Newly released video shows man who killed Dylan Rounds blood-stained, holding gun

SALT LAKE CITY — Nearly a year after a Utah man pleaded guilty to the murder of Dylan Rounds, video evidence from the case has been released to the public. The video shows what appears to be James Brenner, 61, cleaning the gun used to kill Rounds, with blood stains visible on his arms and shirt. The video is 1 minute and 15 seconds long. Rounds, 19, was reported missing in May 2022. The Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of other agencies, searched for him for months. Brenner pleaded guilty to his murder two years later. As part of the plea deal, he gave law enforcement the location of Rounds’ remains. According to the probable cause statement filed on March 3, 2023, authorities found a time-lapse video on Rounds’s phone showing Brenner cleaning the gun. Rounds’ DNA was later identified on Brenner’s shirt. On Oct. 1, 2024, three months after Brenner was sentenced for murdering Rounds, the Box Elder County Attorney’s Office posted an online folder with evidence related to the case. Since that release, the attorney’s office has sporadically uploaded various pieces of evidence. The most recent upload was a time-lapse video of Brenner. Rounds’ mother Candice Cooley expressed surprise it had been released by law enforcement and said she hadn’t seen the video before its release. "I just don't understand,” she said. “We were told it would never come out in case James Brenner wanted to appeal." KSL Investigates contacted the Box Elder Attorney's Office to ask about its release but has not received a response. For Cooley, watching the video brought mixed emotions. "What the hell was going through your mind after you just shot my son and you're cleaning yourself up?" she questioned. However, she emphasized the importance of forensic cellular data in solving cases like her son’s, noting that the video was crucial in securing a conviction. "Without that video, we would not have had a conviction. Period," Cooley said. According to her, without the video and her son’s DNA being found on his boots shirt, Brenner would have never confessed to killing her son. Now, almost three years later, she is focusing on turning this difficult situation into a positive by advocating for better training for law enforcement. She is organizing training sessions to educate officers on the importance of forensic cellular data and how to use it effectively. "We need to support our law enforcement agents. We need to bring them in, we need to get them this training," she said. The training sessions are part of Cooley's efforts to honor Rounds' legacy by ensuring that law enforcement has the tools and knowledge needed to solve cases efficiently. She said her organization is funding the training for agencies with tight budgets. Cooley also highlighted the significance of HB366 which speeds up the process for law enforcement to obtain phone data in exigent circumstances. The bill, which was signed into law in 2024, aims to ensure that critical information is obtained quickly to aid in missing persons cases and other emergencies. Despite the emotional toll, Cooley hopes the release of the video will bring attention back to the importance of technology and how it can save lives. She will be holding a workshop on April 1 and 2 in Salt Lake City that educates officers on how to better use phone data to find missing people. Have you experienced something you think just isn’t right? The KSL Investigators want to help. Submit your tip atinvestigates@ksl.comor 385-707-6153 so we can get working for you.

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