Daniella Rivera

Smiling dark haired woman in a red top

Website: https://ksltv.com/

Daniella Rivera is an investigative journalist with a passion for serving the public through seeking and reporting truth. She joined the KSL team in September 2021.

Bill that would change how social workers are licensed in Utah advances to the Senate

The bill's sponsor believes it will remove unnecessary barriers to the field, while critics say the bill gets rid of an important safety measure and could put the public at risk.
1 year ago

Police were warned rapist could reoffend 24 years ago. Now he’s charged again.

A convicted rapist paroled in December faced a Utah judge today on 10 new felony charges including aggravated sexual assault and kidnapping.
1 year ago

Enoch police, city officials do not intend to review handling of 2020 child abuse investigation

Revelations from a child abuse investigation into the Haight family's Enoch home back in 2020 are sparking sharp reaction among Utahns, and questions about whether investigators missed red flags.
1 year ago

Police investigated child abuse report 2 years before Enoch murders

Police investigated Michael Haight in 2020 for allegations of violence against his eldest daughter. Law enforcers ultimately decided not to pursue criminal charges for Haight, but they documented a pattern of violent and controlling behavior.
1 year ago

Utah lawmakers call for ‘culture shift,’ budget increase for state’s child welfare system

Over the last several months, the KSL Investigators have spoken with families and advocates who say Utah’s child welfare system isn't serving children as intended. Now, some lawmakers say it's time for big changes.
1 year ago

The gift you shouldn’t give car burglars this holiday season

Holiday shoppers are darting around busy parking lots this time of year. So are thieves. Unified police told the KSL Investigators there's a new number one hot spot for car prowlers, but some simple steps can make sure they don't get the better of you.
1 year ago

How mental health staffing shortages are delaying justice in Utah’s courts

A Utah man waiting for justice after the 2019 murder of his husband says staffing issues at the Utah State Hospital have contributed to months of delays in court.
1 year ago

Utah bill would limit how and when police can see your old location data

Want to know if police have your location data? A Utah lawmaker wants them to tell you – and the state – if they got it from tech companies. A pending legislative proposal won early approval from lawmakers.
2 years ago

Violent sexual predators use dating apps as ‘hunting grounds,’ BYU study finds

The newly published BYU study is the largest of its kind in the world, examining more than 200 sexual assaults in Utah that occurred during the first in-person meeting between people who connected through online dating apps.
2 years ago

NAACP: Grand Co. Sheriff agrees to diversity training after deputy twirled lasso in search for Black man

A rural Utah sheriff is promising to implement diversity and sensitivity training following a KSL Investigation, according to the head of the NAACP in Utah.
2 years ago

Utah Highway Patrol: Trooper’s comment to deputy twirling lasso in search for Black man was inappropriate

The Highway Patrol agrees the statement was inappropriate and “does not represent the practices of this trooper or the Utah Highway Patrol."
2 years ago

Utah deputy twirling lasso in search for Black man prompts calls for training, accountability

Body camera footage obtained exclusively by KSL of a Utah sheriff’s deputy carrying a lasso while searching for an African American man is sparking strong reaction from members of Utah’s Black community, who say it evokes the U.S. history of enslavement and lynching.  
2 years ago

KSL Investigation finds few cases of election crimes prosecuted in Utah 

Nearly one in five Utahns polled believe midterm elections won’t be fair and accurate. As election officials seek to restore voter confidence, KSL Investigator Daniella Rivera went looking for the facts of election crimes in Utah.  
2 years ago

Drug tests deemed ‘not sufficiently reliable’ in one child welfare case are commonly used in Utah

A Utah judge ruled that a certain type of drug test was “not sufficiently reliable" in a couple’s legal effort to be reunified with their children, but Utah’s child welfare agency isn’t signaling any plans to stop using the tests it’s relied on increasingly over the last two years.  
2 years ago

The number of Utah kids and teens dying by gunfire hit a record high in 2020

The state hit a devastating milestone in 2020, recording the highest-ever number of shooting deaths among Utahns 18 and younger.
2 years ago

Tracking Transparency: Why prison surveillance videos are rarely released to the public

Since this investigation aired last night, we've heard from some of you wondering why the state is withholding these videos from the public. Here's some of the transparency issues.
2 years ago

‘They’re all in imminent danger’: Video shows violence after Utah prison allowed gangs to mingle

Corrections officials say they're doing all they can to keep the people in their custody safe, and policies at the new prison will help. Families of those on the inside say it's not enough.
2 years ago

Utah AG’s Office reveals pornography was found on former attorney’s work computer two years ago

The KSL Investigators have learned a Utah lawyer accused of possessing and producing child pornography previously resigned from Utah AG’s Office after pornography was found on his work computer.
2 years ago

Citing ‘serious concerns,’ judge drops drug test results from state custody case

A ruling in a family court case could have implications across Utah. The KSL Investigators first reported on doubts about the accuracy of court-ordered drug tests. Now, a judge has thrown out the results in one case.
2 years ago

Man who claimed self-defense sentenced for stabbing his ‘best friend’ to death in 2019

In June, a jury convicted Jesse Bruce of murdering his friend and roommate back in 2019. As he faced a judge to learn his sentence Wednesday, Bruce continued to claim he acted in self-defense.
2 years ago

Doubt over the accuracy of court-ordered drug tests could have widespread implications for Utahns

A Utah County family is challenging the results of court-ordered drug tests which could keep them from having custody of their children.
2 years ago

Location data cracks open police cases, but critics say there’s a cost to privacy

Utah police are using controversial search warrants to scoop up large dumps of digital data. They can be critical crime fighting tools, but privacy experts warn they're an unconstitutional abuse of technology.
2 years ago

KSL Investigates: How is Utah’s new self-defense law impacting justice?

Is a new Utah self-defense law improving our justice system or leading to unintended consequences? The KSL Investigators analyzed a full year of cases.
2 years ago

Utah abortion laws unclear on reporting, verification process for sexual assault victims

Utah abortion bans require law enforcement and physicians to work together to help victims of sexual assault who are seeking abortion care, but KSL Investigators found the state has not established a uniform process to ensure that happens.
2 years ago