ELKO COUNTY, Nevada — The search is ramping up for a young man who recently went missing while living in a remote area of northern Utah.
Dylan Rounds' parents say the 19-year-old moved from Idaho to Lucin, Utah to pursue dreams of farming. But after he planted his crop, he went missing, and his parents suspect foul play.
He was last seen in person on May 26 at a bar in Montello, Nevada, which is 30 miles west of his home.
"There were cellphone pings on May 28 that indicated that Dylan was — at least Dylan's phone — was located in the Lucin area of Utah," said Elko County Lt. Doug Fisher.
Rounds made a phone call to a family member the morning of the 28th and hasn't been heard from since.
Now, things are picking up in the search for clues. The Box Elder County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation, and on the Nevada side, the Elko County Sheriff's Office is following up on leads.
Deputies found Rounds' boots and pickup truck about five miles west of his camper.
"We were allowed to take the pickup home," said Candice Cooley, Rounds' mother. "We have the pickup, so anything that could've been pulled off the pickup as far as the way the pickup records stuff, it may be gone because... Utah is still treating it as a simple missing persons case."
At first, Cooley was frustrated with the law enforcement response, but there was a lot more going on Saturday.
"There's conflicting information, so we're trying to vet all the information to find out what is rumors and also what would be actual factual," Fisher said. "We're trying to get down to the facts."
Volunteers are also searching, and some are also out there feeding the searchers.
Rounds' parents are holding up by focusing on the search.
"That's got to be our focus because if you break down in the middle of this, your focus becomes your emotions," Cooley said. "And when your emotions take over, you're not logical. And if you're not logical, precise and going off the facts, we are of no good to helping to find Dylan."
The family is offering a $20,000 reward for information that helps bring Rounds home. He's described as 5’10” and about 160 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Box Elder County Sheriff's Office at 435-734-3800.
