- Braydon Nicholas Metzger, 32, arrested in South Salt Lake for allegedly moving a body.
- Investigation ongoing into the deceased man's cause of death.
- Metzger previously deemed mentally incompetent for trial in past criminal cases.
SOUTH SALT LAKE — A man accused of moving a deceased body has been arrested in South Salt Lake.
Police, however, say the investigation into how the person died is still ongoing.
Braydon Nicholas Metzger, 32, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday for investigation of abuse or desecration of a dead body and obstruction of justice.
South Salt Lake police were called on Tuesday on a report of an unattended death near 3700 South and 250 East. Metzger was at the address when officers arrived and was detained.
"While inside my patrol vehicle, Braydon made spontaneous utterances that he had moved the deceased body," an officer wrote in a police booking affidavit.
The decision was then made to arrest Metzger for the investigation of abuse of a dead body.
"While transporting Braydon Nicholas Metzger to the county jail, he made statements about moving the deceased (body) after being asked by a female, further stating that the female left after they moved the deceased body," according to the affidavit.
South Salt Lake police officer Shaun Ward said because the investigation is still ongoing, the department is currently not releasing additional information about the deceased person, a man, or the case, including the identity of the person who died, pending notification of family members, how long the man has been dead and details about the alleged movement of the body.
Detectives hope some of those questions will be answered — including the decedent's cause of death — when the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner completes its autopsy.
State court records show Metzger has been arrested and charged several times since 2015 for crimes such as theft, burglary and drug-related crimes. But the majority of the cases were dismissed after Metzger was determined not to be mentally competent to stand trial and not restorable, according to court records.
