UT UT - Dylan Rounds, 19, wkg on farm, “weird run-in” with a guy walking on gravel rd, no phone & CC activity, Lucin, Box Elder Co, 25 May 2022

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Here at WS, we are fact based in our analysis of any situation. This makes the reporting on this case particularly frustrating because of all the misinformation. The family has really done a pretty good job getting Dylan’s story out there and keeping it fresh. If that’s their sole motivation, then the facts don’t really matter.

From the family’s interviews I get the impression that there is a lot they aren’t saying and I think it’s because there are particular individuals that they don’t want to draw attention to. There are inter-connections between people in Montello, Lucin and certain towns in Idaho. There are some wealthy individuals who own land in the area. There is definitely an old-boys network in play. Looking at property ownership and businesses in the area there are layers of LLC’s in both Utah and Nevada.

A hypothetical example of what I’m talking about is: a business owner in small town Nevada who has a sibling that lives in Idaho Falls.
RBBM. I think this is true. I hope it is because they learned their lesson with that first poster they released. LE may have asked them to back off a bit which could also cause some of the family’s frustration. You want every rumor to be brought to LE to be followed up on, but it can lead to wasted time and effort. LE is taking tips, which includes rumors. They investigate the information to determine if it is viable and, if so, how best to follow up on it. It seems in the case of the hostage hoax, family wanted action immediately before that background work could be done. Vital info would include background information on the homeowner so they could have an idea of what they were walking into and background information on the person who reported this information to the parents. What was his motive for doing this.
I wish we had all the information and evidence that LE has so we could sleuth to our hearts content. However, I would much rather they do a good thorough investigation, preserving its integrity, than spend precious time writing up and delivering press releases to appease the masses.
I have one other comment. This case has two parts: the investigation to find out what happened to Dylan and the search to find him.
Reasons one goes missing:

  1. Intentional (adult), runaway, (minor)
  2. Suicide
  3. Lost
  4. Injured/mishap
  5. Stranger Abduction
  6. Foul Play
  7. Accidental death due to negligence with coverup
The answer to this may direct the search efforts and intensity.
 
Hmm, just noticed that Rigby, Idaho, PD is involved.

Rigby is DR's hometown, but hasn't been named as a place of interest in the investigation so far. Maybe this happens more often, but why would a PD from 250 miles away help in this investigation? Is this normal in the US?
Just a thought but maybe it's because of the hoax call made to his parent(s)? Maybe cell phone/tech evidence would need to be initiated there in regards to that issue. Just a thought...honestly do not know.
 
Hmm, just noticed that Rigby, Idaho, PD is involved.

Rigby is DR's hometown, but hasn't been named as a place of interest in the investigation so far. Maybe this happens more often, but why would a PD from 250 miles away help in this investigation? Is this normal in the US?
Rugby is about 250 miles from Lucin. Dylan’s mom has mentioned his “best friend”. If he lives in Rigby, BESO may have asked the local PD to interview him to see if Dylan confided in him about personal problems, persons who have a beef with him etc. They may have interviewed Dylan’s siblings for the same reason.
 
Hmm, just noticed that Rigby, Idaho, PD is involved.

Rigby is DR's hometown, but hasn't been named as a place of interest in the investigation so far. Maybe this happens more often, but why would a PD from 250 miles away help in this investigation? Is this normal in the US?
Both Rigby PD and Bonneville County, ID Sheriff are named as agencies that Box Elder County Sheriff has reached out to.

This is not unusual -- DR was reportedly a dual resident of UT and ID, and they should be checking with jurisdictions that may have had contact with DR including recent traffic citations and/or missed court appearances.

The most important information for any missing person investigation is independent evidence versus an investigation limited to details contributed by family. MOO

ETA: To be clear, this is no disrespect to the family's efforts but it's critical to also have independent, corroborating evidence including phone records from the carrier, public surveillance, etc.
 
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Rugby is about 250 miles from Lucin. Dylan’s mom has mentioned his “best friend”. If he lives in Rigby, BESO may have asked the local PD to interview him to see if Dylan confided in him about personal problems, persons who have a beef with him etc. They may have interviewed Dylan’s siblings for the same reason.
Sounds logical. I think his brother and best friend were indeed called in for testing, so this would make sense.
 
The most important information for any missing person investigation is independent evidence versus an investigation limited to details contributed by family. MOO
Indeed and I think the family investigation may prove troublesome at a later date. Statistically, accident or suicide is more likely than foul play. So if LE doesn't suspect foul play and based on this they don't argue against busting out a window and muddying evidence in his truck, what happens if there is later proof of foul play? Wouldn't it be better to wait than to contaminate evidence?

The phrase "don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good" comes to mind. The family wanted the perfect solution for them-LE immediately processing the car. They compromised the good outcome-processing later if signs of foul play emerge-in their displeasure over the lack of a perfect outcome. If their investigation keeps running unfettered, more evidence may be contaminated. I'm not sure I can say most mothers would do it differently, but as long as LE lets family take the lead in cases, there may be no evidence left when it's needed.
 
I wonder what signs of foul play emerged since the boots were found? Apparently the family considered the boots left behind and the truck being washed as signs, while the police did not.
 
I wonder what signs of foul play emerged since the boots were found? Apparently the family considered the boots left behind and the truck being washed as signs, while the police did not.
Where I sit, and I know I'm sitting in my comfortable home with no one in my life missing, and I have so much empathy for the family and their situation, I need more info or confident statements from LE to be 100% foul play. I'm leaning strongly in that direction but the "criminal investigation" statement doesn't get me 100% there. That's just my opinion though.
 
I just can't reconcile the "hoax" call to family being coincidental and not involved, somehow, in his disappearance.
Is he voluntarily missing and told his "friend" to make that call for some reason?- Not likely
Was he suicidal and asked his friend to make that call for some reason?- Not likely
Was there some sort of accident that turned into concealing a death? Maybe but why the hoax call?
Foul play seems most logical, IMO, and revolves around that weird hoax call.
 
While I empathize with the pain the DR's family is experiencing and the helplessness they must feel, from the beginning I've felt that the way they've been running their own quasi-investigation was problematic. There is a reason LE does not share minute-by-minute updates of their investigation with families: not only does doing so jeopardize the integrity of the investigation, it can also lead to families publicizing unconfirmed information as fact.

Although LE isn't perfect or above criticism by any means, I don't believe they have done anything questionable in this case. DR is an adult, and when police responded to the farm, they saw no obvious signs of foul play: no signs of a break-in, no signs of a struggle, no valuables missing from the trailer, etc. Treating the property as a crime scene at that time when there was no evidence to suggest a crime took place would've been a major violation of protocol and potentially DR's privacy.

IMO, the inflammatory statements released by DR's family accusing LE of not properly investigating DR's disappearance and publicly naming an individual as a POI without any proof of their involvement did nothing to help the search for DR. If foul play turns out to be involved (which at this point I'm not 100% convinced it is), the family's involvement (especially their dissemination of rumors as facts) will play right into the defense's hands.

I think the statement the sheriff's office release deliberately referring to it as a "missing persons/criminal investigation" was done primarily to placate the family and head off any more accusations of wrongdoing or incompetence. I am sure they have been considering all possibilities from the start, but without clear evidence supporting foul play, they can't officially classify it as a criminal investigation. I interpreted the statement as their way of saying "this is a missing persons investigation, but we are making it clear we aren't ruling out the possibility of foul play."

MOO.
 
I wish we knew the actual content of that call. Hopefully LE does.
If the call happened after the parents came to town, then maybe it was just a disgusting attempt by someone desperate for money to just financially gain from this situation. Maybe they have no knowledge of what happened to Dylan, but wanted to use the situation. It's gross, but it does happen.
 
I find the possibility of an accident/injury the most likely, generally speaking, but the hoax/mistake phone call really doesn't fit with that.
I'm wondering if it is a combination of the 2?

Maybe a local, someone who used to work or live near DR, harmed him, accidentally or otherwise.

And so some other locals may have decided to make hoax calls and fake sightings, as a way to misdirect LE and the family?

DR is new there, but his grandparents have lived there for years. This is a small town. Maybe there are local squabbles that go back many years?
 
If the call happened after the parents came to town, then maybe it was just a disgusting attempt by someone desperate for money to just financially gain from this situation. Maybe they have no knowledge of what happened to Dylan, but wanted to use the situation. It's gross, but it does happen.
IMO I believe that is what happened. The family traveled to the area from Idaho on Memorial Day (May 30) and the hoax call was made on May 31, so it seems it was more likely made by some depraved individual trying to insert themselves into the story as opposed to someone genuinely involved in DR's disappearance.
 
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