Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
UTAH COUNTY — Authorities believe a body found by a hiker in Cedar Valley on Thursday are the remains of an Eagle Mountain teen missing since December.
The Utah County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Foothills on the east side of the valley after a woman who had been hiking in the area reported finding a body, according to Utah County Sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Cannon.
Officials have reason to believe the remains are that of 15-year-old Alexander Hashida who was reported missing on Dec. 22, 2016. Evidence found near the body matched property belonging to Hashida, Cannon said.
At the time Hashida went missing, search and rescue teams along with his family and friends made extensive search efforts in the area east and south of Eagle Mountain with no success. Cannon said the body was found in the same area where crews searched.
“The difficulty is you could be walking in the area where this body was found and just be within just feet and not see where he was,” Cannon said.
Authorities believe the body had been there for several months and have contacted Hashida’s family.
Cannon said the cause of death appeared to be self-inflicted but did not comment on the exact cause.
The Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet identified the body.
Crisis Hotlines
- Utah County Crisis Line: 801-226-4433
- Salt Lake County/UNI Crisis Line: 801-587-3000
- Wasatch Mental Health Crisis Line: 801-373-7393
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK
- Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386
Online resources
- NAMI Utah: namiut.org
- Utah Chapter-American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsputah.com
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org