2:52 PM | Updated: Apr 4 BY JACOB FREEMAN BRIGHAM CITY — Human remains found in a trash bag in Brigham City Wednesday were autopsied but examiners could not determine the victim’s identity Examiners were not even able to confirm the gender of the body said Detective Crystal Beck with the Brigham City Police Department although she was able to confirm the body had long dark brown-red hair held back with a hair tie Beck also said the body was found with a black hoodie and “female clothing.” The body also had a distinctive heart-shaped tattoo on the left bicep area the Brigham City Police Department said in a press release Friday Authorities released an artist’s rendition of the tattoo An artist’s rendition of a tattoo on human remains found in Brigham City The police department hoped friends or family would recognize the mark and aid investigations into the victim’s death The trash bag containing the remains was found by Union Pacific workers approximately 30 feet away from a rail line near 2600 West on Wednesday at about 2:00 p.m. Beck said the body was in an advanced state of decomposition and had been dead for anywhere between months to years before it was found Medical examiners were unable to immediately determine a cause of death Beck said investigators were taking into account that the victim may not have been a local and they were looking into missing persons cases both state and nationwide “Currently we do not have any missing persons in Brigham City and we are still encouraging the public to contact our tip line,” Beck said Police are asking the public to call the Box Elder Communications Center at (435) 856-7023 with any information that may be useful to the investigation University Affairs By Marcus Jensen | April 21 Utah State University Brigham City, USU Tremonton and USU Kaysville are proud to have celebrated the class of 2025 on Friday April 18 as part of USU’s 138th Commencement The class of 2025 consists of 434 individuals earning 11 undergraduate and four graduate certificates and 129 associate “Tonight’s commencement is a great achievement for all our students,” said Dan Black USU associate vice president for the Brigham City Region “You graduates haven’t reached this milestone without the support of spouses friends and associates who have helped make this day possible.” The campuses celebrated graduates with a ceremony at Box Elder High School in Brigham City Black welcomed the graduates and introduced the student speakers chief executive officer & chief nursing officer at Brigham City Community Hospital The first student speaker was Jenny Gillen Garrard who is graduating with a master’s degree in social work Garrard began her speech reflecting on her own journey to graduation and invited her fellow graduates to reflect on their own journeys She then shared insights from her studies in social work about the true meaning of “happiness,” or leading a rich She challenged her fellow graduates to find their happiness along the journey “Happiness isn’t something to be obtained,” she said “It's something we make space to receive As you continue your journey—whether it’s in your career or in your own personal growth—may you find peace not in the pursuit of happiness but in embracing all that life has to offer knowing that the real joy– that rich and meaningful life– lies in the process itself.” The second student speech was from Emily Davies who received her bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in both criminal justice and political science Davies reflected on finding the educational pathway that best suited her She then encouraged graduates to find the next step on their journey isn’t our final chapter,” Davies said “It’s a powerful pause—a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come and to look ahead with purpose Cottle briefly reflected on her own USU journey and congratulated the graduating class on their achievement She then offered counsel on what to do next “My advice to you today is this: find that niche in your life that gives you fulfillment and continue to learn and grow within that career,” she said “This isn't just about finding a job; it's about discovering a calling a passion that ignites your spirit and allows you to contribute your unique talents to the world.” Cottle encouraged the graduates to continue to be learners Smith then provided a short message and conferred upon the students their degrees Once the graduates received their diplomas president elect of the USU Alumni Advisory Board Located in the center of Davis County, Utah State University Kaysville offers students the personalized attention and small class sizes of a small-town college with the resources of a large university. With degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees, plus technical education offerings, USU Kaysville offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at kaysville.usu.edu Comments and questions regarding this article may be directed to the contact person listed on this page USU has announced a new Net Price Calculator — a modern mobile-friendly platform that helps students and families understand what they may pay to attend college The class of 2025 consists of 365 individuals earning 184 associate UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY HEALTH & WELLNESS Box Elder Communications Center received a call from railroad workers who found the bag at 2 p.m Law enforcement officials confirmed the bag contained human remains seven minutes after arriving at the scene a forensic examination conducted on Thursday revealed the victim was dressed in women's clothing including a black hooded sweatshirt and leggings a distinctive heart-shaped tattoo was discovered on the victim's left bicep "We are hopeful a friend or family member of the victim may recognize this tattoo which could aid in the expediency of our investigation," the Brigham City Police Department said in a statement The department released an artist's rendition of the tattoo Evidence collected during the examination is undergoing processing to determine the sex identifying someone through a tattoo is not always easy especially in a difficult case,” Rogers said including the Office of the State Medical Examiner and search and rescue teams with K9s from Weber and Box Elder Counties An intensive search of the surrounding area was conducted Anyone with information on the victim's identity is asked to contact the Brigham City Police Department at (435) 856-7023 -------------------------------------------- BRIGHAM CITY — An historic building formerly used as a tithing office for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was demolished on Tuesday to make room for a community nonprofit amphitheater and green space on the property The property was donated to the Fine Arts Center a 25-year-old nonprofit community arts venue After looking into restoring the long uninhabited building the center decided it would be best to tear it down and turn the property into an amphitheater for puppet shows summer camp activities and other outdoor art projects "It is a little sad to see what is left of this historical building come down but it is worth it to have this property safe again for the kids who attend the center," said Lisa Wyatt Although the building wasn't kept in its original condition since it was erected some key components were preserved over the years and were reclaimed upon its demolition The capstone and other pioneer-era relics were reclaimed by the Church of Jesus Christ and stonework around the windows were reclaimed by the center to donate to a community historic society The center also kept a number of the original bricks from the building and is selling them with a historic description card for $10 the proceeds of which will help fund the renovation and expansion project The manpower and cost of the demolition and preparation for the new outdoor area was donated by Whittaker Construction. The center is still seeking donations to finish the project, including asphalt, concrete, sod and more. Those who wish to donate can find more information on the Fine Arts Center website. The center aims to have the area ready to use before the end of the summer Wyatt emphasized that the purpose of the renovated outdoor area — and the arts center as a whole — is to enhance the community through art and provide a resource for children and adults to discover the arts "Our purpose really is empowering life through the arts helping kids and their mental health and preventing suicide here in Brigham City," Wyatt said "We're just trying to help people have a healthy empowered life where they feel confident and they have a safe place to be." the building was originally built as a two-story Latter-day Saint tithing office in the 1870s when farmers and merchants in the area would typically pay their one-10th tithe in the goods they produced rather than money it became more common to pay tithing with cash and the building was no longer needed to house tithed goods so the building was sold to Alfred and Marie Fawson in 1937 The Fawsons tore down the second story of the house and repurposed the bricks and building materials to expand the first story altering the original structure but maintaining historic elements The property sat unused for a number of years before it was donated to the Fine Arts Center Utah — A construction crew working along a Brigham City roadway on Wednesday discovered a bag of human remains in what they thought was simply trash The Union Pacific crew was near 2600 West Highway 13 at 2 p.m Brigham City Police Department officers who responded to the scene later confirmed that the remains in the bag were human The department is now investigating the unidentified remains as a homicide I want to make sure we conduct a very thorough investigation and get justice for this victim," said Brigham City Police Chief Chad Reyes Police said they had been in touch with the Cottonwood Heights Police Department after the bag was found Wednesday but added that they felt confident that the remains were not those of Johnson Officials believe the trash bag had been in the area for an extended amount of time “It’s actually shocking," said Joey Sandoval who lived near where the remains were found "It’s really shocking to know that there’s a dead body across the street that’s probably been there for years.” An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted Thursday afternoon at the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office in Taylorsville Utah (KUTV) — Homicide detectives were called out after a construction crew found human remains inside a garbage bag in a remote part of Box Elder County The Union Pacific crew was working in an area of 2600 West and Highway 13 near the town’s northwest border when they made the gruesome discovery Wednesday Officials with the Brigham City Police Department said the workers found a black garbage bag that they believed was trash The death has been classified as a homicide Chief Chad Reyes said they did not know how long the remains had been in the area but believed they had been somewhere between a few months to a couple years Although the news release from Brigham City police said the body was found in a garbage bag Reyes said it was found in a "more pliable" container citing the need to hold some things back for their investigation The remains were taken to the Medical Examiner's office for an autopsy and to determine if there was enough evidence to identify the victim Multiple agencies were called in to assist in the investigation and to canvass the area for additional pieces of evidence to process Crews from the Box Elder County Sheriff's Office Weber Metro CSI and Weber County cadaver dogs responded to the scene Investigators were looking at both state and national missing persons databases Chief Reyes said they had been in contact with the Cottonwood Heights Police Department to determine if the remains belonged to Utah National Guardsman Matthew Johnson Anyone with information related to the case has been asked to call the Box Elder Communications Center at 435-856-7023 There were only a few houses alogn Highway 13 in the area Joey Sandoval and Susie Esparza live in one of them then noticed a lof of police right across the street They were surprised to learn what was going on "It's creepy," Sandoval said They said it's a small community and nothing like this has ever happens out there it’s like wow we don’t see things like that," Esparza said They said there's a lot of traffic and a train in that area so the remains could have come from anywhere Sandoval said the area where the remains were found was covered with snow until recently Judge Kevin Christensen (left) and previous Tremonton fire chief Ned Brady Hansen (right) are accused of multiple child sex crimes and reportedly had a relationship with each other Utah (KUTV) — Due to a conflict of interest the Brigham City Police Department transferred the child exploitation case involving a former judge and fire chief to Davis County and the FBI the Tremonton/Garland Police Department contacted the Brigham City Police Department regarding a child exploitation case that posed a conflict of interest to their team was accused of dealing with child sex abuse material TGPD requested that BCPD handle the investigation moving forward Hansen was subsequently arrested on eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor The investigation continued after Hansen's arrest detectives received additional information that another subject was involved: Kevin Christensen BCPD then sought assistance from an agency not associated with Box Elder County or even the First Judicial Court of Utah "We immediately passed both cases along to the Davis County Attorney's Office and the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force," BCPD said BCPD has not been involved in the investigation since but said it will continue to fully cooperate moving forward "Brigham City and its police department express our deepest sympathies to the victims of these alleged crimes," BCPD said "We hold our mission to protect all victims very dear Brigham City also greatly respects our system of justice and acknowledges all defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law." by Natalie Wadas & Jared Turner (KUTV) Utah (KUTV) — Early results of an autopsy revealed very little information about the identity of the human remains found in a remote part of Brigham City Police gave an update Thursday afternoon about the victim found in a garbage bag in a field the day before Crystal Beck with the Brigham City Police Department said the medical examiner found the bag contained the victim’s whole body they weren't able to determine much else because of the decomposition "It is in a fairly high state of decomposition – so it's just – there's not much left of the whole body but all body parts are there," she said Beck said the victim was wearing a black hoodie had long reddish-brown hair tied back with a hair tie police could not determine the person’s age The victim had a distinctive mark on an arm but officials could not yet say what that was either They weren’t even sure how long the body had been there "It's been between anywhere from a month to years I don't know if they were discarded here that long or if they've just been in the bag that long," Beck said A Union Pacific railroad crew spotted the bag with bones and hair in it and called police There was some from the railroad company who would patrol the tracks every week or so but mostly to make sure the path was clear and free from garbage from the trains Beck said the body was found about 20 to 30 feet from the tracks It wasn’t until a construction crew was cleaning up from a project on the tracks that they found the bag People who live in this road were confused about why a body would end up there with several people stopping in the area to birdwatch this isn't a very way-out-of the way place,” said Joe Reeder “We're right along a major highway here with a lot of traffic we're just a few minutes from Brigham City right here in the other direction so it's really not out in the middle of nowhere where "I feel like it's pretty chill out here that's why I'm saying it's pretty surprising that something like that would happen," said Saul De Casas who also lives down the road from the scene Without leads into the identity of the victim or who could have done this police have asked anyone with information to contact them "We're definitely taking in account that this person may not be from Box Elder County we are looking at all missing persons both state and nationwide," Beck said Investigators were unable to determine how the victim died They expected to release an artist’s rendering of the distinctive mark found on the victim’s arm in the coming days Utah (KUTV) — As soon as a call goes out that human remains are found Medical Examiner Investigators head to the scene That’s what happened on Wednesday night when remains were found just outside of Brigham City An autopsy of the remains found in a trash bag unveiled little information about the victim’s age Detectives with Brigham City believe the victim to be female and was wearing a black hoodie had long reddish-brown hair tied back with a hair tie and wearing female clothes A sketch of a distinctive mark on the victim’s arm will be released to the public to hopefully aid in identifying these remains nothing really happens around here it’s kind of out nowhere,” explained Saul De Casas who lives nearby where the remains were found on Highway 13 near 2600 west As neighbors grasp what happened near their homes the Office of the Medical Examiner which oversees death investigations across the state gets work on the difficult process of figure out who the victim is and autopsy staff will use a variety of tests to determine the sex They start by collecting all the remains and then using fingerprints dental records or even medical devices found to try and identify the remains “When you get into the DNA realm that can take up to a few months to get those results and depending on do we think we know who this person is And if so then we a using comparison with a cheek swab with a relative and then DNA that’s extracted from the bone If we have no idea who the remains could be we then at that point we look at genetic genealogy where DNA is extracted Her team investigates from where the remains were discovered all the way to identifying the remains and giving the family that closure They also share their findings with the public to help us understand how people are dying “We learn so much about the living from the deceased,” she said “The data that we put out in the world is paramount to changing public health for the better.” BRIGHAM CITY — The Brigham City Police Department held a press conference Thursday to provide additional information regarding human remains that were discovered by a Union Pacific construction crew in a trash bag near Brigham City on Wednesday workers were cleaning up in the area of 2600 W Wednesday when a black trash bag was found After feeling the weight of the bag and also observing “hair and bone,” the crew contacted authorities Brigham City Police and the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Department responded to the call; Weber-Metro CSI also assisted detectives in canvassing the area Beck said that an autopsy was completed Thursday morning; however no determinations have been made regarding the approximate age gender or race/ethnicity of the individual as the remains were found in a “fairly high state of decomposition.” It was further noted that the body was whole with “no missing parts” and that the individual has been deceased for “one month to years.” It’s unknown how long the body was at the location where it was discovered “I will say that the victim has long hair that was held back with a hair tie and was wearing female clothing,” Beck said She added that the individual has a distinctive mark and that police plan to release an artist’s rendition to the media as soon as Friday The city does not currently have any missing persons who said that members of the public who may have information regarding the case are encouraged to contact the department’s tip line at 435-856-7023 That includes individuals who may have footage of the area “We had one today that called in and said that he had dash cam we would definitely love to see their footage or at least get pictures that they have taken.” LLC | www.standard.net | 332 Standard Way Utah — Images of a tattoo found on the human remains discovered in a trash back in Brigham City this week are being shared in hopes of identifying the victim The identity of the human remains discovered by a construction crew on Wednesday remains a mystery despite an autopsy being conducted Brigham City police said Thursday that they are still unable to determine the age although they added that the black garbage bag contained the full body Police shared that the body had long hair held back by a hair tie and was wearing female clothing The victim also had a distinctive mark on their left bicep in the form of a heart-shaped tattoo that was shared Friday in hopes a friend or family member recognizes the body art and to have them discarded like this is just unfathomable for me," said Det Crystal Beck with the Brigham City Police Department "I can't imagine taking someone that I cared deeply about and putting them in a bag." which were described to be in a "fairly high state of decomposition," continues to be a mystery as Brigham City does not have any missing persons FULL BRIEFING: Police share latest details below on remains found in Brigham City: Union Pacific workers cleaning up the area near 2600 West Highway 13 on Wednesday noticed the bag Beck once again confirmed that the trash bag had been in the area for an extended amount of time between several months and a couple of years The discovery and lack of explanation of what may have happened have shaken those living in the area it’s definitely the talk of the bar," said Mim's Bar and Grill owner Josh Buck Bag of human remains discovered by construction crew in Brigham City: Buck shared how Mim’s has been an establishment in one form or another since the 1940s and has seen its share of stories told from a barstool The remains found this week now have the town on edge “It has a potential to make people a little bit nervous here and start locking the doors," Buck said there will be some answers and some closure.” police are looking into whether the person was not from Box Elder County and are looking at missing person cases in Utah and the country police said they'll continue to work in hopes of bringing relief to someone in desperate need of closure "This is someone's family member who they don't have closure for They have no idea where this person might be and I think that everyone deserves to know what happened." Anyone with any information that could help with the investigation is asked to call the Brigham City Police Department or Box Elder County Communications Center BRIGHAM CITY — Police are seeking to identify a body with a "distinct" arm tattoo that was found Wednesday in a trash bag by the side of the road outside Brigham City Union Pacific workers located a black garbage bag about 2 p.m near 2600 West on state Route 13 while picking up trash in the area and the workers observed hair and bones in the bag and called police Brigham City police confirmed the contents of the bag were human and are investigating the incident as a homicide Brigham City Police Chief Chad Reyes said the department has been in contact with Cottonwood Heights police and are "confident" it isn't Matt Johnson who police say was killed by his estranged wife last fall Brigham City police detective Crystal Beck said the body was not missing any parts and had long hair held back by a hair tie The body was dressed in what appeared to be female clothing The Office of the State Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy but was unable to determine age ethnicity or gender due to its state of decomposition police released a rendering of a "distinct" heart-shaped tattoo with letters inside that was found on the victim's left bicep area "We are hopeful a friend or family member of the victim's may recognize this tattoo which could aid in the expediency of our investigation," Brigham City police said It appears the remains have been there for some time Officers were searching for additional evidence and looking at missing persons lists that could help them identify the victim Police said the bag was found about 20 feet away from the railroad tracks and 2600 West videos or pictures of the area is encouraged to contact police at 435-856-7023 Utah — Brigham City Police discovered a heart-shaped tattoo on the victim whose remains were discovered in a plastic bag along a roadway in Brigham City on Wednesday They hope the tattoo may lead to identifying the victim and bringing closure to their loved ones it’s amazing because when there’s no other identifying markers those are symbols that your family and your friends are going to recognize,” Kayla Shiffler a tattoo artist at Legacy Tattoo in Ogden said A Union Pacific Crew found the human remains — hair and bones — in a black garbage bag near 2600 West Highway 13 the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner conducted a forensic examination of the remains they found that the human remains were dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt and leggings The heart shaped tattoo was found on the victim’s left bicep area “I will say that we’re really hoping that it’s a stroke of luck for us that the tattoo survived,” said Chad Reyes “I will say that we’re really hoping that it’s a stroke of luck for us that the tattoo survived.” One heart shaped tattoo may bring one family closure Shiffler wonders what the tattoo could mean Tattoo shared in hopes of identifying remains found in Brigham City: “It definitely looks like it would be for somebody from what I can see,” Shiffler said “And it looks like it has some type of initials in there as well in the center so either a memorial tattoo for someone or maybe a tattoo for a child.” Brigham City Police is seeking the public’s help Anyone with information is asked to contact the police department at 435-856-7023 “The tattoo we’re hoping might help us expedite our investigation in a sense that we might get friends or family calling in sooner,” Reyes said Utah (KUTV) — A man is dead after being struck by a car on the side of I-15 in Brigham City on Tuesday evening Cameron ROden said a Honda CRV was traveling northbound on the 1100 South exit from I-15 when it approached a Dodge pickup truck partially blocking the right side of the exit lane The CRV reportedly side-swiped the driver's side of the Dodge pickup and struck a man who was outside the driver's door No impairment is suspected from the driver of the CRV The area of 1100 South was temporarily closed while authorities investigated the incident traffic was able to drive around the scene No identifying information about the victim has been released The Utah Highway Patrol continues to investigate the incident BRIGHAM CITY — A driver died after being struck by a vehicle while standing outside his vehicle that had broken down near an I-15 exit Wednesday night Emergency crews responded to a report of a crash along the 1100 South (U.S 91) exit in Brigham City shortly after 7:30 p.m. He said that a male driving a Dodge pickup truck had parked in a spot that partially blocked the right side of the exit lane after some sort of issue with his vehicle A female driving a Honda CRV entered the freeway's northbound exit and side-swiped the driver's side of the pickup striking the pickup driver who was standing outside the driver's side door The pickup driver was "thrown from the impact" and pronounced dead at the scene Authorities did not immediately release the name and age of either driver but Roden said the pickup's lights weren't on at the time of the collision Investigators don't believe impairment was a factor Science & Technology By Lynnette Harris | September 19 USU's Department of Aviation Technology officially opened an expansion of the program at the Brigham City Regional Airport this week Utah — Utah State University celebrated the grand opening of its second aviation training facility in northern Utah on Tuesday faculty and the public to an open house at the Brigham City Regional Airport The new facility will provide expanded flight training opportunities for students in USU’s growing professional pilot degree program which has seen a significant increase in enrollment over the past year head of USU’s Aviation Technology Department explained the reasoning behind the expansion “We now have about 680 students enrolled in our aviation programs for fall 2024 which is about 90 more students than last year,” he said the airspace for flight training in Cache Valley has become more congested so opening a training location in Brigham City made sense It offers additional flight opportunities for our students and better weather conditions The new Brigham City location offers fixed-wing training and serves students from both northern Utah and the Wasatch Front approximately 25% of USU’s aviation students commute from the Wasatch Front and this new location provides them with a more convenient training site "This not only helps the Logan-based students by reducing some of the demand on our facilities but also benefits students who have traveled longer distances for training,” Miller added Academic adviser Kaylee Roholt highlighted how the new facility aligns with USU’s land-grant mission by extending education to more communities “We have 10 students flying out of Brigham this fall including some from the Wasatch Front and others who jumped at the opportunity to get flying sooner by taking an open seat in Brigham City,” Roholt said “The smaller class sizes and better weather conditions are really appealing for many of our students This addition helps us alleviate demand on the Logan campus while empowering more students to achieve their dreams.” USU’s aviation students are passionate about their training and many aspire to careers as commercial airline pilots “Our professional pilot students are exceptional,” Roholt said “They’re drawn to this program because they see the incredible career opportunities it opens up for them but our students are driven by their passion and commitment to achieving their goals.” While the Brigham City expansion focuses on flight training USU's aviation maintenance program will continue to operate in Logan with plans to extend further to the USU Eastern in Price and the program’s teaching facility at the Carbon County Regional Airport Miller confirmed that Airframe and Powerplant certificate programs are slated to launch at USU Eastern in Fall 2025 and 2026 As projections for the aviation industry remain strong with continued demand expected for commercial pilots both domestically and globally USU is committed to preparing the next generation of aviation professionals The Brigham City campus expansion marks another step forward in fulfilling that mission For more information about Utah State University’s Aviation Program, visit avte/usu.edu Celebrating the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics Jennifer Albretsen Roth (BS'09) looks forward to Physics Day at Lagoon USU researchers explain worrisome seismic activity for the Beehive State's population center in the journal Geology