Seventeen-year-old Cesar Madrigal Ríos died after a June 21, 2019, altercation near a trailhead on 4800 East Millcreek Canyon Road in Millcreek Canyon. First responders found Cesar with a single, fatal gunshot wound to the head that penetrated his spine; bystanders had tried to render aid. Officers recovered a spent shell casing at the scene but the handgun was initially missing.

Cesar’s 19-year-old brother, Emilio Madrigal-Rios, was at the scene and became the focus of the investigation. Detectives later located a handgun concealed in bushes about 50 feet from the body. Emilio told investigators the brothers had been arguing over the gun, which Cesar owned; Emilio said he had put the gun in his pocket, a struggle followed when Cesar demanded it back, the weapon discharged during the fight, and Emilio then discarded the firearm. Emilio was arrested and charged with manslaughter and obstruction of justice; a warrant set bail at $500,000.

Are there details about the timeline or the brothers’ relationship that could help clarify what happened that afternoon?