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Police say suspect arrested in Utah homicide had photo of victim digging his own grave

Posted at 3:48 PM, Nov 16, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-17 08:50:15-05

UTAH COUNTY -- Weeks after a man's badly burned body was found in a shallow grave, a suspect has been arrested and police say among the evidence is a photo that apparently shows the victim digging his own grave.

According to a press release from the Utah County Sheriff's Office, Raul Francisco Vidrio, 19 of Mount Pleasant, was arrested Tuesday in the death of 22-year-old Wesley Dee Nay, also of Mount Pleasant.

Nay was reported missing September 18,  and he was last seen August 29. His remains were found in a shallow grave in Utah County, a short distance from Indianola in Sanpete County, on October 20.

wesley-nayA Medical Examiner identified the badly burned remains as Nay through dental records, and they also determined the man had suffered significant blunt force trauma as well as stab wounds.

Vidrio was arrested in Sandy on September 1 while driving a stolen pickup truck, the press release states. Inside the truck police found shovels, a pick and gas jugs.

Inside a backpack police found a large, fixed-blade knife in a leather sheath. DNA analysis confirmed that blood found inside the sheath was Nay's, the release states.

Police obtained a warrant for Vidrio's cell phone, and "an image was recovered that shows Wesley apparently digging his own grave. That image shows Wesley wearing the same clothing he was reported to have been wearing at the time he was last seen in Mt. Pleasant."

Vidrio has been booked into jail on charges of criminal homicide as a first-degree felony, obstruction of justice as a second-degree felony and abuse or desecration of a human body as a third-degree felony.

Police stated Wednesday the investigation remains active, and it is likely that further arrests will be made.