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TOOELE — A Salt Lake woman missing for a week was found deceased in Tooele County on Friday, and now her ex-boyfriend and his fiancé are in jail.
Brandon Scott Zipperle, 28, of Salt Lake City, was booked into the Tooele County Detention Center on Tuesday for investigation of murder in the death of 23-year-old Brooklyn Elise Odland Tyree, and two counts of obstructing justice. Police also arrested Zipperle's fiance, Elizabeth Ludwig, 28, for investigation of three counts of obstruction of justice.
Tyree's disappearance and death also prompted an angry letter from former Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson, a friend of Tyree's family, who heavily criticized the Salt Lake City Police Department, saying it did not take the case seriously.
"I am writing as a friend and personal advocate … regarding the outrageous failure and refusal of the Salt Lake City Police Department to investigate the disappearance of Brook and the incredibly rude, indifferent, and dismissive conduct of police officers toward those friends and family members," Anderson said in his letter to Chief Mike Brown and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. The letter, dated Sunday and delivered on Monday, was released to the media on Tuesday following the confirmation that Tyree had been shot.
Anderson called for both Mendenhall and Brown to resign or for Brown and "other police officers who blew off Brook's family" to be fired.
Tyree's body was found partially covered by a sleeping bag hidden in sagebrush in the Five Mile Pass Recreation Area on Friday, according to the Tooele County Sheriff's Office. Her body was found by a father and his son who were recreating in the area. Her body was not immediately identified. An autopsy on Monday determined Tyree had been shot, according to a police booking affidavit.
Tyree was last seen on May 3. She and her 7-month-old boy, Braxton Tyree, were picked up by Zipperle at Tyree's apartment, according to the affidavit. Zipperle is also Braxton's father.
"Brooklyn was supposed to be headed to the Tooele area to see some friends earlier in the week and had not been heard from since. Family reported that she was last seen by Brandon Zipperle," according to a prepared statement from the sheriff's office. "Investigators requested historical locational data from both Brandon's and the victim's phones, (and) the data showed both phones in the area of Five Mile Pass on May 3."
On the same day Tyree's body was found, Salt Lake police had called the sheriff's office with video evidence they had obtained which showed "Zipperle picking up Brooklyn earlier in the week. The clothes Brooklyn was wearing in the video were identical to the clothes on our victim, making it obvious our victim was Brooklyn," the sheriff's office said.
Braxton was found safe with Zipperle prior to Tyree's body being found.
Zipperle was on probation at the time of Tyree's death. When he went to his previously scheduled meeting with Adult Probation and Parole on Tuesday, he was taken into custody by deputies who were waiting for him, and then taken to the Tooele County Sheriff's Office for questioning.
"During the interview, Brandon admitted to shooting the victim, hiding the victim's body, and disposing of the victim's personal belongings," the sheriff's office stated.
The affidavit also states that Zipperle and Ludwig were planning to flee to Kentucky.
A search warrant was served at Zipperle's home where a shoe was found with a tread pattern similar to shoe prints found at the scene of the killing. That shoe belonged to Ludwig, according to the statement, who was then picked up by deputies for questioning.
"During the interview, Elizabeth admitted to assisting Brandon with hiding the victim's body, pawning the firearm used in the murder, and disposing of the victim's personal belongings," according to a police booking affidavit.
Prior to the announcement Tuesday that Zipperle had been arrested and Tyree's body found in Tooele County, Anderson sent a letter to Salt Lake City asking police to take Tyree's disappearance seriously. Not only did Zipperle have a violent history — being convicted of attempted theft in January and aggravated assault in December for shooting at another person at a campsite — but he sent bizarre messages to Tyree's family members who even recorded a phone conversation they had with Zipperle after she went missing, Anderson said.
"Although members of Brook's family told police officers they had text messages from Brandon with entirely inconsistent, dishonest accounts about Brook and Braxton, the police never showed any interest whatsoever in the text messages and never even asked for them. That was characteristic of the indifferent attitude demonstrated by police officers until, after flyers were put up by Brook's family members and friends, police officers showed the first interest in this matter and the first inkling of empathy for Brook's family members and friends on the evening of Sunday, May 8," Anderson stated in his letter.
On May 6, Zipperle sent a message to Tyree's family stating, "She was tired of her family n taking care of Braxton she left em w me n left n y'all will never see my son again," according to Anderson. When the family then asked where Brook was, Zipperle replied, "Don't know n don't care anymore."
Anderson contends the first officers that Tyree's family spoke to "basically blew her off" and were "not interested in doing an investigation" and "didn't think Brook and her family were worth his trouble or the trouble of the SLCPD."
The Salt Lake City Police Department released a prepared statement, seemingly in response to Anderson's letter, Tuesday evening.
"The Salt Lake City Police Department takes all community complaints seriously. This is a tragic case and our condolences go out to the family and friends of Brooklyn Tyree. To ensure our investigation into the missing person's case was professional, respectful, thorough, and in line with our community's expectations, we will comprehensively review the steps taken by our department. We welcome and will fully cooperate with the Salt Lake City Police Civilian Review Board with any requests they have pursuant to the mayor's direction for this independent body to review these allegations.
"The Salt Lake City Police Department knows our community wants more answers about the handling of this case. Those answers will come through the appropriate investigative mechanisms in place," the statement continued.
Police say they first received a missing person report on Tyree on May 5, but at that time there was no indication she was in danger. By Monday, her disappearance was considered "suspicious" and her information was entered into the National Crime Information Center, a national database used to help find missing people.
Meanwhile, as confirmation of Tyree's death spread, messages of condolence and tribute were posted on social media.
"I don't know what to think. You were one of the most amazing friends anyone could ever have, through whatever fights we had, through everything, you were still always like a sister to me. You didn't deserve this and I'm going to make sure the world remembers you forever. I love you so much Brooklyn Tyree, you will be missed by everyone including me," one person wrote.
"You didn't deserve this. ANY OF THIS. You were always the sweetest to every person no matter what you were going through. You didn't have a bad bone in your body. You deserved the world and so does your baby!" another woman wrote.
