Rowdy Lee Aguilar, a 21-year-old from Utah, received a sentence of 25 years to life for the 2021 aggravated murder of his 15-year-old friend Ivan “Nik” Vetecnik in Taylorsville. He had pleaded guilty in September 2025 to the charge with a mental health condition, admitting to stabbing Vetecnik over 30 times, partially dismembering the body, and disposing of remains in a cargo trailer behind his home. The case shocked the community due to its brutality and the lack of a clear motive, despite Aguilar’s initial denials and eventual confession.
Crime Details
On May 26, 2021, surveillance footage captured Aguilar and Vetecnik entering Aguilar’s home around 10 a.m.; Aguilar emerged alone over three hours later with a blood-soaked shirt, carrying garbage bags to a nearby site. His father discovered the body in a trailer smelling of cleaning agents, with a bloody knife, glove, and dismembered parts recovered nearby—DNA linked both teens to the evidence. Aguilar, then 17, claimed hand cuts from a barbecue before admitting, “I did it.”
Sentencing and Victim Impact
Last week, during sentencing, Vetecnik’s sister Samantha VanTreese delivered an emotional statement, highlighting her brother’s trust in Aguilar and the irreplaceable loss of his laugh and innocence. Aguilar apologized, calling himself a “snake” and “monster,” insisting Vetecnik did nothing to provoke him. He will stay in a youth facility until age 25, then transfer to adult prison.​
Legal Outcome
The plea dismissed lesser charges like obstruction of justice and desecration of a body; prosecutors noted the killing’s “heinous” nature. VanTreese viewed the plea as a partial win but stressed no sentence suffices for the horror inflicted on her family.​
