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Utah squatter suspected in Dylan Rounds' death pleads guilty to murder charge

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Utah squatter suspected in Dylan Rounds' death pleads guilty to murder charge

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The Utah squatter suspected of killing a 19-year-old who struck out on his own farm two years ago admitted to shooting the teen in the head on a rainy day as he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a Brigham City court Wednesday.

James Brenner, 60, had long been suspected of killing the teen, but evidence was scarce until investigators found Dylan Rounds’ phone, and a timelapse video that showed the killer covered in blood and cleaning a gun.

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“That phone told us a lot, besides having the video on it and the data,” Rounds’ mother Candice Cooley previously told Fox News Digital. “Amazing they got the video off of it.”

Brenner, who shot another man in Maryland in the 1980s in a work dispute, is already a convicted felon who is barred for life from owning guns. He was squatting on land near Rounds’ farm, police have said.

UTAH SQUATTER TAKES PLEA DEAL IN TEEN FARMER’S MURDER, LEADS DETECTIVES TO ‘SKELETAL REMAINS’

Dylan Rounds, 19, was last seen in Lucin, Utah, on May 25, 2022, authorities said. (Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office)

As previously reported, the transient killer agreed to divulge the location of Rounds’ remains in exchange for reduced charges, dramatically reducing his prison sentence. His charge of first-degree felony aggravated murder was reduced to second-degree felony murder.

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Prosecutors dismissed a desecration of human remains charge as well as an unrelated assault case. 

James Brenner exits the courtroom in Box Elder County, Utah, in July 2023. Brenner is charged with the murder of 19-year-old Dylan Rounds, whose remains were recovered on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, nearly two years after his death. (EastIdahoNews.com)

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However, he is expected to spend decades in prison on the state charges and a federal felony in possession of a firearm guilty plea. The sentences must be served consecutively, not concurrently, according to prosecutors.

“Being able to bring Dylan home and bring this prosecution to a successful conclusion is a great relief,” Box Elder County Attorney Stephen Hadfield said in a statement. “It has been amazing to see what the tireless and unrelenting efforts of so many different people can accomplish.”

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Dylan Rounds, a 19-year-old Idaho native who struck off on his own as a farmer in Utah, is pictured in an undated family photo. His suspected killer, James Brenner, pleaded guilty Wednesday. (Box Elder County Sheriff’s Department)

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More than 30 law enforcement agencies from Utah and elsewhere assisted in the case, he said. Additionally, Rounds’ family put up a six-figure reward as volunteers spent weeks searching the cave-lined, rural area.

Rounds vanished in May 2022 after telling his grandmother he had to park his grain truck in a shelter because it started to rain.

Brenner was living in a trailer set up on land near the shelter without the owner’s permission, squatting there.

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Candice Cooley says her son Dylan Rounds is singularly focused on farming. (Candice Cooley)

After Brenner confessed to the slaying, the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI recovered his remains near Lucin, where the teen had a farm about 200 miles from Salt Lake City.

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The Idaho native grew up as a farmer and had just planted the first crop on his own land when he was killed, his mother said.

He avoided video games, did not use drugs and stayed off social media.

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Cooley is calling on Utah voters to push for stiffer punishments for violent criminals.



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West

LAPD officer hit with felony charges after allegedly skydiving while collecting full disability benefits

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LAPD officer hit with felony charges after allegedly skydiving while collecting full disability benefits

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Officials on Wednesday accused a Los Angeles police officer of insurance fraud after he allegedly went skydiving multiple times while collecting full disability benefits.

Christopher Brandon Carnahan, 43, of Norwalk, was charged Monday after allegedly exaggerating an on-duty injury sustained in 2023, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Carnahan is a veteran officer who has been with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) 18 years, according to WatchTheWatchers.net, citing California public records.

“This case is about honesty and accountability,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement.

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Christopher Brandon Carnahan appears to skydive at Skydive Elsinore in Lake Elsinore. (District Attorney’s Office for the Los Angeles County District)

“Claiming to be temporarily totally disabled and collecting disability benefits intended for injured workers while engaging in physically demanding activities like skydiving is a crime. This is an officer who knows the law and understands the standards he is sworn to uphold.”

On May 22, 2023, Carnahan claimed he injured his left elbow while on duty and was subsequently placed on temporary totally disabled (TTD) status, officials said.

Police under TTD are entitled to receive 100% of their base salary tax-free for up to a year and then two-thirds afterward if the injury persists.

EX-ERIC ADAMS STAFFER WHO CELEBRATED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION POCKETED $36K IN BRIBERY, FRAUD CASES: FEDS

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Surveillance footage captures Carnahan working out at a fitness center with dumbbells. (District Attorney’s Office for the Los Angeles County District)

Contrary to claims of being completely disabled, Carnahan allegedly engaged in strenuous physical activity, including working out and completing “many skydives” at Skydive Elsinore in Lake Elsinore, south of Los Angeles.

The District Attorney’s Office also released photos showing what appears to be Carnahan skydiving and exercising at a fitness center. In one image, dated May 23, 2024, the LAPD officer is seen holding dumbbells in a motion that involves his elbows.

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A Los Angeles Police Department vehicle is parked in the city.  (Los Angeles Police Department)

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He faces two counts of felony insurance fraud and is being held on $100,000 bail. If convicted, Carnahan could be sentenced to six years in jail.

The LAPD, which is investigating the case, is expected to review Carnahan’s employment status pending the outcome of his criminal trial.

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San Francisco, CA

Hundreds Rally in San Francisco Against U.S.-Israel Strikes on Iran | KQED

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Hundreds Rally in San Francisco Against U.S.-Israel Strikes on Iran | KQED


She acknowledged that Iranian Americans hold a range of political views, including some who support U.S. intervention, but said she believes the future of Iran should be determined by its people.

“The Iranian people in Iran can decide the future of their country,” she said. “War, I don’t think, is going to help.”

Speaking to the crowd, Mortazavi challenged what she described as a narrative that Iranians broadly support U.S. and Israeli military action.

“They want you to believe that every Iranian … is cheering on the United States and Israel,” she said. “That is unequivocally false.”

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She urged attendees to continue organizing beyond the rally and announced plans for additional demonstrations.

A demonstrator holds an Iranian flag as protesters gather outside the San Francisco Federal Building during a “Hands Off Iran” rally Feb. 28, 2026, in San Francisco. The demonstration called for an end to U.S. involvement in the strikes on Iran. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)

Dina Saadeh, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, said multiple groups mobilized quickly in response to the strikes.

“I’m angered today,” Saadeh told KQED. “People here don’t want to see our country engaged in more endless war.”

Saadeh described the protest as part of a broader effort to oppose sanctions, military escalation and what she called U.S. imperialism. She said participants were calling on elected officials to redirect public funds toward domestic needs.

“People want money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation,” she said.

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KQED’s María Fernanda Bernal contributed to this story.



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Denver, CO

Police searching for information after fatal assault in Denver

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Police searching for information after fatal assault in Denver


Denver police are looking for information that could help them identify the suspect in a fatal assault overnight.

Officers were called to the scene in the 9700 block of E. Hampden Avenue around 2:08 a.m. They said an injured man at the scene was taken to a hospital for treatment, but he has been pronounced deceased.

DPD says they’re investigating the case as a homicide. They did not provide the identity of the man who was killed or further details on the case.

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Police encouraged anyone with information about the attack or the possible suspect(s) involved to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.



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