A squatter accused of murdering 19-year-old Dylan Rounds helped authorities uncover “skeletal remains” presumed to be those of the Utah farmer, some two years after he vanished.
Rounds was last seen on his farm in Lucin and was reported missing on May 30, 2022, police said. The following year, James Brenner was charged with aggravated murder and abuse or desecration of a human body for the murder of Rounds and the disposal of his body. He’s been in jail ever since.
As part of a plea agreement, Brenner directed law enforcement Tuesday to Rounds’ alleged burial site according to the victim’s mother, Candice Cooley, who spoke with East Idaho News.
The Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office in a statement confirmed they discovered remains in Lucin. They have since been handed over to the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner for identification.
“Our hearts go out to the family of Dylan Rounds. We offer our sincerest condolences for the loss of their family member,” the sheriff’s office 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.”
Brenner, at the time of Rounds’ disappearance, had reportedly been squatting in a trailer next to the property where the victim lived. According to a probable cause statement obtained by KUTV, Rounds’ phone last pinged near a pond not far from where Brenner was staying. Authorities later discovered his phone at the bottom of the same body of water, and his boots atop a dirt mound nearby.
One of the boots was stained with blood and DNA testing ultimately confirmed it was that of the missing farmer. Investigators also discovered a “time-lapse” video on Rounds’ cell, which showed Brenner with bloodstains on his arms and shirt as he cleaned a gun, according to charging documents cited by KSL.com. The blood on his shirt also belonged to Rounds, police said.
“Brenner was interviewed and made several claims that corroborated forensic evidence in addition to making numerous demonstrably false statements,” the documents read.
Authorities said they would not provide further details in the case.
Several years before his disappearance, Rounds had purchased hundreds of acres of land in the Utah desert as part of his dream to own and run a farm, family said.
“We thank everyone for their support and love,” Cooley told East Idaho News. “We are grateful we now have Dylan’s body and can bring him home as we continue our fight for justice.”
