Human remains were found inside freshly sealed root cellar, police say

Joshua James Glover, 32, of Cedar City

(Iron County Jail)


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SALT LAKE CITY — When Cedar City police entered the home of a woman who had been missing for months, they found a house pocked with bullet holes and covered in filth.

But they also found a possible crime scene after discovering human remains in a root cellar that had recently been covered with concrete, according to new search warrant affidavits detailing the scene at the home of Kay Gosewisch, 73.

The investigation into Gosewisch’s disappearance started July 31 when police were called to make a welfare check on the woman, who by that point had not been seen since April. Officers went to her house and found no unusual activity so they left.

On Aug. 18, police received a call regarding suspicious activity with Gosewisch’s bank account. Her son, Joshua James Glover, 32, was attempting to withdraw several thousand dollars and had been using his mother’s account regularly to withdraw money, according to police.

Following further investigation, police returned to Gosewisch’s residence on Aug. 31, this time with a search warrant. It was during that search that police announced human remains had been found on the property.

A couple of days later, Glover was arrested. He was then charged with abuse or desecration of a dead body, a third-degree felony.

As of Tuesday, no one had been arrested or charged with murder. Cedar City Police Sgt. Clint Pollock said the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office was still in the process of identifying the remains found on Gosewisch’s property and possibly determining a cause of death.

But according to a return to the search warrant affidavit, the human remains are “suspected to be that of Kay Gosewisch.”

On Aug. 31 when police returned to her house, an officer looked inside and “saw what appeared to be a large amount of dried blood in the basement area, including on the ceiling, walls and floor. This led to the procurement of a search warrant,” the affidavit says.

Police later learned what they thought was blood was actually paint. But they found many other unusual items.

“There were also many bullet holes throughout the home from what appeared to be multiple smaller caliber weapons. Many pictures, a television, multiple computer monitors, chairs and other items throughout the house had been shot. The entire home was also covered with cat feces and garbage of all kinds, including moldy food,” according to the warrant.

Outside the house, in the northeast corner of the property, detectives found a cinderblock shed with “a brand-new padlock on the door,” the warrant states. Inside the shed, investigators found “what appeared to be a recent concrete pour over a roughly 4x4 foot area along with sealant that had been used to cover the recent concrete, and nowhere else. We confirmed that the concrete was poured into a previously existing root cellar.”

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Ten empty 80-pound bags of concrete were also found next to the shed, the affidavit states, as well as “multiple buckets, trays and mixing tools that appeared to have been used recently. None of the equipment had been cleaned. ... Also inside the shed was a plastic trash can that contained charcoal briquettes. Charcoal is known to cover and absorb odors.”

Cadaver dogs were called to the scene and “although they did not indicate on the concrete area, they did show a lot of interest in the handle of the shovel,” according to the warrant.

Human remains wrapped in a tarp were found in the root cellar, according to the search warrant. Also recovered from the remains were a pair of glasses, pink pajama pants and a black slipper, the warrant states. Investigators also found a wallet with Gosewisch’s ID in it, according to the warrant.

Prior to the remains being found and as detectives were building their case, they learned through their investigation that bank employees were concerned because Gosewisch stopped visiting some time between late March and early April, the warrant states. She also stopped paying her utility bills in April.

“Neighbors stated that she has a long history of maintaining her yard and there has not been any yard work done at this residence for several months,” according to the warrant.

Neighbors told police that they were informed Gosewisch might be visiting family in Nevada and Washington. But investigators learned Gosewisch does not have family in either state.

Glover’s next court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 28.

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Pat Reavy is a longtime police and courts reporter. He joined the KSL.com team in 2021, after many years of reporting at the Deseret News and KSL NewsRadio before that.

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