Authorities confirmed on Tuesday that the skeletal remains found in a remote area of western Utah are believed to belong to Dylan Rounds, a 19-year-old farmer who went missing in 2022. According to reports, the man charged with Rounds’ death led authorities to the burial location.
The Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office released a news release announcing the discovery of human remains Tuesday near Lucin, a small railroad village about 200 miles northwest of Salt Lake City.
The FBI searched the area for evidence and discovered the remains, which are now in the care of the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner for identification, according to officials.
CBS station KUTV reported Rounds missing on May 30, 2022, after his last sighting on his farm near Lucin.
The sheriff’s office reported in March 2023 that they had charged James Brenner with aggravated murder and abuse or desecration of a human body for Rounds’ murder and subsequent disposal. Rounds’ mother, Candice Cooley, told the East Idaho News that Brenner escorted detectives to Rounds’ burial spot on Tuesday as part of a plea agreement.
“We thank everyone for their support and love,” Cooley told the newspaper. “We are grateful we now have Dylan’s body and can bring him home as we continue our fight for justice.”
KUTV reported that a probable cause statement traced Rounds’ last phone signal to a pond near Brenner’s residence. The East Idaho News reported that they found Rounds’ boots near a dirt mound and his phone at the bottom of the pond.
Rounds spoke with his grandmother by phone before disappearing, but that was the last time his family heard from him, according to the outlet.
The sheriff’s office announced Tuesday that it would not divulge any additional information so as not to jeopardize pending legal processes.
“Our hearts go out to Dylan Rounds’ family,” the office stated. “We extend our heartfelt condolences for the loss of their family member. We understand that their loss is unbearable, and we wish to send our heartfelt condolences to them. It is our wish that they will find peace moving ahead.”
