Man who said his girlfriend shot herself is charged with her murder

A man who told police his girlfriend shot herself multiple times has been charged with killing her.

Jayden Wade Fernelius, 20, has been charged in 3rd District Court with murder, a first degree felony, in the Sept. 26 death of 24-year-old Lyberdee Cisneros. Fernelius is also facing three weapons charges — felony discharge of a firearm with serious bodily injuries, a first-degree felony; and felony discharge of a weapon and possession or use of a firearm by a restricted person, third-degree felonies.

Cisneros was shot twice in the chest, according to the state medical examiner, and “the trajectory of the second bullet did not support a self-inflicted injury.”

On Sept. 26, police received a report of gunshots at an apartment near 700 North and 900 West. When officers arrived, they found Cisneros “lying on the floor covered in blood,” according to a probable cause statement.

Cisneros was taken to Intermountain Medical Center, where she died a short time later.

According to police, they also found a bullet hole through the front door of the apartment, and one in the wall opposite the front door. Another bullet hole was found in the apartment floor, and there was a third in a cabinet. Three shell casings were found in the apartment.

Fernelius, who shared the apartment with Cisneros, had a handgun in his pocket and had “significant amounts of what appeared to be blood” on his hands and clothes,” police said.

A witness who was walking outside the apartment told police he heard two gunshots, and then, after a pause, a third shot. The witness told police he went to the apartment and saw the victim lying face down on the living room floor in a pool of blood and a gun on the kitchen table. The witness said Fernelius told him he did not kill Cisneros, and that he wanted to kill himself. The witness said Fernelius and Cisneros were the only two people in the apartment when he arrived, and that he told Fernelius to call 911 “multiple times before he finally did.”

According to police detectives, Fernelius “changed his story multiple times” after he was taken into custody. He said Cisneros shot herself in front of him; that he wasn’t in the apartment at the time of the shooting; that someone else shot her; that he was at work when she was shot; and that he was outside with another man when they heard gunshots. He also told police he had smoked “a little weed” before the shooting, and that he and Cisneros “argued and fought a lot.”

After the interview, Fernelius asked a police detective to remove his handcuffs. When the detective told him no, Fernelius told him, “I will shoot you, too,” according to charging documents.

Fernelius is being held without bail in the Salt Lake County jail.

Editor’s note • Those who are experiencing intimate partner violence, or know someone who is, are urged to call the Utah Domestic Violence Link Line, 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Salt Lake City police encourage anyone who has experienced Domestic Violence to call 801-799-3000 and ask to speak with a victim advocate, or call their 24-hour hotline at 801-580-7969. All services are free, and callers can get information anonymously.