In a case that spanned over five decades, the remains of a college student who vanished in 1973 have finally been identified by DNA.
The discovery brings long-awaited answers to a grieving family and closure to Utah’s only known cold case.
Disappearance of Douglas Brick in 1973
Douglas Brick, a 23-year-old senior at the University of Utah and native of Pocatello, Idaho, disappeared without a trace on October 12, 1973.
He was last seen leaving his dorm, and his car was later found abandoned in the foothills near the university. No other evidence emerged—until now.
“It seemed impossible that he could ever be found,” the University of Utah noted in a news release. “After 51 years, six months, and 19 days, the University of Utah Police finally has some answers.”
A Cold Case Reopened Through Chance and Determination
The breakthrough began in 2022 when Nikol Mitchell, a crime data analyst with Utah’s Statewide Information and Analysis Center, reopened the case.
By pure coincidence, Major Heather Sturzenegger of the University Police mentioned the investigation to her daughter’s doctor—Steve Warren—who revealed he had been Brick’s roommate in 1973 and was the one who first reported him missing.
