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PROVO — An 18-year-old man accused of assisting in the preparation for, and recording the suicide of, a teenage girl appeared in court Tuesday.
Tyerell Joe Przybycien appeared before Judge Thomas Low in 4th District Court. Przybycien is charged with murder, a first-degree felony, and failure to report the finding of a dead human body, a class B misdemeanor.
A preliminary hearing to determine whether or not Przybycien will face trial is set for Aug. 23-24. Przybycien will remain at the Utah County Jail until that time.
Przybycien's attorney Gregory Stewart declined to comment on specifics of the case.
“We’ll try the case in court,” Stewart told KSL. “Maybe, later on, we can say something, but right now we’re just going to have the preliminary hearing and see what comes from that.”
Prosecutor Chad Grunander expressed his confidence in the state’s case against Przybycien.
“We feel confident in the charges. We have the facts to support the charges,” Grunander said in an interview with KSL.
Przybycien was arrested on May 6 after court documents say he helped a 16-year-old girl with the preparation for and execution of her suicide and recorded her death on a cellphone. Hunters found the girl dead near Maple Lake in Payson on May 6.
Przybycien and the girl were both students at Spanish Fork High School.
On May 19, Przybycien was also charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony. Police obtained a warrant to search Przybycien's phones for photos or videos related to the girl's death. On one phone, police said they found pornographic images of young girls, at least five of which appeared to be under the age of 5, according to court documents.
Crisis Hotlines
- Utah County Crisis Line: 801-226-4433
- Salt Lake County/UNI Crisis Line: 801-587-3000
- Wasatch Mental Health Crisis Line: 801-373-7393
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK
- Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386
Online resources
- NAMI Utah: namiut.org
- Utah Chapter-American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsputah.com
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Warning signs of suicide
- Talking about wanting to die
- Looking for a way to kill oneself
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
- Acting anxious, agitated or recklessly
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Withdrawing or feeling isolated
- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
- Displaying extreme mood swings
What to do if you see warning signs of suicide
- Do not leave the person alone
- Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt
- Call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255)
- Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional
