years. The autopsy report will declare that Twanee was repeatedly stabbed by Victoria. Tawnee was found dead at the scene.
Who was the killer of Tawnee Baird?
Following the incident, Mendoza phoned and informed their sister Spencer of the deed. She was not convinced initially, but she was so enthralled by her voice that she led Spencer to dial 911 and rush to the scene.
Spencer later admitted that when she arrived, she discovered Baird killed in the car’s driver’s seat with blood everywhere. The first officers who arrived at the scene were hoping that someone would hand their back to them for murder.
“We were actually responding to a call about a murder or someone who wanted to surrender for the murder,” said Ogden Police Lieutenant Tim Scott. They found Mendoza in the vehicle with Tawnee, wounded and stabbed beside her.
Then, Mendoza was arrested, examined, and found guilty of Tawnee Baird’s killing. In the end, it was claimed that it was because Victoria Mendoza was jealous of her husband and that they were having an abusive relationship. Investigators concluded that it was anger and jealousy that led Mendoza to commit a reckless crime.
Following her arrest, Mendoza confessed to officers that she had pulled the knife, which measured 4 inches in length, out of her front pocket and cut Baird as they fought over an individual. A statement from the family of the victims revealed that the couple would physically fight and, prior to the murder, evidence of physical assault was visible on the body of the victim, as evidenced by scratch marks and chipped teeth on her body.
Where is Victoria Mendoza now?
In Mendoza’s initial hearing following the incident, she was told not to be in the court and threatened to murder herself in violent outbursts. But, when all the evidence was uncovered and a convincing case was crafted against Mendoza, she was charged by the police with first-degree felony murder.
Her attorney suggested that she plead guilty, which she did. She also appeared deeply hurt and embarrassed when she was seen declaring, “Everything they’ve said hurts me greatly.” She said, “I have no excuse for the things I’ve committed.
This is the primary reason I’ve admitted guilt. I have nothing to say. I’m the one that’s the problem in this room. ” Tawnee’s parents never advocated for the death penalty against Mendoza in the manner Casey Baird said, “I don’t even want death for anyone.
I would like her to be suffering and be given plenty of time to contemplate this. ” When Mendoza admitted guilt to the charges, the court sentenced her to 16 years of life in prison for murdering Tawnee Marie Baird. As of now, Victoria Mendoza is being held in the Utah State Prison, and her parole hearing is set for October 2039.
