Dylan Rounds' Presumed Skeletal Remains Found 2 Years After His Disappearance

Dylan Rounds' presumed remains were found in the Utah desert two years after the 19-year-old went missing from his farm on Memorial Day weekend.

By Gabrielle Chung Apr 10, 2024 11:20 PMTags
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Dylan Rounds' family finally have answers two years after his disappearance.

Skeletal remains believed to be the missing 19-year-old were discovered on April 9 in a remote area near the desert town of Lucin, Utah, according to the Box Elder County Sheriff's Office.

"Our hearts go out to the family of Dylan Rounds," the department said. "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."

The discovery comes more than a year after James Brenner—who authorities described as a "squatter" on Rounds' Lucin farm—was formally charged with one count of aggravated murder and one count of abuse or desecration of a human body in connection to his disappearance, per police.

According to Rounds' mom Candice Cooley, Brenner revealed the location of the remains as part of a plea deal. "We thank everyone for their support and love," she told EastIdahoNews.com. "We are grateful we now have Dylan's body and can bring him home as we continue our fight for justice."

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Brenner has been in custody since June 2022, when he was arrested on firearm charges, according to the outlet.

Police said on April 9 that they cannot release addition information pertaining to Brenner's case "as not to compromise the ongoing legal proceedings."

Rounds was last seen alive on May 25, 2022. Brenner was accused of murdering the farmer after investigators found a video of the him "with blood stains on his arms and shirt as he was cleaning a gun" taken around the time of Rounds' disappearance, according to a probable cause statement obtained by the local outlet.

Box Elder County Sheriff's Office

"The shirt which defendant is wearing in the video was analyzed and the victim's DNA was found on the shirt," the court document read, adding that Brenner made "numerous demonstrably false statements" while speaking to investigators about Rounds' disappearance.

In a March 2023 press release, the Box Elder County Sheriff's Office said that Brenner was the "only suspect" in their investigation.

They added, "We express our condolences to the family of Dylan Rounds."

An attorney for Brenner declined to comment when reached by E! News.

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