Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
TOOELE — On a day when most people would rather be inside where it’s warm, Amanda Hunt wanted to be outside to feel a different kind of warmth.
It’s been nearly one month since Hunt’s niece Brelynne "Breezy" Otteson and Otteson’s boyfriend, Riley Powell, were last seen or heard from. On Saturday afternoon, friends and family gathered at Tooele City Park for a balloon release in honor of Otteson’s 18th birthday.
Kylysta Otteson looked through her phone for photos of her younger sister. She said she and her family need answers to what happened to her missing sister.
Otteson and Powell, 18, were last seen when they left Tooele on Dec. 30. The couple had planned to stop in Spanish Fork before going home to Eureka, where the teens live with Powell’s grandmother.
On Jan. 2, family members reported the pair missing after not hearing from them.
On Jan. 11, authorities located the Jeep the two were reported to be using, but the teens were nowhere in sight. Several days later, officials announced foul play was “strongly suggested.”
For Kylysta Otteson, the most difficult part has been not knowing what happened to her sister.
“Yea, not knowing — that’s the hardest part. Especially when some people are just telling you ‘Hey, she’s OK,’ and yea, I want to believe she’s OK,” she said.
Despite not having any answers, the constant support Otteson’s family has received is what has kept them going, Hunt said.
“Every day we get a message from (someone in) the community, from friends and family and people we don’t even know with their condolences and their support,” she said.
Family and friends on Saturday wrote birthday messages on cards for Otteson and attached them to balloons ahead of the balloon release. Their hope is that the messages will soon reach Otteson.
“I wrote that we love you and wherever you are, just know you have a community that loves you and we’re here for you and that we want you home,” Hunt said.
The investigation into the missing teens remains active. The families of Otteson and Powell are offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who can help bring the pair home safe.
Anyone with information on the missing teens’ whereabouts is asked to contact the Juab County Sheriff’s Office at 435-623-1344 or the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office at 435-882-5600.
Contributing: Yvette Cruz
