A human skull was removed from a burial site earlier this year, and state officials now want the public’s help finding the person responsible.
The Utah State Trust Lands Administration, which owns the land where the incident happened, is offering a $3,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who stole the skull.
“The theft of human remains from a burial site is a crime and a violation of human dignity,” Michelle McConkie, executive director of the Trust Lands Administration, said in a news release Monday. “This act not only breaks the law — it is disrespectful to those who lived here long before us and the scientific integrity of Utah’s archaeological record.”
Investigators from Utah’s Attorney General’s Office learned of the incident from a social media post in January 2025, according to the news release. A person posted a photo with the skull on Facebook, and the photo helped officials identify the area where the remains were taken, said Joel Boomgarden, lead archaeologist with the Trust Lands Administration.
Boomgarden and his team of archaeologists went to the site they suspected and confirmed the incident took place at a burial site that dates back to AD 240, said Boomgarden. They then turned the investigation over to law enforcement, he added.
Archaeologists had known about this site since the 1990s. But this fall, archaeologists and a forensics team redocumented the entire site, which includes the burial ground, rock art and other artifacts, Boomgarden said.
The closest tribe to the area is the Kaibab Band of Paiutes, and Boomgarden said he hopes to work with the tribe to return the remains. He said the state has done some initial outreach, but not spoken to the tribe. Tribal Chairman Roland Maldonado said he has not been contacted about the issue.
Maldonado said the state should reach out to him directly in a “government-to-government consultation,” and he would also involve his cultural preservation department.
“It’s all illegal. There are federal laws against pothunting. It’s also very illegal to take human remains. … If state agencies and federal agencies would actually adhere to the law and prosecute in a proper manner, that would put a big curtailment on this type of activity,” Maldonado said.
Going forward, the Trust Lands Administration plans to work with the State Historic Preservation Office’s cultural site stewardship program to recruit a volunteer who will monitor the site and help prevent such an action from happening in the future.
“You wouldn’t go into a cemetery in Salt Lake City and do this to a grave,” said Boomgarden. “I don’t understand why people think it’s okay to wander out of the desert and do this. It is unacceptable, and it saddens me that this sort of thing still happens. Hopefully we can relocate these remains and get them put back where they belong.”
Information may be shared with the Attorney General’s Office by calling 801-538-5113 or emailing aginvestcomplaints@agutah.gov. Individuals may remain anonymous when sharing tips, according to the news release.