Fisherman Finds Human Remains Near Pond

A fisherman discovered human remains in a pond in West Valley City, Utah, on March 25, 2025. The discovery occurred just after 7 p.m. Near 4220 West Lake Park Boulevard.

Phillip Morfin, the man who found the remains, reported that he was fishing in a channel that leads to a larger pond when he noticed an object in the mud approximately six to seven feet from the shoreline. Morfin initially believed the object was a toy, a ball, or an animal skull.

Morfin used a fishing rod with a Rapala lure to flip the object over, at which point he identified it as a human skull with visible teeth and eye sockets. He immediately contacted 911.

Investigation and Recovery

West Valley City Police Department officers responded to the scene and confirmed the remains were human. Lt. Bill Merritt stated that detectives recovered a human skull and a handful of other bones from the water.

Morfin noted that the other remains appeared to include two femur bones located along the shoreline and a smaller bone that may have been part of an arm. He reported that there was no clothing visible in the area.

The recovery site is located in an area featuring office buildings and the Stone Bridge Golf Club, with various streams and ponds running between the structures.

Identification of Remains

The West Valley City Police Department contacted the medical examiner’s office to assist in the investigation. Lt. Merritt initially suggested that identifying the remains could be difficult because there were no unsolved homicides on record at that time.

Subsequent reports indicated that the skull found in the West Valley pond was confirmed to belong to a man who had been missing since 2017.