'Skeletal remains' believed to be teenage farmer found two years after his mysterious disappearance
Remains found in Utah have been linked to a missing 19-year-old farmer.
Dylan Rounds went missing over Memorial Day weekend in 2022, with the 'skeletal' remains being discovered on April 9.
James Brenner, 60, is accused of murdering Dylan. Brenner was a neighbour who was living in a trailer, which was situated on land next to Dylan's property near to the border between Utah and Nevada.
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Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office (BECSO) said in a statement: “On April 9, 2024, skeletal remains presumed to belong to Dylan Rounds were recovered in the remote western Box Elder County area of Lucin."
Formal identification of the remains - which are in the possession of the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner - has not taken place as of yet.
Dylan's mom Candice Cooley has also spoken out following the discovery of the remains and thanked the community for their support.
She said: “We thank everyone for their support and love. We are grateful we now have Dylan’s body and can bring him home as we continue our fight for justice.”
Brenner is suspected of murdering Dylan, and has been in jail since June 2022 after being arrested over firearms violations.
Brenner was charged with Dylan's murder in March 2023, with BECSO announcing he was handed two charges.
These include one of Aggravated Murder and one of Abuse or Desecration of a Human body, with both charges being felonies.
Court documents obtained by Fox News indicate that Brenner had been squatting on land which was approximately five miles away from Dylan's farm.
Fox reported that Dylan had last been heard from when he contacted his grandmother on May 30 over the phone to tell her he was 'putting the grain truck into shelter'.
An investigation into Dylan's disappearance allegedly uncovered a number of firearms in Brenner's possession.
These were not legal for him to own due to his criminal past, with investigators claiming that Brenner had asked a neighbour to hold the guns for him.
BECSO said in a statement: “Our hearts go out to the family of Dylan Rounds.
“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.”
Kit Roberts