Remains of missing Utah college student identified after 50 years
Photo of Douglas Brick from The Daily Utah Chronicle, 1973
SALT LAKE CITY - The remains of a University of Utah student, missing since 1973, have finally been identified through genetic genealogy.
The backstory:
In October 1973, the university said 23-year-old Douglas Brick vanished after leaving his dorm.
His disappearance remained a mystery for decades, in part due to lost police records, unsuccessful searches and conflicting reports about Brick’s last known whereabouts.
Authorities investigated claims that Brick had dropped out of school and hitched a ride to Ogden to start a new life, or that he had fled the country, or that he had disappeared in the foothills behind the campus.
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Brick's sister had called the university in 2018 to ask about her brother's cold case, but the file couldn't be found. Years later, authorities met with Brick's sister to get a DNA cheek swab in case her brother was among the missing in a national database.
In October 2024, hunters found fragments of a human skull about six miles not to far from campus.
Dig deeper:
Authorities were able to identify Brick's remains earlier this month after extracting DNA from weathered bones that wer found near campus. The DNA was a 99.9% genetic match with one of Brick’s living relatives.
What we know:
Authorities said little public information is known about Brick. Investigators have found that he graduated from Pocatello High School in 1968 and studied physics in college. He was a National Merit Letter commendation winner, a member of the Boys Council, Key Club and German Club.
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The last time his mother saw him was the month before he went missing, when he drove from home to start his fourth year at the university.
People who knew him told authorities that he was depressed when he went missing, possibly suicidal.
A memorial was held for him in 1990 as his family didn't know if he was missing or dead.
What we don't know:
The circumstances surrounding his death remain unknown.
What's next:
Investigators said they plan to go back to the area when his remains were found and gather any possible clues.
What they're saying:
"We never stopped hoping for answers about Doug’s disappearance," Brick’s family said in a news release. "Many years ago, we pushed for the cold case to be reopened with the addition of DNA evidence. We are relieved to finally have some answers.
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The Source: The information in this story comes from statements by law enforcement officials, historical records from the University of Utah, details provided by Douglas Brick’s family, and a recent news release about the identification of his remains. This story was reported from Los Angeles.