Utah
Court ruling tears at the fabric of a Southern Utah family’s life
BERYL — The sun-baked dirt road winds through the vast emptiness of Beryl. On the horizon, a homestead stands against the untamed surroundings of Southern Utah.
Built by Bryson and Ruth Seegmiller with their own hands, the home and its matching barn reflect years of dedicated labor and a lifetime of savings.
“We put everything we have into this home,” Ruth Seegmiller said. “If we lose it, we lose everything we’ve worked for and our only livelihood.”
Inside, the home mirrors a close-knit family grounded in strong Christian values and cherished traditions.
Each detail underscores a life built on faith and togetherness. On the walls, a gallery of memories capture moments of joy — a child’s baptism, a family gathering, the smiling faces of their eight children. Interspersed are images of Christ and the temple, gentle reminders of their faith and the covenants that bind them.
The open floor plan centers around the kitchen, a hub of togetherness. Pots and pans hang above the island, a focal point of daily life where countless meals have been prepared with love, family stories shared, and homeschool lessons unfolded.
The large dining room window frames the family farm and the desert stretching beyond. The land is flat and unyielding, its surface cracked and dusty, dotted only with sparse sagebrush under an endless, scorching sky. The home’s comfort feels fragile against this harsh desert backdrop.
This contrast tells a story of dual realities: inside, there is comfort and love; outside, an encroaching desolation. Each gust of wind rustling the sagebrush seems to carry whispers of the legal troubles threatening to disrupt their carefully built haven.
The incident unfolds
The legal storm the Seegmillers now face began on June 11, 2022, at Newcastle Reservoir, about 23 miles from Beryl.
The family had organized a birthday party for one of their sons, and 14-year-old Kevin Cooper was among the guests. On that day, Coopers died from an incident that occurred at the party.
The Seegmillers assert they had made it clear that all the children should wear life jackets near the water.
“When we were at the reservoir, we told everybody regardless of whether they knew how to swim or not, everyone needed to wear a life jacket,” Ruth Seegmiller said.
Despite these instructions, Kevin and his brother managed to enter the reservoir unnoticed without the required gear while everyone was packing up to leave. This wasn’t the first time; several people had previously reminded the boys to put on their life jackets, Seegmiller said.
As the boys were on the water, some people began pointing to the other side of the reservoir. Witnesses on the lake and other children at the party later reported seeing the boys playing and standing up in their kayak. Moments later, one of the kayaks tipped over, and Cooper fell into the water.
Bryson Seegmiller jumped into the reservoir to help, still unsure of what was happening.
“I swim out there and the first person I see is her (his daughter). I see Kevin’s brother in the distance holding onto this kayak with one arm frantic and trying to swim around, go underneath the water, trying to find his brother while yelling, ‘help, help, I can’t find my brother he’s drowned’ and continuing to repeat himself,” Bryson Seegmiller said.
Meanwhile, Ruth Seegmiller stayed on the shore and vividly remembers hearing Cooper’s brother and his cries for help.
“I can just remember him screaming, ‘I killed my brother.’ For weeks, months after that every time I could hear that scream it just reminded me,” Ruth Seegmiller said during an emotional interview with St. George News / Cedar City News.
“Just the way he was screaming for his brother just tore my heart apart because I knew they hadn’t found Kevin yet. It was just the saddest thing to me watching his brother scream like that. I’ll never forget that. I never heard anyone scream or cry like that before.”
A nearby party on a boat assisted in getting Cooper’s brother to shore and then found a spot with service to call 911. After an extended search, Bryson Seegmiller, realizing the situation was dire, made the heartbreaking call to Cooper’s parents.
Despite extensive efforts by Bryson Seegmiller and first responders, 10 long hours passed before Kevin’s body was found.
The community rallied around the Cooper family, starting a GoFundMe account that the Seegmillers said raised approximately $120,000.
“There were so many people who came out to help them,” Ruth Seegmiller said. “People would just give them money out of their pocket. It was really amazing.”
In the days following the tragedy, Bryson Seegmiller also went to the Coopers’ home to help with cleaning up some accumulated garbage. He aimed to provide support and assist with any needs the family might have during their difficult time.
While he worked alongside another person, the Coopers communicated mainly with his colleague and were less responsive to him.
Eventually, the father expressed that hearing from Seegmiller was too painful for them, and they needed to distance themselves. Respecting their wishes, Seegmiller ceased his efforts to provide further assistance.
“So I respected their wishes. I stepped out and stopped trying to be there for them,” Bryson Seegmiller said.
Coopers pursue legal action
Kevin’s parents, William and Tina Cooper, later chose to pursue legal action.
They first secured an undisclosed settlement from the kayak owner’s insurance before filing a lawsuit against the Seegmillers for nearly $10 million. They also sought a claim against the Seegmillers’ insurance, but discovered that they didn’t have coverage.
This amount reflects the Coopers’ belief that Kevin’s notable achievements and potential justified their claim for damages.
Court documents and news reports highlight that by the age of 14, Kevin had already purchased a 350-acre farm and was involved in a range of ambitious projects. These included developing a luxury toiletries line, working on a movie script and children’s books, and breeding heritage turkeys.
Additionally, he bought a John Deere tractor for farm maintenance on his 11th birthday and later wrote two books, including an autobiography,
In their court petition, the Coopers argue that Kevin’s future role was essential to their financial stability. As the only able-bodied member of the household, the court documents state that Kevin Cooper was expected to support his older autistic brother and care for his mother, who is partially blind.
Additionally, William Cooper, a disabled veteran injured during boot camp, had relied on VA benefits while his children were dependents. With Cooper’s death and his brother now an adult, those benefits have ceased, worsening the family’s financial situation.
Cedar City News reached out to the Coopers’ lawyer for comment but received no response at the time of this report.
Seegmillers refuse legal assistance
Despite their legal issues, the Seegmillers have chosen not to hire an attorney — a decision deeply rooted in their faith.
As devout Christians, the couple said they repeatedly prayed about the litigation and felt guided not to seek legal counsel. For them, their decision to obey was about following divine direction.
“At this point, He has asked us that we take care of matters,” Bryson Seegmiller said. “We’re supposed to trust in the Lord and we’re supposed to use the community to knowledge and insight and to be able to help us through this ordeal. And we have gotten an immense amount of community support and knowledge.”
The Seegmillers said they have had several attorneys offer to represent them, but each time, they returned to prayer and consistently received the same answer.
The Seegmillers’ response
On July 3, 2023, the Seegmillers were served with the initial complaint. Ruth Seegmiller refused to accept the paperwork and recorded the incident on her phone. The constable noted that he left the summons in a secure spot. The court gave them 21 days to respond.
“It was definitely a hard thing to get,” Ruth Seegmiller said. “Then to read through it and read all the things that they were saying and to know we have proof against all this … it’s hard. You just feel like, this isn’t, this isn’t what happened.”
While denying any connection to the sovereign movement, the Seegmillers included elements of its ideology in their July 18 response.
They filed an “Affidavit of Conditional Acceptance,” a document commonly associated with sovereign beliefs, which imposed conditions on their acceptance of the legal proceedings. However, the court did not accept this response as valid.
Sovereign adherents claim exemption from government authority and legal systems, disputing the legitimacy of courts and regulations. U.S. courts typically reject these arguments as lacking legal standing.
The Seegmillers filed a formal response on August 16, well past the deadline. In their response, they used tactics associated with the sovereign movement, including the argument that the capitalization of their names in court documents invalidated the petition.
The Seegmillers also contested the Coopers’ claims about the drowning.
According to court documents, the Coopers alleged they had warned the Seegmillers that their son could not swim and had requested that he and his “severely autistic brother” avoid the water. They accused the Seegmillers of negligence in supervising the children.
The Seegmillers, however, denied this claim, arguing the Coopers never told them Kevin couldn’t swim.
“They never told us that he couldn’t get in the water and I clearly told her we would be playing in the water,” Ruth Seegmiller said. “And actually, the week before that we went out fishing and brought him with us then too … And he didn’t come to fish, they just played in the water a little bit and they never said anything about it.”
Text messages between Tina Cooper and Ruth Seegmiller, reviewed by St. George/Cedar City News, showed no mention of Kevin’s inability to swim or any warnings to keep him out of the water. Additionally, no court evidence was presented to support the claim that such a conversation took place.
Judgment and appeals
After the Seegmillers missed the deadline to respond adequately, the Coopers’ attorney filed for a default judgment, which the court granted. A hearing for damages was scheduled for Jan. 16, 2024.
The Seegmillers did not attend the hearing, later claiming they were unaware of it due to communication issues with the court. Following the hearing, the judge awarded $9.5 million in damages to the Coopers.
To enforce the judgment, multiple writs of garnishment and liens led to the seizure of the Seegmillers’ property, including their water rights and farm.
Following the issuance of the writs, constables and the Coopers’ attorney arrived at the Seegmillers’ home to seize valuable assets while Bryson and Ruth Seegmiller were away in Cedar City, about an hour from their home.
All eight of their children were present during the raid when the constables used a locksmith to gain entry into the home. The forced entry and search for valuables left the children alone and unsettled.
At the time, the Seegmillers said they had no idea who the people were and instructed their children to stay out of sight while they kept them on the phone traveling home.Their 15-year-old son tried to prevent the constables from entering, but they were ultimately able to move past him.
“I got a phone call at some point from someone who was here that said, ‘we are breaking into your house … and the person I was on the phone with said,’tell your kid to stand down’,” Bryson Seegmiller said.
Among the items seized were some of the Seegmillers’ firearms, money and their children’s savings. The savings were ultimately returned.
Coopers’ attorney also gave the Seegmillers an ultimatum regarding two of their vehicles, including a work truck and a van for the family. The Seegmillers were given the option to either surrender both vehicles or keep one by allowing a friend to buy it back for $2,500.
In addition, a sheriff’s auction was scheduled for late July to sell the Seegmillers’ home and other seized assets. As the auction date neared, the Seegmillers filed a motion to stay the judgment and request a hearing.
While the judge granted part of their request and scheduled a hearing on Aug. 16, he did not halt the sale of their home.
Iron County Sheriff Ken Carpenter, however, delayed the auction for another month to give the Seegmillers an opportunity to be heard in court, urging them to reconsider hiring an attorney.
“I made the decision I did to give them to have their day in court,” Carpenter said. “And I really hope they will reconsider their decision not to hire an attorney because I am afraid if they don’t, they’re going to lose everything they have.”
The judge’s ruling
On Friday, the Seegmillers attended their hearing before 5th District Court Judge Matthew Bell. Even with the high stakes, the Seegmillers stuck to their decision to represent themselves, guided by their faith and conviction not to hire a lawyer.
Bell began by recounting the procedural history of the case, noting that the Seegmillers’ failure to comply with court rules and their reliance on “meritless legal theories” had led to their current predicament.
Bell expressed frustration with the Seegmillers’ repeated use of documents and strategies associated with the sovereign ideology, which he described as “improper” and “without a basis in the law.”
“The affidavit you submitted,” the judge stated, “was not a proper answer in form or substance. It was, in essence, a declaration of your intent not to participate in these legal proceedings unless your own terms were met — a stance that is both unreasonable and untenable in this court.”
Despite their recent efforts to challenge the default judgment, the judge denied all five motions filed by the Seegmillers, including their motion to set aside the judgment and writ of execution.
However, he did grant a temporary stay on the sheriff’s sale of their home, giving the Seegmillers 90 days to appeal the decision. If they do appeal and the appellate court grants their request, the stay will remain in place pending the outcome.
“If you choose to appeal, that is your right,” Bell said, adding, “but I urge you to seek proper legal counsel moving forward. The consequences of your current path are severe, and I fear you may lose everything if you continue down this road alone.”
Even after the judge’s strong admonitions, the Seegmillers are likely to stand by their decision not to hire an attorney, trusting instead in their faith to guide them. Though this path could cost them their home and livelihood, they hold firm in their belief that the trials they have faced are part of a journey they wouldn’t trade, despite the heartache.
“We have done everything the Lord has asked us to. It is a home. It is not my family. It is a mere miniscule thing they can take away. I’ve worked many years to build it but it is nothing because my family has gotten closer together,” Bryson Seegmiller said.
“We’ve had many miracles and so many blessings given to us not only for each other but for the community. I would never trade that for anything in the world. So even if I lost my home, from the gifts I have received from my Heavenly Father, it was well worth it.”
Cedar City News reporter Jeff Richards contributed to the coverage of this story.
Photo Gallery
The home of the Bryson and Ruth Seegmiller family, Beryl, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Ruth and Bryson Seegmiller are joined by two of their children as they sit down for an interview with St. George News / Cedar City News reporters, Beryl, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Ruth and Bryson Seegmiller and several of their children enjoy freshly baked cookies prior to an interview with St. George News / Cedar City News reporters, Beryl, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Ruth and Bryson Seegmiller and several of their children enjoy freshly baked cookies prior to an interview with St. George News / Cedar City News reporters, Beryl, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Photos and inspirational messages adorn the living room wall of the Bryson and Ruth Seegmiller family home, Beryl, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
One of Bryson and Ruth Seegmiller’s children, Beryl, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Ruth Seegmiller is surrounded by a few of her children following an interview with St. George News / Cedar City News reporters, Beryl, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News The home of the Bryson and Ruth Seegmiller family, Beryl, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
A goat provides milk for the Bryson and Ruth Seegmiller family, Beryl, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Various crops are growing on the Bryson and Ruth Seegmiller family property, Beryl, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
The home of the Bryson and Ruth Seegmiller family, Beryl, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
A legal notice has been posted on the front gate of the home of the Bryson and Ruth Seegmiller family, Beryl, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Newcastle Reservoir, Newcastle, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Newcastle Reservoir, Newcastle, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Environmental Protection Agency awarded Utah and Salt Lake County a total of $3.5 million in grants to assess potentially polluted properties for eventual cleanup and redevelopment.
The agency announced a $2 million grant to Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality and $1.5 million to Salt Lake County to conduct environmental assessments and inventory brownfield sites for cleanup. Brownfields are sites that may be difficult to redevelop or expand because of “the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant,” according to the agency.
“These brownfields grants will help Utah communities clean up contaminated sites and unlock opportunities for redevelopment and investment,” EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western said in a news release announcing the grants earlier this week. “By transforming underused properties into community assets, EPA is helping create healthier neighborhoods and stronger local economies.”
The two grants awarded to Utah and Salt Lake County are among more than $248 million awarded to nearly 200 communities nationwide for brownfield assessment and cleanup. Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality plans to focus the resources on several areas in Ogden, Heber City and Fillmore, among others, according to Bill Rees, who leads Utah’s brownfield cleanup program.
“What we do is work to secure the funding and then begin to reach out to our communities across the state, say, ‘Listen, there’s opportunity to do some assessment work in your community if you’re interested,’ and then work with our rural partners, work with our urban partners to see if there are sites that will fit that bill,” he told KSL.
The state has received similar grants in the past, and Rees said the money can help local governments determine what to do with ailing properties such as old schools, hospitals or private property that have gone to waste.
“Is there asbestos in it, or is there hazardous material in it? Or could there be something that’s impacting the soil or the groundwater, and a policymaker needs to make a decision?” asked Rees. “Knowledge allows you to make good decisions.”
The $1.5 million awarded to Salt Lake County is the largest brownfields assessment grant the county has ever received, according to a county press release.
“This grant is a real win for our communities,” said Mayor Jenny Wilson. “This funding will let us do vital environmental work on a larger scale and in more neighborhoods. It reflects exactly the kind of partnership between local and federal government that gets results for residents.”
The county grant funds will be used to help create cleanup plans in three areas, including a vehicle storage yard in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark Neighborhood, a 4.26-acre vacant lot in Millcreek and a small commercial building in Magna that was damaged during an earthquake in March 2020, according to the EPA.
Contributing: Don Brinkherhoff
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued red flag warning Friday morning as emergency workers continued to battle one of the state’s largest wildfires in its history.
The red flag warning, issued when critical fire warnings are occurring or imminent, was to be in place through midnight Saturday.
“This is the FIRST Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning issued in NWS Salt Lake City history. This is an exceptionally rare event,” the federal agency said in its warning.
A map of the area under the warning covered much of central and southwest Utah, with an area of the southwest, central and southern mountains also outlined as “particularly dangerous red flag.”
The particularly dangerous area includes the Cottonwood Fire, near the town of Beaver, which started Monday and had grown to covering almost nearly 71,000 acres by Thursday, 15 News reported. The fire forced evacuations.
The NWS warned that gusty winds and dry conditions would lead to rapid fire growth.
Utah also was dealing with the Iron Fire, which started June 19, and nearly destroyed the town of Eureka. The fire was about 27% contained Friday morning.
The fire danger led Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to issue executive order restricting fireworks statewide during the July 4 holiday, which marks the nation’s 250th birthday this year. The ban is in effect through July 5.
“Nothing about this decision was easy,” Cox said in a statement issued by his office Thursday.
“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent memory. We’re seeing fires spread farther and faster under conditions that defy historical expectations” Jamie Barnes, Utah state forester and director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, added in the statement.
Cox allowed cities and local communities to set aside areas where fireworks could be safely used. The city of Provo announced it would enforce a citywide prohibition on fireworks and would not designate a safe area for fireworks.
“This year is different,” Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins said in a statement. “The wildfire danger facing our community is real, and protecting lives, homes, and our natural spaces must come first.”
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Earlier this month, 2News Investigates brought you a former inmate’s federal lawsuit alleging Utah Department of Corrections leaders failed to address reports of alleged sexual assault by correctional officers. Now, 2News Investigates examines another key claim in that lawsuit.
MORE: Federal lawsuit alleges Utah prison leaders covered up guards’ sexual assaults on inmates
The lawsuit alleges a mass cross-gender strip-search operation – women being viewed by men was intended to further silence female inmates.
Federal law generally prohibits cross-gender strip searches of female inmates except during emergencies or when conducted by medical personnel. UDC says that during body-search procedures, male correctional officers are not allowed in the immediate area and inmate privacy is maintained. Former inmates say that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Three former inmates agreed to speak with 2News Investigates but asked that their identities not be revealed.
“It was very traumatic.”
According to the lawsuit, on May 13, 2025, UDC carried out a large-scale operation known as a “reset” in women’s housing units at the Utah State Correctional Facility (USCF) in Salt Lake City.
Wendy: “They call it a reset. What do you call it?”
“A violation.”
“It’s like a rape.”
The lawsuit alleges UDC Deputy Warden Derick Zorn and Warden Sharon D’Amico directed the operation, along with more than a dozen members of the Critical Incident Response Team, or CIRT.
According to the plaintiffs, officers stormed dormitories, shouted profanities, and issued conflicting commands.
The women say and the lawsuit states they were ordered to pack their belongings into totes and change into state-issued uniforms in front of male CIRT officers. They were then marched to the Emerald Building for processing.
“It felt almost like we were at a concentration camp.”
The lawsuit alleges the women were required to undergo body scans and then strip completely naked. Plaintiffs claim they were ordered to lift their breasts, spread their buttocks, and cough while visible to male staff.
Women who were menstruating allegedly were instructed to remove menstrual products in full view of others.
“Just use one hand to remove it. Hold it up in front of you.”
“I felt really small and worthless.”
The lawsuit alleges some women were forced to hold soiled menstrual pads while performing physical maneuvers.
“I just did what I was told. I just wanted to get it over with.”
The plaintiffs also claim they were required to sit on toilets or squat to provide urine samples while completely naked and visible to male officers.
“It was humiliating. It was degrading.”
The lawsuit further alleges cell doors were left open, exposing naked women to other inmates and male staff.
An overhead observation booth with reflective glass overlooked the strip-search area. Plaintiffs say they observed movement inside and believed they were being watched from above.
The lawsuit alleges the female inmates were being watched from above during a mass strip search on May 13, 2025
“I could see in the overhead, the two-way mirror. There were multiple men walking around up there who had direct vision inside those cells.”
The lawsuit alleges Captain Jared Beers and Lieutenant Matthew Coombs were inside the booth and that Deputy Warden Derick Zorn observed women in various states of undress.
“I made eye contact with Officer Arroyo, and I also saw Deputy Zorn.”
“I knew if I could see the male officers, they could see me.”
One former inmate described the experience as state-sanctioned sexual violence.
“When that happens, and you’ve gone through the same kind of thing as a child, it’s very traumatic.”
The lawsuit alleges Warden D’Amico knew male officers were viewing naked female inmates and “ratified, condoned, and failed to stop it.”
An allegation in the lawsuit filed on May 15, 2026
“You’re pretty much a hostage.”
UDC Executive Director Jared Garcia declined repeated requests for an on-camera interview. A letter sent said:
“During the body search process in female living areas, male correctional officers are not allowed in the immediate area, and privacy is maintained. In general, resets are conducted routinely, according to UDC policy and under strict protocols designed to ensure safety while also preserving the privacy and dignity of incarcerated individuals.”
“The manner matters.”
Walter Mason represents the plaintiffs.
He told 2News Investigates, “The law protects inmates from being exposed to members of the opposite sex viewing their naked bodies unless there’s an emergency. Unless there’s what the law calls an exigent circumstance, the prison can take necessary actions to protect safety. There was no emergency. There was no exigency.”
UDC says the reset involved approximately 150 trained staff members and was conducted according to department policy.
UDC’s letter goes on to say:
“Every effort was made to treat belongings with care and document confiscated items appropriately. UDC stands by our methods and policies, which are intended to maintain the highest standards of integrity, safety, and efficiency during the reset process.”
Written response from the Utah Department of Corrections regarding 2News investigations
I asked UDC whether any exigent circumstances existed on May 13, 2025, during the reset operation.
The response:
“No exigent circumstances occurred on May 13, 2025.”
I also requested information about what items were confiscated. UDC said it could not provide a specific list.
Response to questions posed by 2News Investigates to UDC regarding mass strip search and if exigent circumstances existed that day
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and accuses the defendants, all supervisors, of participating in a “coordinated effort to humiliate, mock, and psychologically degrade the plaintiffs … operating with a brazen and intentional disregard for clearly established law, fueled by an institutional custom of impunity.”
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