On a day that began with plans for an autumn ATV ride, Levi Joseph Collins, a 34-year-old White male, found his life tragically cut short on November 1, 2014, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He, along with his friends Danny "Kiko" Gallegos, 35, and Braden Parker Emerson, 23, disappeared after telling family they were heading to the Bountiful area for a recreational outing. The group was last seen leaving Gallegos' home in his Chevrolet Tahoe, which was also towing an ATV.
They were expected to return by the evening, but as the hours turned into days, a grim silence was the only response to their families' growing concerns.
The initial investigation into their disappearance took a dark turn when Gallegos' Tahoe was found abandoned two days later. Inside the vehicle was Gallegos' dog, alive, but also a significant amount of blood, signaling a violent encounter. For years, the case of the three missing men grew cold, leaving their families in an agonizing state of uncertainty. There was no communication, no financial activity, and no sign of Levi, Danny, or Braden. It was as if they had vanished. The digital footprints of the three men ceased on that fateful day, their last known location being a retail business.
A break in the case finally came in January 2019, more than four years after the men disappeared. Authorities arrested 53-year-old Richard Christopher and charged him with three counts of aggravated murder. The investigation revealed a chilling story of a business deal gone horribly wrong. Gallegos had reportedly gone to a retail business to meet with an individual to purchase a house with $200,000 in cash. An argument erupted, and Richard Christopher shot and killed Gallegos. He then went outside to the waiting Tahoe and murdered Collins and Emerson.
The horrific details of the crime's aftermath were also brought to light. To conceal the murders, Christopher took the bodies of the three men to a Utah County cremation facility used for large animals and had them burned. The investigation was aided by a key witness who had been granted immunity. This witness revealed that he was instructed by Christopher to clean the bed of a truck with bleach to destroy evidence. Swabs from the truck later tested positive for Emerson's DNA, and a stain in a Chevrolet Camaro tested positive for Collins' DNA. In March 2024, Richard Christopher was found guilty of the murders of Braden Parker Emerson and Levi Joseph Collins, and the aggravated robbery of Danny "Kiko" Gallegos. He was sentenced to at least 56 years in prison, bringing a measure of justice to the families who had waited so long for answers. The bodies of the three victims were never recovered.
