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Nearly five months after a man's body was found dumped in the weeds near the Saltair resort, police have little information about what happened to him.
Unified Police confirmed in February that the man, 22-year-old Chandler Cooper, had likely been the victim of a homicide.
The case is "a genuine mystery at this time," Unified Police Lt. Lex Bell said Friday. Detectives, he said, have followed up "more or less" on all the leads they've had, adding that "they really don't have a lot to go on."
Hikers found Cooper's remains around 5 p.m. on Feb. 11, while walking along an Interstate 80 frontage road near 11500 West and reported the man had a head wound of some kind.
Police indicated Cooper was the victim of a gunshot, but have declined to give further details.
Cooper's body was located about a mile east of Saltair, just off a dirt path. Investigators believe he had been there for a couple of days before being found, Bell said.
A search of court records show Cooper had a criminal history that includes numerous drug-related charges, as well as firearms violations, theft by receiving stolen property, and shoplifting.
Cooper had been living with a grandparent in Salt Lake County, Bell said, but had been on the street "for quite a few years," due to a drug habit rather than homelessness.
Detectives are still hoping those with information on Cooper — specifically what he was doing and who he was with during the weeks leading up to his death — will come forward, Bell said.
Those with information are encouraged to contact UPD at 801-743-7000 and tell dispatchers which case they're calling about.
Bell said anonymity for those with tips is "not a problem."
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