Douglas Brick was a 23-year-old University of Utah senior when he disappeared from his dorm on October 12, 1973. Followed by a frantic search and investigation that October, the case continued to stump the authorities for decades and eventually joined the other cold files.
His remains have been finally discovered after 52 years. A psychic previously predicted where his remains would be found, and it surprisingly came true.
According to an investigator who finally closed the cold case, the breakthrough came last fall. At that time, a hunter came across some skull fragments in the foothills above the Utah University and informed the authorities.
According to a press release from the university, his remains were identified through a 99.9% genetic match with a living relative.
For years, people theorized what could have happened to Brick. Some speculated that he might have dropped out of college and moved to another town, while others thought that he might have fled the country.
The case reopened after the human skull fragments were discovered. In 2022, Major Heather Sturzenegger and Det. John Dial took over Brick’s file. Initially, they struggled with leads. After the breakthrough discovery, his family, who never gave up on him, said, “We are relieved to finally have some answers. After 52 years, this result, while sad, is nothing short of a miracle.”
Douglas Brick’s remains have been identified after more than 50 years.
He was a student at the University of Utah when he disappeared in 1973, leaving his dorm room.
I am so glad that his family has some answers. #Geneticgenealogy working more magic.
Bone fragments were… pic.twitter.com/tL4PEHtttZ
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) May 18, 2025
Following the discovery, a shocking detail has emerged. Donna, Brick’s mother, who passed away in 2010, kept a diary to track the development of his case, as reported by New York Post. An entry in 1990 described an unusual detail. Brick’s mom wrote that when she went shopping at a department store in Salt Lake City, she met a store clerk who was a psychic. Donna asked her to give some insights into her son’s case.
“He really wants you to find him,” the psychic claimed. She also revealed some intimate details about Brick’s disappearance that were impossible for others to know. She also revealed to Donna that Brick had gone to the foothills above his university campus. According to the entry, the psychic claimed that he was contemplating ending his life but was scared. It was dark, and he somehow slipped and fell.
These details impressed Detective Dial. “Where the skull was located, the terrain I was traversing as part of the search, it is extremely steep and loose on both sides, and I was having a hard time in the daylight keeping my footing under me and figuring out where I was going.”
Despite the psychic claims, the reason for Brick’s death is yet to be confirmed. “In a way, it’s hard to explain. There was a push and a connection that I felt was from Douglas. I have felt very strongly that I will always have Douglas in the back of my mind,” said Dial, who played a great role in solving this 52-year-old cold case.
