Sister of murder victim speaks out after guilty plea: 'He deserves to rot'

SALT LAKE CITY — Samantha VanTreese said she still struggles to understand why someone would kill her younger brother, Ivan "Nick" Vetecnik. While she considers the guilty plea from Rowdy Lee Aguilar a step toward justice, she strongly disagrees with the court's acknowledgment of Aguilar's mental condition.

"He knew what he was doing," VanTreese said. "He deserves to rot."

According to a press release from the office of Salt Lake County District Attorney Sam Gill, Aguilar, who was 17 at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to stabbing 15-year-old Ivan Vetecnik 26 times and then dismembering his body in 2021.

VanTreese described the attack as brutal and deeply personal.

"He did this with a kitchen knife," VanTreese said. "That is personal. My brother was a big boy."

She believes Aguilar's actions — including attempts to clean up the scene and lying to authorities — show clear intent.

"You tried to clean up the mess, you ran, you lied," she said. "You tried to say you were cutting up ribs for a barbecue."

VanTreese is deeply concerned that Aguilar could one day be eligible for parole, possibly in 25 years. She believes that would be unfair and dangerous.

"He's a threat to the people around him where he's at right now," she said.

According to VanTreese, Aguilar has shown no remorse throughout the court proceedings.

"Every court hearing we see him at, he just has a smug look on his face," she said. "Like he actually doesn't care what he did."

VanTreese said her family continues to grieve the loss of Ivan, who they lovingly called "Nick." His absence is felt in everyday life and in missed milestones.

"We don't get to see our Nick anymore," she said. "He doesn't get to hit the milestones with us, or even have milestones of his own."

One detail continues to haunt her: a chilling comment she said she heard from a reliable source.

"He wanted to know what it was like to kill someone," she said.

Despite the trauma of the past four years, VanTreese said she's trying to focus on healing.

"Regardless of how bad life is, you can always find the beautiful," she said.

She's now preparing to speak directly to Aguilar during a special sentencing hearing scheduled for Dec. 5.

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