On a summer afternoon in Mill Creek, Utah, 17-year-old Hispanic male Cesar Madrigal Ríos lost his life in a tragic altercation with his older brother. The incident, which occurred on June 21, 2019, unfolded near a trailhead in Millcreek Canyon, forever altering the lives of the two brothers.
Initial reports to the Unified Police Department suggested a self-inflicted gunshot wound. First responders arrived at the scene near 4800 East Millcreek Canyon Road to find Cesar deceased.
While citizens had attempted to render aid, his injury, a single gunshot wound to the head, was fatal. Officers at the scene located a spent shell casing but the firearm was missing, raising immediate questions about the initial report.
The deceased's 19-year-old brother, Emilio Madrigal-Rios, was present at the scene and became the focus of the investigation. As detectives from the violent crimes unit took over, inconsistencies in the narrative began to emerge. A K-9 unit was brought in and eventually discovered a handgun concealed in some bushes approximately 50 feet from where Cesar's body was found.
Under questioning, Emilio Madrigal-Rios admitted to investigators that he and his brother had been arguing. The dispute was over the handgun, which belonged to Cesar. Emilio had taken the gun and placed it in his pocket. When Cesar demanded it back, a physical struggle ensued. During this struggle, with both brothers wrestling for control of the weapon, the gun discharged, striking Cesar. After realizing his brother had been shot, Emilio threw the gun away from the scene.
Emilio Madrigal-Rios, who police identified as a documented gang member, was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. He was subsequently charged with manslaughter, a first-degree felony, and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony, for attempting to hide the firearm. An autopsy confirmed that Cesar's cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head that penetrated his spine. A warrant was issued for Emilio's arrest with bail set at $500,000.
