Skeletal Remains Believed to Be Teen Who Vanished in 2022 Found in Utah Desert
Dylan Rounds’ alleged killer led authorities to the site, Rounds’ family said.
Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office Facebook
The body of an Idaho teenager who disappeared two years ago has been found in the Utah desert, his family said.
Dylan Rounds, 19, disappeared in the desert town of Lucin on Memorial Day weekend in 2022. James Brenner, 60, the man charged with Rounds’ murder, led authorities to the remains as part of a plea deal, Rounds’ mother told EastIdahoNews.com.
“We thank everyone for their support and love,” Candice Cooley, Rounds’ mother, told the outlet. “We are grateful we now have Dylan’s body and can bring him home as we continue our fight for justice.”
Brenner reportedly led authorities to the spot in a remote area of northern Utah close to the Nevada line on Tuesday morning. Rounds’ family was then informed at 11 a.m. that remains were found and they were suspected of being the missing teen.
The Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office separately released a statement confirming that “skeletal remains presumed to belong to Dylan Rounds” had been recovered. “The remains are in the possession of the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner for confirmation of identity,” the statement read.
“Our hearts go out to the family of Dylan Rounds,” it added. “We offer our sincerest condolences for the loss of their family member. We understand that the pain of their loss is immeasurable, and we want to express our deepest sympathies to them. It is our hope that they can find peace moving forward.”
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Brenner, who had allegedly been squatting on property close to Rounds’ farm at the time of Rounds’ disappearance, has been in jail since June 2022 when he was detained on firearms charges. In March 2023, he was also charged with aggravated murder and abuse or desecration of a human body in connection with the killing of Rounds and the disposal of his body.
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