On October 19, 1973, The Daily Utah Chronicle published a report concerning the mysterious disappearance of Douglas Brick, a 23-year-old University of Utah student who went missing from his dorm room exactly seven days prior.
Originally from Pocatello, Idaho, Brick’s absence sparked discussions about potential mental health challenges he may have been facing at the time.
Over the years, this case remained unsolved, becoming known as the university’s only cold case without any significant leads until recent years.
In an unexpected turn of events, University police made a pivotal decision to revisit this long-lost case in 2022.
Hiring crime data analyst Nikol Mitchell allowed them to unearth records and connections that had been overlooked for decades.
University Police Major Heather Sturzenegger, then the investigations lieutenant, played a crucial role in pushing for the case’s reopening.
Sturzenegger stated, “The problem was that we didn’t have any police records from 1973. We couldn’t find them in the archives.
It was a no-brainer for me to reopen the case. We’re going to look at everything that we can and try to solve it.”
The investigation restarted with Detective Jon Dial working alongside Sturzenegger, beginning their efforts by combing through newspaper clippings from local publications, including The Chronicle.
One article revealed that police had collaborated with the Salt Lake County Search and Rescue to comb through the mountains behind the university, but yielded no results in their search.
During their investigation, Sturzenegger discovered that Brick had a living sister.
Detective Dial was assigned to interview her for further insights about her brother’s life in 1973, and they subsequently gathered valuable information from her mother’s journal entries.
Additionally, they collected a DNA swab from Brick’s sister to run comparisons with unidentified bodies in a national database, as well as speaking with one of Brick’s former girlfriends.
Unfortunately, despite these investigative steps, the evidence led to a standstill.
After accumulating unanswered questions and feeling increasingly frustrated, the case remained open for several months, but progress proved elusive.
However, a breakthrough emerged during a seemingly routine doctor’s appointment in December 2022.
While discussing her work with Dr. Steven Warren, a University of Utah alum, Sturzenegger discovered a significant connection to the past.
Warren mentioned, “My roommate went missing in 1973,” prompting Sturzenegger to dive deeper into this newfound lead.
Warren not only reported Brick missing but was also involved in the search for him during those fateful days.
In a dramatic turn of events for the ongoing investigation, in October 2024, local hunters stumbled upon part of a human skull approximately six miles from the mountains behind the university.
They promptly notified the Salt Lake County police, leading to a coordinated effort that involved university police joining the search shortly thereafter.
Despite the collaboration, no additional remains were discovered.
The skull was transported to the medical examiner’s office, where authorities sought permission to send it to an outsourcing lab for DNA analysis.
When results came back, officials were shocked to find a 99.9% probability that the DNA extracted from the skull matched that of Brick’s sister, confirming the identity of the deceased.
Sturzenegger remarked, “We found him, and I was surprised, shocked, and flabbergasted.”
With the findings now confirmed, Dial and Sturzenegger flew to California to inform Brick’s family about the developments in the case.
Upon learning the news, Brick’s family expressed gratitude towards the hunter who reported the find six months prior, as well as the investigative team, search and rescue volunteers, and all involved in the case.
They requested privacy during this transitional period as the university police prepare to reopen the investigation, now aimed at uncovering the circumstances surrounding Brick’s disappearance and subsequent death.
image source from：https://dailyutahchronicle.com/2025/06/05/case-reopened-after-50-years/
