• Skeletal remains believed to be Dylan Rounds were found in Utah, providing closure to his family
• James Brenner, a “squatter” on Rounds’ farm, was charged with aggravated murder and desecration of a human body in connection to his disappearance
• Brenner revealed the location of the remains as part of a plea deal, and has been in custody since June 2022
Here is what happened:
The family of Dylan Rounds finally received closure two years after his disappearance, as skeletal remains believed to be the missing 19-year-old were found in a remote area near Lucin, Utah. The Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office expressed their condolences to the family and hoped they could find peace moving forward. This discovery came after James Brenner, described as a “squatter” on Rounds’ farm, was charged with aggravated murder and desecration of a human body in connection to his disappearance. According to Rounds’ mom, Candice Cooley, Brenner disclosed the location of the remains as part of a plea deal, allowing them to bring Dylan home and continue their pursuit of justice.
Brenner has been in custody since June 2022 on firearm charges and additional details about his case have not been released to avoid compromising ongoing legal proceedings, as per police. The last sighting of Rounds was on May 25, 2022, and authorities accused Brenner of murdering him after a video was found showing Brenner cleaning a gun with blood stains on his arms and shirt around the time of Rounds’ disappearance. The probable cause statement obtained by a local outlet revealed that the victim’s DNA was found on Brenner’s shirt, and he made false statements to investigators regarding Rounds’ disappearance. The Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office declared Brenner as the sole suspect in their investigation and extended condolences to the Rounds family.
An attorney for Brenner declined to provide a comment when contacted by E! News. The sheriff’s office emphasized that Brenner remains the prime suspect in the case and expressed sympathy towards Rounds’ loved ones. For those interested in following more updates on true crime cases, they are directed to visit Oxygen.com.
