JUAB COUNTY, Utah, Jan. 16, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Officials say foul play is now “strongly suggested” in the case of two teens missing from Eureka, whose Jeep was found near Cherry Creek Reservoir Thursday, hidden in trees and with two flat tires.
The news comes after family members offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the location of Brelynne Otteson, 17, who goes by Breezy, and Riley Powell, 18.
Otteson and Powell left Tooele after visiting family Dec. 30, and were planning to stop in Spanish Fork, then drive back to Eureka, where they live with family members of Powell.
The two were reported missing to the Juab and Tooele County Sheriff’s Offices Jan. 2 after they did not make it to Spanish Fork.
The Jeep Cherokee Sport the two were travelling in was found Thursday by Juab County Search and Rescue members on Cherry Creek Road, about half a mile southwest of Cherry Creek Reservoir, and as well as having two flat tires, all the windows were down. A massive search effort both by officials and civilians then zeroed in on that area.
A news release from Juab County Sheriff’s Office released early Tuesday afternoon says:
“The circumstances surrounding the recovery of the vehicle, its condition and general placement is determined to be highly suspicious. These factors, in addition to other investigative leads and pieces of evidence, have led investigators to believe that the Jeep was dropped off there by intention and not by the two missing individuals, and foul play is strongly suggested.
“Due to these new discoveries, the search and rescue effort has been suspended by the respective Sheriff’s Offices and Search and Rescue teams. The missing persons investigation remains active and still ongoing, and investigators are still working hard to locate Riley and Breezy.”
Family members said when they last spoke to the couple, they said they were just outside of Spanish Fork. Cherry Creek Reservoir is approximately 70 miles southwest of Spanish Fork, and 35 miles southwest of Eureka.
“In addition to the search and recovery effort, investigators from the Juab and Sanpete County Major Crimes and Drug Task Force, the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, sheriffs have been working together on an extensive missing persons investigation to determine the whereabouts of these two individuals,” the news release said.
Powell is known to enjoy off-roading in the Jeep and it was thought that the teens may have driven off a main road and become stuck.
The news release concludes: “The Juab, Utah and Tooele County Sheriff’s Offices would like to thank their Search and Rescue members, civilian pilots and Civil Air Patrol members, the Utah Department of Public Safety and all other civilian search and rescue efforts who participated in attempting to locate these two individuals. No further details about the investigation are able to be released at this time, in order to maintain exactness and integrity into the investigation.”
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Juab County Sheriff’s Office at 435-623-1344, or the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office at 435-882-5600.
Was the car checked for prints? blood? dents that may not have been caused by an accident? I’m a mom and my heart breaks in this situation.
Officials haven’t released that information as yet. As soon as we get more we will do a follow-up story.