19-YEAR-OLD Dylan Rounds spoke with his grandmother on the phone on Saturday, May 28, 2022, the last time he would be heard from alive.

On March 3, 2023, Dylan’s “neighbor,” James Brenner, by then a prime suspect in his disappearance, was charged with his murder, but the search for Dylan’s remains would continue for over a year.

Who is James Brenner?

Months after Dylan Rounds seemingly vanished without a trace, James Brenner was charged with one count of possessing a firearm while being a felon.

At the time, Brenner was not yet considered a suspect in his disappearance, despite pleas from Rounds’ parents and grandparents.

Brenner was reportedly “squatting” in a trailer located just a few miles away from Dylan’s property, which he purchased with his grandfather in 2019.

Dylan’s mother, Candice, also recalled that at one point in time, Brenner actually lived on Dylan’s property, where he would help the teenager bale hay.

Police later discovered that Brenner, now 61, had a criminal history.

In May 2012, he had been sentenced to 33 months in prison after possessing a firearm as a felon.

On June 16, 2022, the Sheriff’s Office, along with the FBI, searched Brenner’s trailer, where they discovered “ball ammunition, ignition caps, black powder, and speed loads, all related to ‘muzzle loading,'” as reported by NBC News.

On June 20, 2022, just one month after Dylan vanished, Brenner’s neighbor was interviewed by law enforcement and offered investigators some revealing news.

Brenner’s neighbor said that Brenner allegedly asked him to “safekeep” three black powder guns “for [Brenner’s] own safety.”

Along with the statement from Brenner’s neighbor, investigators were able to find Dylan’s cell phone and a pair of boots reportedly belonging to Dylan a few miles away from Brenner’s trailer.

“One boot had a blood stain that DNA analysis confirmed belonged to [Dylan] in addition to DNA belonging to [Brenner].”

Phone records also indicate that Dylan’s cell phone “show movement on the day of his disappearance in the same area that Brenner was squatting.”

After conducting a digital forensic download of the phone, police uncovered a time-lapse video taken at the time of Dylan’s disappearance.

The video “showed Brenner with blood stains on his arms and shirt as he is cleaning a gun.”

Police were then able to find the shirt Brenner was wearing in his trailer, analyze it, and find Dylan’s DNA on it.

Still, Brenner remained silent on Dylan’s whereabouts and did not confess to any crime at the time of his arrest.

Where is James Brenner now?

On Tuesday, April 9, 2024, Dylan Rounds’ body was found “in a remote part of northern Utah near the Nevada line,” as reported by EastIdahoNews.com.

“We thank everyone for their support and love,” Candice Cooley, Dylan’s mother said.

“We are grateful we now have Dylan’s body and can bring him home as we continue our fight for justice,” she added.

On Tuesday evening, the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office released a statement via Facebook, thanking law enforcement, volunteers, and others who “worked tirelessly investigating and assisting in the many search efforts during the past 23 months.”

“The FBI assisted the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office by processing the area for evidence and recovering the remains,” they wrote.

“The remains are in the possession of the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner for confirmation of identity,” they added.

James Brenner was reportedly responsible for leading law enforcement agencies and investigators to the burial site as part of a rumored plea agreement.

Dylan’s family had been notified that a plea deal had been reached after a month of negotiations, according to Fox News.

As part of the plea agreement, Brenner will reportedly face anywhere from three to 30 years in prison in exchange for leading investigators to Dylan’s remains.

According to the Weber County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Roster, James Brenner is still being held in jail as of Wednesday, April 10, 2024.

What has James Brenner been charged with?

On March 3, 2023, James Brenner was charged with murder in the disappearance of Dylan Rounds.

According to the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office, Brenner was “formally charged with Aggravated Murder, a first-degree felony, and Abuse or Desecration of a Human body, a third-degree felony, for the murder of Dylan Rounds and the disposal of his body.”

He later appeared, limping into the courtroom, at a nine-minute hearing at the Box Elder County Courthouse in Utah on Monday, June 5, 2023.

“He’s despicable. His whole act of limping around is a complete act,” Candice Cooley, Dylan’s mother, told EastIdahoNews.com.

“I don’t know if it’s so we think he’s going to die or make him some sort of deal but he wants people to feel sorry for him,” she added.

“He looks for attention to have people feel sorry for him. That’s all. I think it’s an act,” added Dylan’s father, Justin Rounds.

While all details of the plea agreement are still unknown, Brenner will likely face a reduced prison sentence in exchange for leading authorities to Dylan’s remains.

It is unclear whether the case will go to trial as scheduled for next month, May 15, 2024.