The Salt Lake City Police Department announced the closure of a missing persons cold case after DNA testing confirmed human remains located in Millard County, Utah belonged to Sandra Matott—who disappeared in July 1979. To date, this is the oldest missing persons cold case closed by the Salt Lake City Police Department. The Millard County Sheriff’s Office also announced the closure of its homicide investigation into Sandra Matott’s death.
On July 18, 1979, the Salt Lake City Police Department opened a missing person’s investigation on Sandra Matott after her husband, Warren Matott, reported his wife missing. Warren Matott reported Sandra was last seen at a bar eight days earlier in Salt Lake City. At the time, an SLCPD follow-up detective attempted to contact Warren Matott but was unsuccessful.
About a month later, the Millard County Sheriff’s Office received information that a hunting party located skeletal human remains near the I-15 Cove Fort exit near a road called “Old 91.” There were no signs of homicidal violence to the skeletal remains. At the scene, investigators located two pieces of jewelry, a ring and a watch. Both were later determined to belong to Sandra Matott. [See photos below]. Due to the suspicious circumstances, the Millard County Sheriff’s Office opened a homicide investigation.
On December 17, 2012, the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse contacted the SLCPD with information from the Utah Medical Examiner’s Office. Investigators sought to confirm whether the information was connected to the original missing person’s case from 1979. Between January and April 2013, an SLCPD Homicide Detective was re-assigned to the case and determined Sandra Matott was still missing. The SLCPD detective entered Sandra’s information into two national databases for missing persons while conducting additional investigative follow-up.
The investigation continued through the summer of 2013. During the investigation, Sandra Matott’s family reported they believed Warren Matott, Sandra’s husband, was likely responsible for her disappearance and death. Warren Matott died on October 11, 1999 in California. On February 1, 2019, Sandra Matott was entered as a “Cold Case Missing Person” into Utah’s “Cold Case Database.” Her case information was later entered into a federal database that assists law enforcement in identifying, locating, apprehending, and prosecuting people responsible for violent crimes.
On November 25, 2019, the Millard County Sheriff’s Office contacted the SLCPD after a case file was located describing skeletal human remains possibly connected to Sandra’s missing person’s case. In December of 2019, Utah’s Forensic Anthropologist completed a report, which allowed the Millard County Sheriff’s Office to submit the previously recovered bones to the University of North Texas for DNA testing in October of 2020. Then, on August 10, 2021, the Millard County Sheriff’s Office received confirmation the remains located in 1979 belonged to Sandra Matott.
“No matter how much time passes, the detectives of the Salt Lake City Police Department will never let up in their quest to solve every case and to get answers for loved ones. Solving a cold case requires teamwork, dedication and an unrelenting pursuit of justice. That’s how we got to today—because of the teamwork of multiple agencies and the dedication of the current and prior detectives throughout Utah who worked Ms. Matott’s case. They never gave up on this investigation. They recognized the work that needed to be done to get the family of Sandra Matott answers, and for that I could not be prouder," said Salt Lake Police Chief Mike Brown.
“We are grateful to be in an age where technological advances have provided many avenues for law enforcement to find answers not previously available to them. Without the resources available through NamUs, we don't know how much longer Sandra Matott would have been unidentified. We send our condolences to her family for their loss and many years of waiting. It is an honor to us that we were able to help bring them some answers," concluded Millard County Sheriff Richard Jacobson.
Photo credit: SLC Police.