Video and forensic evidence contradicted a father’s 911 report that his 11-year-old son had hanged himself, police say.

TREMONTON, Utah — A Utah father and mother have been arrested after police said their 11-year-old son was tortured, killed and moved inside the family home to make his death look like a hanging.

Brigham Young Merrell, 35, faces child abuse homicide and child torture counts in the death of Moroni Merrell, while his wife, Melinda Marie Merrell, 36, faces a child torture count. Tremonton Garland police announced the arrests in May after a months-long inquiry that began with a 911 call on Sept. 21, 2025, and grew into an investigation of alleged abuse involving other children in the home.

The case began when Brigham Merrell called 911 and reported finding a minor child hanging by a coaxial cable, according to police accounts of the booking affidavit. He told dispatchers he was performing CPR, but officers who arrived at the Tremonton home said they found him kneeling beside the child and not giving CPR. First responders started life-saving care, and Moroni was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Investigators later said the father’s account shifted in interviews about who found the child, where the child was positioned and what happened before emergency crews arrived.

Police said home surveillance video became a central piece of the case because it showed Brigham Merrell carrying the child from another part of the house into the upstairs room where he later claimed the hanging had occurred. The affidavit said one clip showed him carrying the lifeless child past emergency responders who were knocking at the door. Investigators said he continued toward the room tied to the reported hanging and later could not give a consistent reason for moving the child. Officers also said Brigham Merrell left the room to change clothes while paramedics were treating his son, conduct police described as consistent with an attempt to destroy or conceal physical evidence.

Forensic findings also raised doubts about the reported hanging, police said. The arrest report said the child’s injuries did not match the explanation involving a coaxial cable and directly contradicted Brigham Merrell’s account. Investigators described ligature marks they believed came from another force rather than a hanging. They also noted a cluster of bruising on the boy’s back that appeared to have happened immediately before or during death. When questioned about those marks, Brigham Merrell allegedly said they could have come from a belt. Both parents allegedly told investigators they did not know what caused the bruising.

As detectives reviewed the home, they also found evidence that went beyond the events of Sept. 21, police said. The affidavit alleged that within a week of Moroni’s death, multiple items were thrown away, surfaces were painted over and rooms were changed. Detectives said those changes were examined as part of the broader timeline. The police department said it developed substantial evidence that the death was not accidental and that investigators found a pattern of ongoing physical abuse involving Moroni and other children in the household. Officials have said they will not release more about the victim or the surviving children out of respect for their privacy and the continuing case.

Interviews with surviving children led investigators to years-long allegations of physical abuse and child torture, according to police. Children and others described food restriction, beatings and punishments that allegedly left bruises. The affidavit said belts, pans and other items were used to whip children. One child allegedly said the children were sent outside to stay in a dog run when they were in trouble, and another alleged seeing Moroni die after receiving a whipping from Brigham Merrell. Police said video footage supported several abuse claims and showed Melinda Merrell either taking part in beatings or standing by as her husband took part.

Statements attributed to Melinda Merrell added another layer to the case. Police said she told investigators she would check children for bruises two days after a whipping to adjust the discipline methods, including switching from spoons to pans because spoons left marks. Court documents also said both parents admitted to abuse and told investigators they should have looked into Utah law before moving there. The affidavit said Melinda Merrell stated she had not been taught that leaving marks on children was not acceptable. Those alleged admissions are part of the state’s case, but the defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted in court.

The arrests came on May 6, more than seven months after Moroni’s death. Police described the inquiry as an exhaustive multiagency investigation involving forensic review and interviews. Brigham Merrell was booked into the Box Elder County Jail on allegations tied to homicide and torture, and Melinda Merrell was booked on a child torture allegation. Police said the remaining children from the home were referred to child welfare agencies. It was not immediately clear from available reports whether the Merrells had entered pleas or had attorneys who could speak for them.

Tremonton, a Box Elder County city in northern Utah, was left with a case that moved from a reported emergency call to a homicide investigation built on video, medical findings and interviews. Police said they made the arrests only after investigators concluded the evidence showed the parents were responsible for Moroni’s death and for alleged abuse of other children. The department said it is committed to seeing the case prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law on behalf of the child who died and the children who survived.

The case now stands with Brigham Merrell facing the most serious count and Melinda Merrell facing a torture count. Prosecutors and investigators are expected to carry the evidence into court as the children’s welfare cases continue separately.

Author note: Last updated May 28, 2026.