Content warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual assault.
A Nevada man has been convicted of first-degree murder and sexual assault with a deadly weapon in the 2020 killing of 16-year-old Gabrielle “Britney” Ujaky.
Per a report from the Associated Press, Ujaky’s 2020 disappearance was initially looked at as a potential “runaway case” due to claims the man in question—Bryce Dickey, now 20—made to local authorities about another man in a pickup truck. Days later, however, the teen’s body was found wrapped in a tarp.
The Elko County Sheriff’s Office announced Dickey’s arrest in March 2020, saying in a statement at the time that a task force-led homicide investigation had been launched once the body was recovered from the Burner Basin region.
According to the Elko Daily Free Press, jurors spent roughly four hours deliberating last week before returning a verdict. During the seven-day trial, one witness testified they had allegedly been choked by Dickey multiple times during a romantic relationship.
In response to comments from the defense about what they argued was an “entirely circumstantial” case, Elko District Attorney Tyler Ingram noted these types of crimes are not often carried out in public.
“I want you to think about whether crimes like murder or sexual assault are crimes often committed in front of other people,” Ingram said. “That wouldn’t be very smart.”
As reported earlier this month, the district attorney was not seeking the death penalty in Dickey’s trial. On Monday, jurors were expected to meet for the penalty phase following Dickey’s conviction.
