Remains found earlier this year near a West City Pond have been identified as Justin Hooiman.
27-year-old Hooiman was last seen in Salt Lake City, Utah on November 20, 2017. He disappeared just days before Thanksgiving after failing to show up for a lunch meeting with his mother.
On March 25, 2025, a human skull was found by man fishing at a pond near Stonebridge golf course, in the 4220 West Lake Park Boulevard area. Officials responded to the scene and recovered several other remains.
In June, Hooiman’s mother was notified that the skull belonged to her son.
The West Valley City Police Department confirmed that the Utah Medical Examiner’s Office positively identified Justin’s skull using DNA. Police have not shared any additional details about their investigation, including a possible cause of death.
The Disappearance of Justin Hooiman
Justin William Hooiman was born on December 7, 1989. He is originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, and studied at The University of Utah.
Justin was a soccer star during high school, during which time he suffered a leg injury and was prescribed the painkiller OxyContin. He later developed an opioid addiction after surgery on his shoulder and began using harder drugs.
In 2016, Justin spent a few months in prison for crimes related to drugs and theft. He was released on parole in June 2017.
In November 2017, Justin was staying at Fortitude Treatment Center, a men’s halfway house located at 1747 South 900 West in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was required to check in and out of the facility each time he left for work.
Disappearance
On November 20, 2017, Justin Hooiman was last seen in Salt Lake City, Utah, when he left the Fortitude Treatment Center facility for work around 6:00 am.
Along the way, Justin spoke with his mother on the phone and made arrangements to have lunch together that day. They planned to meet near his construction job at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah.
Justin never showed up for lunch with his mother and hasn’t been heard from since.
Investigation
After hanging up with her son on the morning he disappeared, Justin’s mother called him back 5 minutes later but his phone was turned off.
She learned later that evening that he was listed as a fugitive for failing to return to the Fortitude Treatment Center.
Justin Hooiman was listed as an absconder from parole until late 2019 when his case was reclassified as a missing person.
In March 2021, authorities began treating Justin’s case as a possible homicide after a confidential informant alleged he was murdered to a US Marshal.
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