On November 6, 1978 friends of 25-year-old Anthony, Tony, Adams were worried about him. They hadn't seen or heard from him in a few days. Rev. Bob Waldrop, Bill Woodbury (Tony's boyfriend) and another friend went to his apartment at 125 1st Avenue in Salt Lake City, Utah. When they didn't get an answer Bill crawled through a window to find his boyfriend had been murdered. Tony's body was found in his bedroom he had been nude and covered in blood. He had been stabbed in his neck, chest, and his throat sliced with a butcher knife. He had been dead for several days and more than likely died on November 3rd.
Tony Adams was an African American activist who fought for Gay Rights. He even had a hand in organizing the Anita Bryant Protest in 1977. Anita Bryant was a singer and former beauty queen who was against gay rights. The Anita Bryant Protest was a big step in Gay Rights in Utah. Tony wanted to see the world changed for the better and have it be more aware. He was even called a "True Freedom Fighter," by Rev. Bob Waldrop.
The Salt Lake police were already investigating another cold case in the area. Coincidentally another murder of 16 year old Sharon Schollmeyers happened in the same apartment building. It isn't believed that the two were murdered by the same person.
It is believed that Tony Adam's murder might be one of many hate crimes that were happening in the area against homosexuals. It could also have been because Tony was a campaign manager for Bill Hoyle in the Nov. 7 election, so it could have been politically motivated.
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SOURCES:
https://qsaltlake.com/news/2009/11/07/the-murder-of-tony-adams/
http://www.slcpd.com/1978/11/06/anthony-adams/
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=118356459
http://www.slcpd.com/1977/12/05/sharon-schollmeyers/
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