Secret Killer Leads Cops Into His Murder Shed | Forensic Files

He He was in a hurry and cuz I guess it was raining, he wanted to get this undercover.
>> So you weren't here when Dylan came down here. >> He's a friend of mine. >> Sure. You don't get rid of friends.
>> This is Jim Brener, a farmer living in the remote Utah desert. Police don't know it yet, but he's showing them the
exact building where a missing teenager was murdered just days earlier. 19-year-old Dylan Rounds had left his
family to go work on his farm. But after being spotted buying supplies at a local
shop, he would vanish without a trace. Strangely, no one in the small, quiet town seemed surprised. Apparently, this
was not uncommon. >> I told that kid, "Stay the hell out of Montello." >> That whole town just It's a crazy place.
Some other guy pointed a gun in my freaking face. >> As days stretched into weeks, detectives
chased a mounting list of suspects. Thieves, violent criminals, [music] drug dealers. Yet from the very
beginning, the truth was there, hidden in plain sight by someone nobody [music] suspected.
It all began on a quiet evening when police received calls from a concerned family member reporting their son Dylan
Rounds missing from his farm in Utah. They hadn't heard from him in over 2 days. And when they went to his property
to check, there was no sign of him anywhere. A deputy was dispatched to Dylan's farm to meet with his family.
But on his way there, he was stopped by a neighbor of Dylan claiming he might know what happened to him.
>> He's been he's been hanging out over that bar in Montello. And I could give you some names of some scumbags over
there, but he's been shooting his mouth off about how much money he's making. And there's one guy, Chase Vra Ventra.
He's over there and he can do anything he wants. He's been robbing, stealing, everything. Hill County Sheriff won't do
anything about it. And if you talk to his mother, she knows more about it, but he ran into Chase on the Tacoma Road the
other day. And Chase kind of scared him a little bit. >> What's your [music] last name again,
Jim? >> Brener. Jim Brener. Well, I'll let you get down there before they disturb the
crime scene. >> Okay, thank you. >> As the conversation ended, Jim Brener's strange remark about a crime scene left
the deputy curious since no crime was yet confirmed. It was an unsettling comment that would soon become a
disturbing reality. >> Milk something good. >> For now though, the deputy took note of
this information and continued towards Dylan's farm to speak with his family. >> No guns in there.
>> No guns in there. Like he said, he carries a He has a 40 that he puts in the door right side.
>> Did you just pop the back window? >> I broke it out. >> At first glance, Dylan's red Ford truck
appeared oddly abandoned, bearing signs of minor damage. But what concerned his father the most was that Dylan's guns
had mysteriously vanished from the trailer. A detail that was strange on its own. Wanting to learn more about
Dylan, the deputy turned to speak with his mother, she had her own troubling information to share about Dylan's
recent runin with a local criminal. >> What does he farm for out here? >> Himself.
>> What does he farm for? >> Grain or >> grain? >> Yeah. >> James stopped me when you guys weren't
around me was talking to me. You said that uh you knew something about a runin he had with a guy named Chase.
>> Yeah. on Wednesday, but they told me that's normal. So, >> I know a lot of the people that he named
from Montello are not good people. I only know of them from what people say. Dylan's mother confirmed her son had in
fact encountered Chase Venstra recently, the same person Dylan's neighbor had earlier described as a local thief and
criminal. Given what the deputy learned so far, it seemed like Dylan might have unknowingly placed himself in danger. At
just 19, he purchased 640 acres of land with his grandfather for an estimated 200 to $300,000
and built a reputation for his ambitious dreams of running a huge farm. But according to his neighbor, Dylan's
confidence may have made him a target, as he often frequented rough local bars and talked openly about his financial
success. After rehashing some more details with Dylan's parents, the neighbor Jim
Brainer and his close friend Donald Hayley arrived to help. Both men knew Dylan well. Jim was living in a trailer
near Dylan's farm and occasionally helped him with chores. And Donald was a longtime friend of the family and a
supportive mentor to Dylan's farming ambitions. But unbeknownst to everyone at the time, both men knew something
more about Dylan's [music] disappearance. Something they weren't ready to share yet.
>> I did get a ping. Okay. >> Last location was 15.4 miles from the Voltine Tower,
>> which puts him on this back road. >> So I was walk that hit him walking. >> Okay. That's I I really I know my son
and that's the shortest route to his camp. If he walked, that road ends right out here.
>> If he walked, he would have come this corner, cut across this field. >> But that's as close as cell phone peak.
Not in town. Not It's out here. >> Mhm. Off of that road, the back road into the compound.
>> Then we go down to where it is. >> Yeah. >> What time was that? Does it tell you?
>> That was at uh or 14:58. >> So right after just before 3:00. >> Right after you left. So he must have
pulled in right behind you. He dropped off the grain truck and I'm telling you I I bet you he took off walking.
>> How do you get to that road from >> I >> So we don't have to go all the way back
to Luc and over. >> No, >> no, I guess. Okay. >> Following this lead, they quickly headed
to the shed area to investigate. That's when they discovered the first troubling
sign of foul play. Dylan's boots were found stained with blood discarded about 100 yards south of the shed. The deputy
immediately secured the boots to send them off for DNA testing and called another deputy to help search the shed
and the surrounding property. However, they had no way of knowing that the [music] biggest clue they were looking
for was submerged 20 ft deep in a pond nearby. >> There's just some boots out there that
are they've only been out there for a day or two. You didn't see anybody else around here.
>> I left here about 1:30, went over to Dons, and I was there until about 9:00 at night. And when I come back, that
[music] truck was here. >> It's just one thing after another. [laughter] And but he's a friend of mine.
>> Sure. You don't get rid of friends. [music] Those two boots out there, they're brand
new. Like they're they've only been out there. They're they're the same color leather as your boots and they're the
same ones he wears. So, we're just curious [music] of why his boots would be out there. Same size he wears.
They've only been out there probably for a day or two. >> He might have threw them out there. I
maybe he did. Would he Does he know that's a dump out there? He does. He's got electronics and [ __ ]
in there. Maybe I don't know cuz like I say, he was here. >> He hadn't been here.
>> Brought the truck here. >> Yeah, that would make sense. >> Based on Jim Briner's timeline, whatever
happened to Dylan likely occurred between 1:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. The hours when Jim left the shed to visit
his friend Donald Hatley. Police quickly verified Brener's timeline with his friend Donald, who confirms that they
had dinner together during that time. With Dylan's exact movements still unclear, deputies requested a helicopter
to scout the area from above, looking for any trace of Dylan. >> So, who owns this right here? Um, that's
the guy that he is a partner with. This is where he dropped the grain truck off.
Where's this great truck? It's back to that silver building there. So, the big one. Yep. Do you want to go up higher,
Mike? Or you could please do the nice high orbit. You can look at everything with the camera and then we'll come back
down and see if we see anything with her. >> After a full sweep of the surrounding
area, no sign of Dylan or any indication of where he might have gone was found. In the following days, the search
efforts continued and Daniel's [music] family alongside local volunteers joined in. But despite their best efforts
combing through the area, they too came up empty. Attention soon turned to the local criminal Chase Venstra. Both
Dylan's mother and his neighbor Jim mentioned a recent encounter between the two, making Chase one of the last people
to see Dylan alive. Additionally, Chase already had a history of violent run-ins
with the law, including a 10-hour armed standoff with police in 2016 and was well known in the area for all the wrong
reasons. Luckily for police, Chase had an active warrant related to domestic violence. It was their perfect chance to
bring him in for questioning. But when officers arrived at the house to arrest him, Chase was nowhere to be found,
potentially already on the run from police. Officers quickly began searching the
town, asking if anyone had seen Chase recently. Locals directed them to the Montello Cowboy Bar, a place known to be
frequented by Chase. Following this lead, officers headed to check the bar, where they would soon learn that Dylan
and Chase's encounter may have been more dangerous than anyone realized. But before we get to that, it's worth
noting that incidents like these are not only traumatic for those directly involved, but they can often have the
same effects on you when you face [music] difficult situations in your own life. I [snorts] realized I simply
wasn't equipped to manage what I was feeling on my own and that there are professionals whose expertise is guiding
people like me towards feeling better. My therapist gave me one simple assignment. Write down how I felt every
single hour. The patterns quickly became clear what made me feel good and what made me feel bad. Reporting back kept me
disciplined. [music] Sharing each success made me proud and the accountability stopped me from
quitting. With those patterns in front of me, I could finally see what in my life had to change and how to change it.
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and get 10% off your first month of therapy. With that said, let's get back to the officers at Montello Cowboy Bar
where a conversation with the locals was about to reveal how Dylan's encounter with Chase may have turned violent.
>> We're trying to find a kid named Dylan. >> Oh, I know. We got locals out here that
look good, too. Oh, they went out that way cuz he was out to loose in. Uh, I was hearing Kurt say something about he
had a confrontation with that chase [music] kid. >> Yeah, that's who I'm looking for. Where
do we find him? >> Kind of worried about it because if if Dylan did walk back from where he left
the grain track and Chase got a hold of him and vulnerable, you know what I mean? Mhm.
>> Walking back, something bad could have happened because there was a bad injury
with a kid just out here that got his face smashed in by the butt of a gun and his all his the whole camper shell was
all bashed in and stuff. >> Where do we find Chase? >> Is he from here? Does he live here?
>> Yeah, he does. He doesn't. He He's from around here. This is where he hangs out.
He was staying out here and he was >> Where was he staying at? big thief in town and so everybody was after him and
they finally told him to get the hell out of town and stayed at >> came back just here.
>> The bar owner's recap only further implicated Chase Venstra suggesting that a violent confrontation between Chase
and Dylan was more likely than ever. But something else caught the officer's attention when one of the bar owners
briefly mentioned another recent incident involving Chase. Sensing there might be more to this, the officer
decided to pull her aside for a private conversation. At this point, police still considered Dylan's case a missing
person. But what the bar owner detailed next would soon shift this case to one of potential homicide.
>> Why was uh Chase and him having an issue? Do you know? So Kurt told me and I was overhearing part of the
conversation saying that Dylan was just driving down the road and Chase stopped him and said, "Hey, got some water." He
was like, "Hey, do you know Kurt?" Da da. And I guess they got in an altercation about that cuz um Chase,
he's like, "Kurt's an asshole." D. And Dylan was like, "No, he's not. You know, he's a good guy. I work for, you know,
do work for him." Blah, blah, blah. There's an altercation. Then he went on his way. And I believe if I'm not
mistaken the conversation that was the same day that he drove the grader the the grainer over to wherever he and then
whoever was there couldn't give him a ride back so he possibly walked. That's all I know about the conversation.
>> How does the kid getting hit with a butt of a gun? Does that figure into this at
all? >> I can get that. I think there is some because now we're talking violence. So
kid let his property go and stop making payments on his property because he's so
scared. But he woke up to the bunning of a gun into his face. They smashed his his camber.
>> How old was he? >> I don't know. 30s. >> 30s. >> Has a family, has kids. He's out here.
Bought land out here. So, everyone trying to homestead. >> He's not out here any long. Imagine.
>> No. He left. He left to be his property go was gone. >> With this troubling insight, it became
clear that Chase Venstro was fully capable of extreme violence. If he attacked someone else recently, he
easily could have done the same to Dylan. But what no one had realized yet was that police were looking in the
wrong direction the whole time, while someone far more dangerous and guilty was hiding right under their noses.
The next day, while the search for Chase continued, Dylan's family reached out to
police. They were conducting their own investigation and wanted to share new information they'd uncovered.
Information suggesting Chase may not have acted alone. So this is this is the family. Yes. Okay. So tell me again what
you're have suspicion to believe right now. >> So on 525 is when Dylan ran into chase
with the desert and called in the desert and called me right after. He had no shoes on. Dylan wouldn't let him take
his phone or give him a ride, but he did allow him to call his dad on speaker phone in Ogden, Utah.
>> Okay. >> Dylan allowed Chase. >> Dylan allowed Chase to. And then he gave him some coke and his and then his dad
called Dylan back and Dylan sent the pin from his phone to where Chase was. >> Okay.
>> So then we fast forward to 5:28 which was Saturday. Dylan was heard from in the morning. He talked to his grandma
and he was going to take the grain truck to the shed to put it in shelter cuz it
was raining. >> So at this point we assumed he was walking back across the desert to his
camper >> cuz he didn't have a ride. >> This is in Milan. >> Yeah. >> Lucen. Yeah.
>> Okay. >> So then 5:29 they continued to look for him. 5:30 we all got here um to Dylan's
last known location and loops in filed the police report. Got search and rescue out. That's the night we found Dylan
boots about 400 y from where his last known location was. Tossed out behind a dirt pile just out in the desert. So
then today we kept searching and that's when these guys got us the information. What about 3:00 today? We know that this
Robert guy took Chase out to the desert where Dylan is the day Dylan went missing.
>> The man Dylan's mother mentioned would turn out to be Robert Ales. He had an active arrest warrant and reportedly
gave Chase Venstra a ride to Dylan's place on the day he disappeared. The family also suspected that Chase could
be at Robert's house, so finding him became a priority in locating their prime suspect and hopefully Dylan
himself. Officers quickly moved to track down Robert Ales and their first stop was
Robert's residence where they came into contact with his mother. >> I'm singing in
>> I don't know who that would be. >> Okay. >> I'm sorry. I have no idea. >> He's supposed to be hanging out with a
guy named Chase >> and Robert. >> And Robert. >> Okay. I don't know. Chase might [music]
have an idea, but my son's been homesick and he's been in bed all day and he's been home all night. I don't know. I'm
just wondering. >> So, who's all in your house? Who? >> Nobody. >> Nobody's in there right now.
>> No, my son is in [music] his trailer. >> And where's that at? >> In the backyard.
>> In the backyard? >> Yeah. >> Well, we're just trying to We're just trying to find it.
>> No, no one came home with him. So, >> nobody came home with him? >> No. >> Okay. Is Chase here? No, I don't let
Chase on my property after I found him inside my home when I wasn't home. >> We were We were told that there's
possibly a kidnapping missing kid. >> Oh, being here. Yeah. No, you can feel free to look around.
>> Hostage situation like he's not being See, that's why we're here, ma'am. I'm not about a car.
>> Look around if you want to, but there's nothing here but my son and he's sleeping. After speaking with Robert's
mother, officers conducted a thorough search of the property, but found no sign of Dylan or Chase. But they soon
located Robert inside his trailer, and he was quickly arrested and transported [music] to the police station for
questioning. When detectives placed Robert in the interrogation room, they expected resistance and lies, but
instead, Robert didn't hold back. >> So, you said that Chase had taken guns from somebody. Did he admit to you like
where he got his guns? >> No, this is what I thought he got arrested for the first time. What he was
in jail for when I came back. I asked Chase that. I was like, "Hey man, I heard you got arrested." He's like, "No,
that's just all Montello gossip, blah blah blah blah blah." Right. So, I'm kind of weary after giving him a ride. I
tried to show um one of my mom's friends, been out there in the community for a long time. He gave me his
scenario. He thinks Chase did it, too. Okay. Now, I don't know the time frames because I'm not good with time. Like I
told you guys, I did the best I could by by contacting the store lady and asking
her what day I gave Chase a ride, you know, cuz I didn't even know what day I gave Chase a ride. I didn't even know
what day the kid came up missing. I didn't even know there was a kid missing until the Nevada
police came knocking on our door wanting to search our residence. You know what I
mean? And that's the truth. Although Robert admitted giving Chase Venstra a ride, he couldn't provide any
clear information on Chase's current whereabouts and maintained his innocence throughout the rest of his interview.
However, Robert made one thing clear. He believed Chase was involved and might have even killed Dylan.
The following night, something strange happened at Dylan's trailer in the Lucen Desert. It seemed someone had quietly
returned and tampered with items inside. An officer was quickly sent out to photograph and document the scene,
accompanied by Dylan's father, who'd share more details about the troubling discovery.
>> Okay. The shotgun is in a house in Ricky. >> Okay. That is my grandfather's that I
bought and he has a room up there. And that was the the 40. It's not in here. We looked in his
camper, didn't find it. Um, no key fob for the truck. So, when I broke the window, the
alarm went off. We undid the battery. No key fob. Um, we looked in his camper and all the
cupboards and stuff. Looked in the bathroom, nothing. My mother came here. She has real bad arthritis. My sister
was here. We're all out surgery. She used the bathroom. Dylan had flushed to go see it. It was really nasty. So, my
sister went in and cleaned it. Still no gun. Later, my son and JD came in and the gun was sitting on a sink.
It's outside of the bathroom, but right by the bathroom door where the toilet and the shower is the sink, but it's not
in the bathroom. The gun was sitting right there with the with the clip outside of it.
>> Okay. >> Sitting there. So, [snorts] my son and JD didn't think much of it. They grabbed
the gun, put it in my truck. I didn't think much of it. Although, they found the gun. I don't know. Then we started
realizing that it wasn't there when my sister cleaned the bathroom for my mom to use and all that and it was there.
>> This discovery was an alarming indication that someone was actively trying to cover up their involvement in
Dylan's disappearance. But his father had one more thing to share. Something about an old confrontation with someone
police hadn't yet fully considered in their investigation. What what was Chase's ties to out here?
>> I don't know about Chase. Hardly any. But the whole town knows him. But that whole town are just It's a crazy place.
>> They're just all like they're all muddy for one thing. >> The only people that I know of that
really were in contact with Dylan as I hear the chase guy. I didn't know it, but Don and Jim. Jim was the guy you the
place you guys know. >> Okay. >> Jim came out here and helped. Jim came to Riby where I live. I live in Rigby
and Idol Falls area. Dylan bought like 800 pigs or something from the Midwest when the pandemic hit.
Whatever the I brought him to my farm last piss and Jim was there and I unleashed on told me
to get the hell out of here. He called D and told me he's going to blow my head off. Dylan called me. He got all mad. So
when I found out he's going to blow my head off, I had to go see. and he's walking down the lane on the farm with a
big old pistol and my dad calmed him down and calmed me down. Then he came back this winter to my shop to work on
that seed truck. Fine. Everything was fine. And I realized it's Dylan's friend. I I'm not going to worry about
this. You know what I mean? I got to bend Tyson. >> According to Dylan's father, there were
no further escalations after his confrontation with Jim Briner at the time. At this point, no one had any real
reason to suspect Jim Brainer or Donald Hatley. After all, they'd been actively helping the family, joining search and
rescue efforts, and fully cooperating with police. However, the confrontation [music] described by Dylan's father was
serious enough for the officer to take note of it. After leaving the scene, he passed this information to detectives,
prompting a deeper look into Jim Brener's past. And what detectives uncovered wasn't entirely unexpected.
a criminal past, including convictions for aggravated assaults and multiple weapons charges, as well as a
pre-existing federal active warrant for being a restricted person in possession of a firearm. Brener's violent history
and his close proximity to [music] Dylan's farm were enough for detectives to flag him as a person of interest,
alongside their primary suspect, Chase Vinstra. The following day, officers moved
quickly to serve Brener's arrest warrant [music] and bring him in for questioning. They soon spotted him
casually heading back towards the grain shed with his close friend, Donald Hatley.
>> What could I do for you guys? >> Well, we just had a couple things we wanted to talk to you about. We're still
trying to figure stuff out, you know, and um just have you guys heard or seen anything these days? Anything new?
>> This trash over here? >> Yeah. I know names. I know people. I know they I Nobody seems to want to listen to me.
>> I got you. I hear >> they're the [music] ones coming over stealing [ __ ] >> Are they?
>> Yeah. Chase Vestra. Chase Vestra and Robert Ailas are the one that robbed uh Michael Moore up here.
>> But everybody keeps saying that's done. We need pulling. You need to bust kick
freaking rats over there open. And people are going to start talking. And that's the only way you're going to find
out about Dylan. >> There's a warrant for your arrest. I'm going to let you know about it right
now. >> From Maryland. >> So, we're going to pick you up, take you to jail with us.
>> Oh, god damn it. So, what I want you to do, I know before you even talk, place
your hands on your head for me. Interlock your fingers. Okay. >> Jim pointing fingers at Robert and Chase
was understandable given witness statements and allegations. But Jim's own criminal past and proximity to Dylan
made him equally suspicious. Detectives transported him to the police station, planning to use the unrelated warrant
charges as an opportunity to question him further about Dylan. Though they didn't expect much new information from
Jim, this routine questioning was about to lead to an unexpected breakthrough. >> The the warrant is it has been issued
and we're obligated by law. be found. >> I don't know if you realize this, but there's other bigger problems going on
over there. >> Not here to talk to you about that warrant. You just got brought in on that
warrant. >> Okay. >> We would like to talk to you about the other things that are going on out
there. >> We would respect him. I understand. I mean, I know him better than you do. I
work for him. >> That's why you're one of the reasons why I sit. >> Yeah. Cuz I know you know him. Dylan
used to go in the bar and he'd been bragging about how much money he was making. Dylan never carried money on
him. Bought everything with credit card. But if he did have $1 in his wallet, he
wouldn't give it up. And I think this is a strong armed robbery. Somebody thought
they see this little 5'5 kid. And I think they figured we're going to get this guy. We're we're going to rob this
guy. We're going to intimidate him. Dylan, don't intimidate with the strong armed robbery. Do you believe it? Chase
and Robert a reve? Is there any reason anyone say you did it? If I did this, I'd be one six out son of a [ __ ]
>> Well, there's got to be somebody that's some sick son of a [ __ ] somewhere. What
about Don? I've known Don for over 2 years, and Don's gone out of way to help Dylan just like I have. As expected, Jim
Brainer's statements remained mostly consistent, and he appeared genuinely convinced Chase Venstra and Robert of
Elise had something to do with Dylan's disappearance. But Briner had more details to share. Details about Dylan
himself and the dangerous individuals he was attracting. >> Another one, Robert Lee just did 10
years in prison for um strong armed robbery. Lo and behold, about 3 weeks ago, a
fellow from Salt Lake that bought 10 acres of land over in Montello. Two guys went into into his trailer, beat him up
with a pistol whipped him, robbed him, took his cell phone, and made it so his vehicle wouldn't run. He had to walk
into town to call the police. There's a lot of [ __ ] going on in Montel. >> Is he the one that they talk about being
pistol look with the gun? Is that the one? Is that somebody different? I I hate the same person.
>> Brener would go on to mention several other people, mostly convicted criminals
from the area who could have had strong motives to rob or even kill Dylan. Clearly, he wasn't exactly narrowing
things down for detectives, but at least he appeared fully cooperative. However,
in just moments, Brener would let something slip, something that would unintentionally place him right at the
center of the suspect pool. Dylan is a shy kid. His world revolves around tractors, farming. I mean, he had
a couple guns that his dad gave him and he never he had a shotgun that we found that that's up in Riby. Um, but he
always carried that in the back seat. And the pistol he had, they found that and he was
afraid to keep that loaded. He used to keep the gun in the console and keep a loaded magazine. And I told him, I said,
"Don't either need to learn how to use that thing or put it somewhere." I said, "That's going to get you killed." And
late for that, [music] but I was telling his dad that, too. >> Needless to say, Jim's choice of words
wasn't ideal. And this wasn't the first time his statements had raised eyebrows,
as he'd previously made a similar remark when Dylan first went missing, [music] speaking about him as if he was already
dead. Although several days had passed and the possibility of foul play was growing, detectives still found his
comments odd. But with the rest of Briner's interview yielding nothing new, investigators booked him into jail on
his unrelated firearm possession warrant, giving them time to further investigate any possible involvement.
Shortly after Jim Brener was taken into custody, officers finally located Chase Venstra and arrested him on his
unrelated warrant out of Montana. Detectives wasted no time bringing him in for questioning. But in this first
interview, Chase flatly denied any involvement, insisting locals were spreading false rumors to frame him.
With no hard evidence, investigators booked him into jail, but with a strategy in mind. They placed him in a
cell directly above Jim Briner, quietly hoping they would interact. And at one point, one of them might talk or slip
up. Pretty quickly, this tactic paid off when Chase reached out to detectives for
another interview, claiming he knew exactly what happened to Dylan and could solve the entire case.
>> I came to talk to you. Um, Kevin's called you. >> She actually didn't call me. Ross called
me and said that you were looking to to talk about with him talk about Brener. Was it Brener? And uh just the case
basically, right? >> Yeah. They put me in there. I'm the cell above Brener. >> I've got to talk to him. I've talked to
other cellmates. I know a lot. >> Okay. >> I know a lot. I can I can put this thing
to best to bed for you. Well, I mean, honestly, to be straightforward with you, I can't I can't do anything about
the charges. Me myself, right? They're fed. They got to be federal, right? >> No, they're they're state.
>> I didn't even know that there were any. >> So, I want the charges dropped. I'll
solve this case for you. >> All right. >> I'm not able to do it. So, I just came
and talk to you to see if you had something you wanted to tell me. >> I got everything to tell you, but when
I'm out of these chains and in my closing, I can't make that kind of deal with you. So
>> that's what that's >> fine if you don't want to. >> That's what I want. >> That's fine.
>> I want to do I just want to be left alone. >> I want like we got an ultrasound on my
new baby tomorrow. >> I want I want to go be there with her. This is her first baby.
>> I'm I'm applying for a job with the state out there. >> I hope you I'm done with this thing.
I've been drugged through the mud with this thing with Dylan. I know how it happened, where it happened,
>> when I know what what was used and where it's at. >> Okay. >> I can So, I put this whole thing to bed
for you guys. >> Well, and I I >> And I hate I hate to >> I wish you could, but there's not
anything I can offer you. >> I I hate to be that way with you, but I got to look out for me.
>> Unfortunately for detectives, their strategy backfired. Now, Chase wanted to bargain his freedom in exchange for
information he claimed to have. But investigators had little reason to trust Chase. and without an agreement to drop
his gun charges, the interview ended without providing any new leads. On June 28th, exactly a month since
Dylan went missing, police were called out after a witness reported finding something suspicious in the desert.
[music] A burial site with clear signs of something dead inside. >> Oh, I smelled something.
Somebody came and opened it. It wasn't like this. [applause] This wasn't here either.
>> Oh, >> okay. Go ahead and step away. >> Something dead in there. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. He killed the poor. He killed him.
>> Yeah. So, this is the only one that you found, huh? >> Okay. >> It wasn't like this yesterday, though.
Okay. >> Somebody came and open it. >> Yeah. >> So, how how did it look like? >> This was flat. So, the this was on top
and then and then there was another >> wood. >> Hey man. So, there is a a grave.
>> There appears to be maybe two dogs. Maybe two or three dogs. >> Yeah, that's not true.
>> Yeah, two or three dogs inside. It looks like it's been here for some time, but
um there the person the RP is telling me that it didn't look like this yesterday
that somebody had come over and >> Yeah. opened it up. >> Um opened it up for some reason.
I will I do have some uh some footprints around this too. >> The burial site contained [music] dead
dogs buried beneath. Not exactly what police were expecting, though it meant there still might be hope for Dylan.
Just as the investigation began to settle back into a frustrating standstill, police received a call from
someone they knew well, Jim Brainer's close friend, Donald Hatley. He'd been around since the early days of the
search, helping the family and cooperating with officers. But now, weeks into the investigation, he wanted
to speak with investigators, claiming he had important information to share, something he'd kept hidden ever since
Dylan vanished. Detectives immediately arranged to meet with Donald, where they would finally
uncover one of the first truly damning clues in the case. >> Oh, I'll tell you something, okay?
And I I really don't think it has anything to do with anything. You guys found ammunition and stuff with Gems.
>> Yeah. >> And he was in white powder and food in the stick. >> Yeah. >> But he figured that would be a a reason
to poke you or something or say whatever. So he brought us black auto right. >> Okay. Thank you. I appreciate that.
>> Where are those? Well, I put one behind my bed, my bedroom, and the other one's leaned up
in the corner next to Jaden on the couch. And >> when did he bring them? After billing.
>> Oh, yeah. Definitely after. >> Why? >> Basically safety. When last time, you know, they had him in
Hulk for over a year and when he got out, everything he had was gone. Everything. I can't ask you what's going
through Jyn's head at that time, but what's going through yours when he brings you his rifles and a six gun?
>> Honestly, it looked like he was scared that, you know, he was going to be detained for 6 months or a year and lose
everything he had. He said, "Well, >> he had no idea what happened to his horses last time." Well, okay. All his
gun, everything he owned disappeared. >> So, why do you think he's going to get detained or why does he think he's going
to get detained for 6 months? just because he's a felon and he could be held for so he knows he's a felon. He
knows he shouldn't have them and so he >> Oh, I don't know. I don't know. According to him, black power primitive
weapon is not considered firearm. Now, if he'd have brought me a firearm, I'd have said no.
>> Okay. Um, so sometime after Dylan, do you remember how long after? I mean, it's only been 3 weeks now.
>> It seems like forever. I wish that kid had just gone walking down the road starting to kick his butt.
>> I wish too, but the longer this goes, the less likely it looks. >> Yeah. >> Donald's admission couldn't have come at
a worse time for Jim Briner. Although Donald explained that Jim hid the guns at his place out of fear of losing them,
the timing was deeply suspicious. And for detectives, this was enough to place Briner at the center of suspicion
alongside Chase Venstra. Following this discovery, the firearms were seized and Jim Brainer picked up an additional
firearm possession charge, keeping him in jail as the investigation continued. But detectives still lacked concrete
evidence against anyone, and crucial DNA results from the bloody boots found near
the shed were yet to return. It seemed like the case might stall for a while. Over
a year would pass with detectives quietly [music] making progress, including crucial DNA results, but still
no sign of Dylan himself and no one held responsible. That is until December 2023 when
investigators got a call that would change everything. Jim Briner's cellmate, who'd spent
months locked up alongside him, claimed to know exactly what had happened to Dylan. Detectives quickly arranged an
interview, expecting another bargaining scenario similar to Chase Venstra's. But
what the cellmate would reveal instead was a chilling murder confession. >> You must be brought, sir. [music]
Thank you. So, they had said that you wanted us to come back that you had more information.
>> Yeah. >> Or did you have information before that you just didn't give us all of it?
>> No, I didn't. I didn't really have I didn't really have a whole lot of information then. Um
>> Okay. >> I I I got plenty of information now. Um [clears throat] I got information that
probably help maybe even keep him cutting the deal that he wants to cut deal with. um on his right hand.
Nobody has noticed he's got a bite mark. >> Has he? >> He's got a bite from Dylan rounds. Um
the 22 is what killed Dylan. >> Two shots. >> Yeah, the 22. The >> Did he tell you that?
>> Yeah. >> Just tell you that. >> Um like 2 days ago, 3 days ago. >> Go Yeah, go through that.
>> Um he said it was like 6:00 in the morning. He uh was in there taking a [ __ ] and
then he heard a diesel truck drive by the the place he was staying in. >> And uh when he got out there, he had had
his .45 a gun that he put in a bold over hoster. >> Mhm. >> Um and Dylan had picked it up off the
saw horses that he he thrown his stuff all around, moved it up so he could put the truck in the he shed. Okay.
>> Yeah. And Dylan was holding the 45 and and he said he got really pissed off at him and
started yelling at him and told him get get the [ __ ] out of there. And Dylan took the gun and fired it right beside
his ear. That's why he came here out of his right right right side ear. He said he grabbed he grabbed he grabbed the guy
was fighting for it. He said they ended up on the ground and Dylan Dylan ended up shooting himself in the leg with the
with the with the 45. And then um he said while they were fighting the gun got fired like two or three times. He said
there's a bullet hole in the side of the uh side of the building out there. You can see
>> he said when you guys was out there talking to him and standing in the shed or something standing up there. He said
he was sitting there looking at it. >> Mhm. Um, and then uh he he showed me a scar on his thumb too where he had stuck
his hand in in the gun that was trying to keep gun from firing it again, but he was clicking and clicking and it was and
it [music] his whole right hand was was damaged at one time. >> Okay. >> Um, but the bite mark is evident very
seeable and the body is somewhere right there close by. Um, he said he seen power marks over it where you guys have
been driving. Um, so we've been driving on it. >> Just give you any indication of where?
>> Yeah, >> there's a it's just there's a lot of country out there. >> Yeah, he said it's in the high desert.
>> Did he say that it was close to where he killed him? >> Yeah, it's it's close. It's close
somewhere there. >> Where he killed him? >> He gave him He g He gave like a 25 mile
circumference. >> Oh, Highways. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, he heard um Dylan drive by in
his truck. Mhm. >> Uh Dylan had backed the truck into the grain shed. >> No, he said he said the truck was still
parked out. >> So it wasn't backed in yet? >> Yeah. No, it wasn't backed in. And and
and that's when they had the fight. They had the fight and everyone went on in there. He said that the the the round on
the gun got turned. He said he heard it turning like it was a revolver. >> Yeah, it was a revolver. He said he got
to the chance where Dylan let quit biting him on his wrist. need to hit latched on to him and he said he got up
and he took off out and that's when he he got he got the 22 told him to bring his ass back his area or he was going to
shoot the horse. The horse was standing outside >> into the grain shed about eating the
horse was standing out there eating grain out of the back of the truck >> and then from what you're saying he did
he run back in the trailer and get Tommy too. Hey, there's a they know that they
they said it was behind the bags, some green bags. He said he took three shots at him and they're all head shot. He
said one of them graded grazed Dylan on the side of his face. He he pointed he pointed just like this to the side of
his face. So it could have been red. >> You know, I couldn't tell you if it was right side, but then he said two more
shots he shot Dylan head >> and that killed him. Yeah. >> And then what did he do?
>> Then then he got he said he burned all his clothes. He said after he took care
of everything, he burned all all the clothes. The revelations from Brainer's cellmate were chilling to say the least.
According to him, the argument that ended Dylan's life stemmed from Brainer being irritated with Dylan for
repeatedly using the shed he considered his own workspace. After killing Dylan, Briner attempted to
cover up his crime by loading Dylan's body onto a backhoe, burying him deep in a remote stretch of the desert nearby.
He then concealed the guns at Donald Hatley's place and discarded Dylan's phone in a nearby pond, unaware it had
recorded a damning, irrefutable proof of his crime. In addition to this confession, detectives turned back to
the bloody boot DNA evidence they received a few months earlier. The state lab report confirms the blood belonged
to Dylan, but they also found touch DNA matching Jim Briner on the boots. Using this evidence, investigators then
secured a search warrant for Briner's phone. And by analyzing its data, they confirmed [music] his device had
traveled toward a nearby pond the day Dylan vanished. [music] After searching the pond, they retrieved Dylan's phone
containing crucial evidence, a video clearly showing Jim Briner in a bloodstained shirt cleaning a gun. At
this point, there was no longer any doubt. Jim Briner killed Dylan Rounds and had been hiding in plain sight all
along. Despite the overwhelming evidence, Brener still sought to negotiate. Prosecutors were preparing for an
aggravated murder trial, but still lacked Dylan's body. So, Briner offered prosecutors a deal. He would reveal the
location of Dylan's body in exchange for reduced charges. In spring of 2024, [music]
Briner guided law enforcement to Dylan's remains in the Lucen Desert. The burial
site was several miles from the Greenshed property and was so well hidden that investigators had driven
over the spot during earlier searches without noticing it. Inside the grave, they located Dylan's [music] skeletal
remains. Only bones and fragments of his clothing survived.

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---- 19-year-old Dylan Rounds left his family to go work on his farm…

But after being spotted buying supplies at a local shop, he would vanish without a trace…

Strangely, no one in the small, quiet town seemed surprised… Apparently, this was not uncommon…

As days stretched into weeks, detectives chased a mounting list of suspects….. Thieves, violent criminals, drug dealers….

Yet from the very beginning, the truth was there… hidden in plain sight, by someone no one suspected…. ---- This video was made for educational purposes only.

The video is presented to provide genuine footage of police incidents to promote transparency in government while providing educational, informative and newsworthy content allowing viewers to examine and assess public safety material. This is a fact-checked documentary using authoritative sources.

The individuals shown in this video have not been convicted of any crime and are legally presumed innocent unless proven otherwise in a court of law. This material is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and represents personal analysis and commentary. Nothing presented should be interpreted as legal counsel, and the observations provided may not include all circumstances or reflect the final charges in each case.

This video features real police-related footage shared to support public awareness and government transparency. The content is designed to inform and educate viewers on public safety matters and is presented as a documentary relying on verified and credible sources.

All materials used were lawfully obtained through public records requests and are available to the public. The footage is utilized strictly for journalistic, documentary, and educational purposes under the Fair Use doctrine outlined in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.

Brief Summary

Dylan Rounds, 19, was murdered in Utah; Jim Brener and Chase Venstra are key suspects in his disappearance.

Key points

The Disappearance of Dylan Rounds. Dylan Rounds, a 19-year-old farmer, goes missing after a visit to a local shop.
The Search for Chase Venstra. Police focus on Chase Venstra, a known criminal, as a key suspect in Dylan's disappearance.
A Troubling Encounter. Witnesses reveal Dylan's last known encounter with local criminal Chase Venstra.
New Leads from Dylan's Family. Dylan's family uncovers new information suggesting Chase may not have acted alone.
Strange Discovery at Dylan's Trailer. Items inside Dylan's trailer were tampered with, raising suspicions of foul play.
Jim Briner's Criminal Past. Detectives uncover Jim Briner's violent history, making him a person of interest.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Stay the hell out of Montello.

0:45WatchAug 18, 2025

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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