On the evening of June 20, 2025, Salvador Conejo-Pedraza, a 50-year-old Hispanic/Latino male, left his home in West Wendover, Utah, and was never heard from again. His family grew concerned when he failed to show up for his weekend shifts at a local casino, which was highly uncharacteristic of him. Adding to their worry, they found his wallet left behind at his residence.
The search for Conejo-Pedraza began, leading to a grim discovery that would unravel a story of a chance encounter turned fatal.
Two days after his disappearance, on June 22, deputies from the Tooele County Sheriff's Office located Conejo-Pedraza's white Isuzu Rodeo abandoned off Leppy Pass Road, in the desolate expanse near the Bonneville Salt Flats. Inside the vehicle were signs of a violent struggle, including apparent bloodstains. Investigators also noted that the SUV appeared to have been driven hard. Surveillance footage later confirmed the vehicle had been driven multiple times on Bonneville Speedway Road the night after he vanished and had passed an I-80 Port of Entry near the Utah-Wyoming border. Extensive searches of the desert landscape using K9 units and drones were conducted in the hopes of finding the missing man. The search came to a heartbreaking end on July 10, when an employee of a local potash company stumbled upon human remains in the brush near Leppy Pass. The body was soon identified as Salvador Conejo-Pedraza, and his case was officially ruled a homicide.
During the investigation into the abandoned Isuzu, a peculiar encounter took place. Wendover's assistant fire chief came across a man walking on foot who identified himself only as "Geoff." The man, who was carrying a jug that looked like it contained vinegar, gave conflicting stories about whether he was returning to an Isuzu or a white Dodge truck before quickly departing into a ravine. This man was later identified as Geoffry Wells Goldsborough, a 48-year-old ranch hand who had recently quit his job. Coworkers told investigators that Goldsborough had spoken of "carjacking" someone to get back to Evanston, Wyoming, and had even inquired about how to hot-wire a vehicle. Detectives were able to trace a white Dodge Ram, belonging to Goldsborough, past the same port of entry as Conejo-Pedraza's Isuzu. Photographs of the Dodge's mismatched tires were consistent with tracks and drag marks found near where Conejo-Pedraza's body was discovered.
With mounting evidence, including cell phone data that placed him at key locations, Tooele County deputies arrested Geoffry Wells Goldsborough on July 23. Prosecutors later filed a first-degree murder charge against him. Charging documents revealed that the killing involved multiple firearms, a detail prosecutors pointed to as evidence of "depravity." Investigators also learned that Goldsborough had closed a bank account and shut off his phone around the time of Conejo-Pedraza's disappearance. He has been held without bail, considered a flight risk due to what authorities described as a nomadic lifestyle. As of the latest reports, no other suspects have been named in the case.
