Authorities: Arrests made after bodies found in Utah mine

EUREKA, Utah — Arrests have been made in connection with two bodies found in a remote Utah County mine, authorities said Thursday.

Utah County Undersheriff Darin Durfey said multiple arrests have been made. He said individuals involved are from Utah and authorities are “familiar” with at least one of them.

An official announcement was expected to be made later Thursday, according to KSL.com.

The bodies have not been identified by the State Medical Examiner’s Office but officials said Wednesday they believe they are Riley Powell, 18, and Brelynne “Breezy” Otteson, 17.

Durfey said Wednesday their deaths were being investigated as homicides. The Utah County Sheriff’s Office assumed command of the investigation because the bodies were found in their jurisdiction.

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Their bodies were located about 100 feet down on a ledge of the 1,576-foot deep Tintic Standard Mine in Utah County not far from Eureka Wednesday. Investigators began searching the mine late Tuesday.

Powell and Otteson were reported missing Jan. 2 after they were last seen Dec. 30 near Mammoth, Juab County, heading to Spanish Fork. They were then going to return home to Eureka, where they lived with Powell’s grandfather.

The Jeep they were driving in was found Jan. 11 at Cherry Creek Reservoir southwest of Mammoth in Juab County. The vehicle was located about 16 miles southwest of the mine where Powell and Otteson’s bodies were found.

Authorities said at the time they suspected foul play based on the condition of the Jeep. Four days later, Tooele County sheriff’s deputies and deputies from the Sanpete/Juab Major Crimes Task Force conducted a search of a property where Powell’s mother and boyfriend live in Lofgreen, Tooele County.

This story will be updated as soon as more information is made available.

This article was originally published by KSL.com. It is used here with permission.