Dylan Rounds Disappeared and Later Found Murdered in Lucin Utah

Dylan Jamie Rounds was not your typical 19-year-old. While many teens of his age were immersed in social media or planning their college life, Dylan had dirt on his hands and ambition in his heart. Born on August 1, 2002, and raised in Idaho, Dylan was drawn to the land early on. Farming wasn’t just a family legacy — it was a personal mission.

By 2019, Dylan was fully committed to his future as a farmer. Alongside his grandfather, he purchased a remote property in Lucin, Utah, an abandoned desert ghost town with little more than a few scattered trailers and an open sky. Most people saw desolation; Dylan saw opportunity. He worked through scorching summers and frigid winters, transforming barren land into fertile ground.

In the spring of 2022, his dreams took root — literally — when he planted his first crop. Lucin was never meant to be a final destination for most people. But for Dylan, it was the beginning of something extraordinary.

The Last Day: May 28, 2022

On Saturday, May 28, 2022, Dylan had a brief call with his grandmother. During that call, he mentioned he was heading out to move his grain truck into shelter — it was about to rain. That would be the last known contact anyone had with him.

For the next 48 hours, his family grew increasingly alarmed. Calls went unanswered, messages ignored. Finally, on Monday, May 30, his mother, Candice Cooley, reported him missing.

When authorities and family arrived at the farm, what they found was unsettling. Dylan’s boots — with a bloodstain — were discarded behind a mound of dirt. His grain truck was parked unusually, his phone was missing, and his wallet and keys were gone. But the seat in the truck was adjusted too far back for Dylan’s shorter frame, and the soil on the truck’s tires didn’t match the area near his home. Something was off.

The Harsh Terrain of Lucin

Lucin, Utah is a brutal and isolated place. Located near the Nevada border, it’s a vast expanse of salt flats and scrubland. Cell reception is minimal, and roads are little more than dusty paths winding into nothingness.

That environment complicated search efforts from the start. From early June 2022, teams from the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and private volunteers combed the region by foot, horseback, ATVs, helicopters, and drones.

But there were few clues — and no Dylan.

The Suspicious Neighbor: James Brenner

Attention quickly turned to James Brenner, a 60-year-old man squatting in a nearby trailer. Brenner was known in the area for his temper and criminal history, including assault and weapons charges. He had worked with Dylan occasionally, and lived just a few hundred yards from the grain shed Dylan planned to visit on the day he vanished.

When police questioned Brenner, he claimed he had seen Dylan that morning and hadn’t heard from him since. But his story didn’t quite hold.

In June 2022, Brenner was arrested — not for murder, but on federal weapons charges. He was a convicted felon in possession of firearms, including a muzzleloader rifle. It seemed unrelated, but it allowed authorities to hold him while they continued building their case.

Breakthrough Evidence: The Phone and the Video

In late 2022, investigators recovered Dylan’s iPhone from a pond using advanced search tools. The phone was badly damaged but contained critical data.

Among the files was a video clip, apparently recorded accidentally, that showed James Brenner with blood on his arms and shirt, holding a firearm, and appearing to clean up a mess. The background — a remote area of Lucin — matched the terrain near where Dylan’s boots were found.

This video, later referred to as “the smoking gun,” was enough to file formal murder charges in March 2023. At the same time, prosecutors also charged Brenner with abuse or desecration of a body.

The Plea Deal and Grim Discovery

Facing overwhelming evidence and media pressure, James Brenner eventually agreed to a plea deal. In March 2024, he pleaded guilty to second-degree felony murder, and in exchange, he led authorities to Dylan’s remains.

On April 9, 2024, almost two years after Dylan’s disappearance, his skeletal remains were found buried in a remote area near Lucin. Forensic analysis confirmed his identity. The cause of death: a gunshot wound to the head.

The exact motive? According to Dylan’s mother, Brenner was enraged about where Dylan parked his truck. An argument escalated into a fatal shooting.

Sentencing and Aftermath

In July 2024, James Brenner was sentenced to 1 to 15 years in prison for murder and additional consecutive time for his weapons charges. The sentence shocked many.

Candice Cooley described it as “a slap in the face,” pointing out that the firearm charges carried longer minimums than the murder conviction. Still, she expressed some solace in finally bringing Dylan home.

Dylan’s Legacy: A Mother’s Mission

Since her son’s disappearance, Candice Cooley has emerged as an outspoken advocate for missing persons’ families. She created Dylan’s Legacy, a non-profit aimed at:

• Supporting families of the missing
• Holding law enforcement accountable
• Improving rural search procedures

She’s also working with legislators to tighten laws on squatting, firearm possession, and murder sentencing guidelines.

Public Release of Investigation Files

In late 2024, more than 3,000 pages of investigative files were unsealed. The documents included surveillance footage, inmate interviews, forensic photos, and even transcripts of jailhouse calls. Many revealed troubling issues, including:

• Miscommunications between agencies
• Delays in evidence processing
• Missed search windows in the early days

Candice and others argue the case should be a learning model for reforming how missing person cases — especially in rural areas — are handled.

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Conclusion

Dylan Rounds’ story is a heartbreak wrapped in determination. His dream — to build something from nothing in one of the most unforgiving places in America — did not die with him. Today, sunflowers, his favorite flower, bloom around the world in his memory.

While justice has been served, it’s bittersweet. Dylan should be here — harvesting his crop, chasing the sunset over the desert he loved. Instead, his story stands as a warning, a rallying cry, and a symbol of how resilience and love can shine even through tragedy.