Investigators say the evidence contradicted a father’s account of how his 11-year-old son died.
TREMONTON, Utah — Police arrested two Tremonton parents Wednesday after investigators said home video, forensic findings and child interviews pointed to abuse before an 11-year-old boy’s death.
The arrests came more than seven months after Brigham Young Merrell, 35, called 911 on Sept. 21, 2025, and reported finding his son hanging by a coaxial cable. Brigham Merrell was booked for investigation of child abuse homicide and child torture. Melinda Marie Merrell, 36, was booked for investigation of child torture.
Tremonton-Garland police said officers and emergency responders went to the home after the 911 call. Brigham Merrell told dispatchers he was giving CPR, but police said officers found him kneeling by the child and not performing CPR. The boy was treated at the scene and taken to a hospital, where he later died. Police said no other adults were inside the home when the emergency call was made.
Investigators said the father’s statements shifted during several interviews. According to police affidavits, he gave different answers about who found the child, where the child was found and what happened before emergency crews arrived. Police said a home camera later showed Brigham Merrell moving the child from one room to an upstairs bedroom. The affidavit said the video showed him carrying the child past responders who were knocking on the door.
Police said the video helped investigators build a timeline that did not match the father’s account. A forensic review also found injuries that police said were inconsistent with a hanging by a coaxial cable. Investigators reported bruising on the child’s back and other ligature concerns. The cause of those injuries remains part of the criminal investigation, but police said the evidence led them to conclude the death was not accidental.
The investigation widened after officers interviewed children who lived in the home, friends of the children and the parents. Police said the interviews described years of physical punishment and abuse. The affidavits listed allegations of food restriction, whipping with belts, pans and other objects, and punishment that included sending children outside to a dog run. One child told investigators the boy died after a beating by Brigham Merrell.
Melinda Merrell told investigators she checked the children for bruises after beatings and changed methods when certain objects left marks, police wrote. Investigators said both parents admitted abuse and said they should have checked Utah law before moving there. Police also said footage showed Melinda Merrell either participating in beatings or watching while Brigham Merrell took part.
Police said they also reviewed what happened after the boy’s death. According to the affidavits, multiple items were thrown away, surfaces were painted and rooms were changed in the week after the emergency call. Officers wrote that Brigham Merrell also left the room to change clothes while the child was receiving medical care, conduct police described as consistent with an effort to conceal evidence.
The Tremonton-Garland Police Department said it did not release the child’s name to protect his dignity and other children connected to the case. A fundraising page posted after the death identified him as Moroni Merrell. Police said the other children from the home were placed with child welfare agencies.
The department said the arrests were made after an exhaustive multiagency investigation and said it would work to support prosecution on behalf of the boy and the surviving children. The case now moves toward review by prosecutors, who will decide which formal charges to file.
Author note: Last updated May 10, 2026.