The Murders of Riley Powell and Brelynne ‘Breezy’ Otteson
For this case, I watched an episode of Buried in the Backyard (the show is also called Buried in the Snow on Peacock). It’s season 5 episode 4, titled ‘Hundred-Foot Grave.’
Two teenagers are reported missing.
Background
Riley Powell was just 18 at the time of his death, and Breezy was only 17. They met through their sisters who were friends in high school. Riley and Breezy might have been young, but they became serious very quickly. Riley proposed to Breezy, and she moved in with him and his dad, Bill, in Eureka, Utah.
Riley and Breezy came from similar backgrounds. Breezy and her two sisters were adopted by their grandparents, and Riley and his 4 sisters were adopted by Bill and his then-wife. Riley went to live with Bill after his parents divorced.
Riley loved to play basketball, go four-wheeling, and do outdoor activities. Breezy was given her nickname due to her wild and carefree attitude.
Riley Powell and Breezy Otteson
The Disappearance
In December 2017, Riley and Breezy went to visit their family members to celebrate the holidays. Breezy’s family lived in Tooele, Utah, and they last saw her and Riley on December 27, 2017. They never showed up at Riley’s house in Eureka.
Bill said he and Riley spoke on the phone. Bill was in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, but returned to Eureka just before New Year’s. He discovered that Riley and Breezy weren’t home. On January 2, 2018, Riley and Breezy were reported missing.
Bill said that Riley enjoyed taking his blue Jeep Cherokee into the hills and going exploring.
The families were out from sunrise to sundown searching and putting posters up in the area. Over 100 people came out to search for the couple. After several days of searching, the police realized that it was likely that something more sinister occurred. A $5,000 reward was put out.
The Discovery
Many small-town rumors started to spread. Some believed that Breezy and Riley ran away to elope. Some said that Breezy was pregnant, and some said that Riley and Breezy had stolen some money from someone and ran away. The police looked into these rumors but they were all dead ends.
On January 11, 2018, the Jeep was located in some juniper trees in the Cherry Creek Reservoir. It was located about 150 yards off the main road.
The Jeep had 2 flat tires but at first glance, it didn’t look like there was any other damage. Some of Breezy and Riley’s warmer clothes and IDs were all found in the car.
On the driver's side rear axle, the police found a strap used to tie something down. Upon further inspection, the police realized that the tires had actually been punctured with either a knife or screwdriver.
The Search
After several days of searching, the police didn’t find any other evidence about what could have happened.
Bill had heard a rumor about one kid wanting to kill Riley and throw him in a mineshaft. It gave them the idea to start searching the mines. There are about 800 mineshafts in Juab County.
The families reached out to a group that did spelunking as a recreational activity. They used maps to plot out where the mineshafts were and which ones to search.
The police also received a tip from a local woman. She reported seeing a Jeep being towed on New Year’s Day on a highway called SR-36 between Eureka and Vernon. That highway had a turnoff that led to Cherry Creek Reservoir. The witness described the vehicle as a blue-green Chevy truck with an extended cab. She also named the possible driver of the truck, Lee Sheppard. Lee had been dating Riley’s biological mom, Misty Powell, at the time. He had an extensive criminal record.
Riley and Breezy often visited Misty and Lee, who lived in a trailer between Eureka and Tooele. The police said that Misty hadn’t reached out asking any questions about where her son was, and didn’t seem concerned.
The First Suspects
The police were cautious when going to Misty and Lee’s trailer. In the back of Lee’s truck, they found tie-down straps that matched the ones found on Riley’s Jeep.
Lee refused to talk to the police, but Misty spoke with the police on January 15, 2018.
Misty said that Breezy and Riley had been at the trailer just before New Year’s. Lee was also there, and the 4 of them traveled to Tooele, Utah. Misty said that Riley and Lee started arguing.
A team of cadaver dogs was brought in to search the trailer and property, but nothing was found. Lee eventually agreed to be interviewed. Lee said it wasn’t Riley’s Jeep that he towed, but had been towing a car belonging to a relative. Lee and Misty were eventually ruled out as suspects.
The Messages
The police requested Riley’s bank records. His last transaction was at 7-11 on December 29, 2017. The police obtained search warrants for their Facebook pages and messages, which they often used for communication.
The last conversation that Riley had was with a girl named Morgan Lewis. On December 29, after they left the gas station, they went to meet Morgan. Morgan lived with her boyfriend, Jerrod Baum in Mammoth, Utah.
When the police spoke to Morgan, she said she didn’t know Riley or Breezy. She was confronted about her Facebook messages and that she was the last one that they spoke to. Morgan was very nervous throughout the interview. The police learned that Jerrod was very abusive and Morgan was afraid of him.
Morgan eventually said she and Riley had known each other for a while, but it was the first time that she had met Breezy. Jerrod also claimed that he had only met Riley once after Morgan introduced them. Jerrod told the police that he heard a rumor that some cartel members had killed them and threw them in a landmine.
A few months after their initial interview with Morgan, a part-time deputy pulled her over, and found a gun and a machete in her car. Morgan was arrested.
At first, Morgan again denied knowing anything, but eventually agreed to tell the police what Jerrod had done.
Morgan’s Confession
On March 25, 2018, she admitted that Jerrod killed Breezy and Riley. Morgan and Riley had once been in a relationship. Jerrod controlled everything that Morgan did and didn’t allow her to have any male friends.
Morgan told the police that Riley and Breezy’s cell phones were in a sludge barrel. She agreed to take the police to this barrel. It was located within walking distance of Jared’s residence. Inside the barrel, the police also found rope, 2 knife sheaths, garbage bags, and cell phones, which had been smashed.
Morgan was asked where Riley and Breezy were, but she stopped talking. The police drove Morgan past the mineshafts and they noticed a change in her behavior. She became emotional and started shaking.
On March 27, 2018, the police began their search of the mineshafts. Riley and Breezy’s bodies were found at the bottom of one located about a mile from Jerrod’s home.
A rescue team was contacted. The team was specifically trained for these kinds of rescues. A wire basket was used to bring the bodies up the mineshaft. They were transported to the medical examiner’s office and were positively identified.
The Motive
Riley had been stabbed 13 times in the chest, leg, head, and through the neck. Breezy’s neck had been cut.
On March 30, Morgan was shown a photo of Riley’s body in the mineshaft. Morgan said that she contacted Riley on December 29, and asked if he wanted to visit her. Riley said he would be there around midnight, and brought Breezy with him. They were there for about 45 minutes. Morgan said she was afraid that Jerrod would find out.
Jerrod ended up coming home. Jerrod grabbed her phone and looked through her text messages. They walked outside, and Morgan saw that Riley and Breezy were bound and their mouths duct taped in the back of Riley’s Jeep.
They drove out to the mineshaft. Jerrod’s demeanor immediately changed. He started stabbing Riley. Breezy told Jerrod that she wouldn’t tell anyone what had happened, but he cut Breezy’s throat. He then carried their bodies to the mineshaft and dropped them in. Morgan was hysterical but said that Jerrod started laughing on the way home.
When they returned, Jerrod told Morgan to get in the driver’s seat of Riley’s Jeep. Morgan began crying again. Jerrod grabbed a garrote and started choking Morgan.
Morgan and Jerrod drove out to the Cherry Creek Reservoir. Jerrod’s truck had gotten stuck due to the snow. They used tie-down straps to get it back on the road. They ditched Riley’s Jeep and slashed the tires. They used bleach to clean up and burned some clothing. Jerrod broke their phones and dropped them in the barrel.
It was clear that Jerrod was extremely jealous of Riley.
The Arrests and Convictions
Jerrod was arrested and charged with kidnapping and murder. Morgan was facing 30 felonies for obstruction of justice, lying to the police, and concealing evidence.
Morgan’s sentence was changed to 3 years in prison due to her cooperation and her agreement to testify against Jerrod.
The pandemic delayed court proceedings, but on February 23, 2022, Jerrod went on trial. On April 15, 2022, Jerrod was found guilty on all counts. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Morgan has since been released.
Morgan Lewis and Jerrod Baum
FINAL THOUGHTS
I can’t even imagine how terrified Riley and Breezy must have been that day. I’m sure Morgan was as well. Even though he denies being a monster, Jerrod seems like he is pure evil. I don’t condone that Morgan lied to the police or concealed evidence, but it’s clear she was abused.
The police and Riley and Breezy’s families never gave up until they found them. It’s heartbreaking how they were found, but at least they got the justice that they deserved.
Sources
https://www.oxygen.com/buried-in-the-backyard/crime-news/jerrod-baum-utah-mine-breezy-riley-murder
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2022/06/10/jerrod-baum-says-im-not/
https://kutv.com/news/local/we-got-justice-families-of-breezy-and-riley-react-to-murder-conviction
