The body found in the salt lake was confirmed to be a University of Utah student who disappeared in 1973

Markse270 14th May 2025

0 8 4 minutes read

The body found in the salt lake was confirmed to be a University of Utah student who disappeared in 1973

Salt Lake City(ABC4) – University of Utah police announced that they have resolved a case of missing persons that began 50 years ago.

Douglas Brick, a Utah student, left the dormitory on October 12, 1973 and never saw him again. Douglas Brick's family never stopped looking for him.

Last week, results from an out-of-state lab confirmed that fragments of skull found in foothills near the University of Utah matched a relative of Douglas Brick.

Previous Report: Lost in Utah: Missing Persons Not Noted

His older brother David Brick spoke with ABC4 in 2022. Douglas Brick of Pocatello, Idaho, went to Utah to earn his degree. David Brick got news of his brother's disappearance in Europe.

David Brick said in 2022: “There are a lot of things happening and a lot of things happening. He has some girlfriends and he breaks up with his girlfriend. We really don't know why he took off and disappeared.”

University survey

In 2022, a new face joined the Utah Police Department. Crime data analyst Nikol Mitchell found a refrigeration case in his work at the Utah Statewide Information and Analysis Center (SIAC). According to the university, the case appears to have been lost for at least 20 years.

She told Major Heather Sturzenegger that she reopened a new case to make it the target of what happened to Douglas Brick.

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“For me, I just wanted to try to close down the closed homes and resolve the case so that they can keep peace,” Sturzenegger quoted Sturzenegger in a press release. “I have always had a very strong feeling that we will be able to resolve this case.”

When Sturzenegger was promoted, Detective Jon was assigned the case. The two worked together to put together what might have happened.

About where Douglas Brick went, the claim surfaced online. ABC4 previously found a forum post saying that he was leaving to start a new life and did not want anyone to know. Police said they found leaders reported that he fled the country or disappeared in the foothills behind the United States.

During the search, Dial and Stuzenegger discovered that Douglas Brick's sister contacted police in 2018 regarding his case. Dial to California to meet her and take out the DNA sample, hoping it will bring something in the national system.

Unfortunately, this sample has nothing in 2022.

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Surprisingly, Sturzenegger dated his daughter in December 2022.

“It's strange, when I was a student at U in 1973, my roommate disappeared,” the doctor said. The doctor was Steve Warren, the person who initially reported Douglas Brick's disappearance in 1973.

Warren reported missing, called his family and found Douglas Brick's abandoned car. This confirms that police are searching for foothills in the right area, which was lost over time.

“I can still imagine him with his glasses, to class,” Warren said. “I can still see all his belongings in the back seat of his car – one thing I've never forgotten.”

In the year after this, approximately no discovery was found. Sturzenegger keeps the case open and hopes something happens.

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In October 2024, hunters discovered two fragments of a human skull, about six miles above the white U on the mountain, near the top of Montenegro. College police officers were allowed to send bones to an out-of-state lab to see if it was Douglas Brick.

Five months later, the University of Utah students who have been missing for more than 50 years will no longer be missing. The laboratory confirmed that DNA evidence matched 99.9%.

“My heart is beating. I'm shaking. I'm thinking, am I reading this book? Is this him?” Sturzenegger quoted in the version.

Dial and Sturzenegger flew to California and informed their families. The family issued the following statement.

“We thank the Hunter for finding him 6 months ago and immediately reported him, Detectives Jon Dial and Major Heather Sturzenegger, search and rescue volunteers, and all the individuals and institutions involved in the case. We demand privacy during the transition period.”

Douglas Bricks

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Accidental psychological encounter

Douglas' mother, Donna Brick, died in May 2010.

After his disappearance, Donna Brick tried his best to find answers about what happened. According to David Brick, she kept in touch with the Salt Lake City Police Department and went to his dormitory after she disappeared.

David Brick recalled in an interview with ABC4 in 2022: “The only thing I found strange is that my mother claimed she went to clean the room.

According to a press release from the university, a memorial was held for Douglas Brick in 1990. That same year, Donna Brick wrote an article in her diary where Detective Dial said he “never forget.”

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She wrote about her encounter with a shop clerk who told her she was a psychic. The clerks were interested in Donna Brick, who asked if she could tell her what happened to her son.

According to the press release, Donna Brick wrote that the people of the mind told her that Douglas Brick had gone to the foothills above the University of Utah and was considering ending his life. She claimed he was scared because it was dark and slipped.

“The position of the skull, as part of the search, the terrain I'm traversing, with very steep sides, and the tough times during the day keep my footing in my position and figuring out where I'm going,” Dial quoted in the version.

Although the case has been resolved, the University of Utah police plan to return to the area and check for any other evidence of warm weather.

“I felt very personal connection with Douglas throughout the investigation,” Dial said in a press release. “In a sense, it's hard to explain. I feel from Douglas to this situation, especially when I keep moving forward and sticking with it. I feel very strong, and I feel very strong that I always have Douglas in my mind and on the back of his family.”