
Taylorsville, Utah: 17-year-old Rowdy Lee Aguilar has been charged as an adult for the May 26 murder of his 15-year-old friend Ivan Nickolas Vetecnik.
Aguilar was charged yesterday with aggravated murder, abuse or desecration of a human body, obstructing justice and escape in 3rd District Court.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune Aguilar's father was looking for his son and instead found the body of Ivan in a utility trailer where his son was living.
When officers responded to the call, they found dismembered remains and noted that the trailer "smelled strongly of cleaning agents."
Some of Ivan's remains were located in garbage bags in a field behind the home.
At one point while awaiting questioning with police Aguilar pulled his handcuffs free from the wall and attempted to leave the room.
During initial interviews with officers Aguilar denied even knowing Ivan let alone involvement in Ihis death claiming that the had been at his girlfriend's home. The wounds on his hands that officers noticed were the result of cutting ribs for a barbecue he claimed.
Investigators though, then began to ask about the blood on his pants, socks, and shoes. According to reports Aguilar then confessed saying, "I did it."
Surveillance footage obtained by investigators showed that Aguilar and Ivan had both entered the residence at 10:09 am, but then at 1:20 pm Aguilar emerged wearing a bloody shirt which was later recovered in his room.
A knife consistent with the wounds seen in Ivan's body was recovered from the utility trailer.
At 1:30 pm and 1:42 pm Aguilar was seen removing the garbage bags from the home which were recovered from the field.
The Utah Office of the Medical Examiner determined that Ivan had been stabbed 26 times in the head and that one of those wounds penetrated his skull. According to the findings though, the fatal wound was actually a stab to the neck which severed the carotid artery.
A GoFundMe has been established for Ivan's funeral expenses.
Ivan had been living with his aunt after losing his mother to cancer in 2019 and his father to a heart attack in December.