'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A 16-year-old resident of Elko, Gabrielle Britney Ujlaky, went missing on March 8, 2020, after she got into a vehicle with her long-time friend, 18-year-old Bryce Dickey.
The evidence at the crime scene led investigators back to Bryce Dickey, who was arrested and convicted of first-degree murder and s*xual assault. He is presently serving his 70-year sentence and will be eligible for parole upon its completion.
A Dateline NBC episode, titled Open Desert, details the brutal murder of Gabrielle Britney Ujlaky as it airs on December 7, 2023, at 10 pm EST.
Disclaimer: This article contains graphic murder details. Reader discretion is advised.
Who is Bryce Dickey? Details explored
Bryce Dickey was a long-time friend of Britney Ujlaky, and the two met at a local radio competition five years before the murder, according to Daily Beast.
Britney's life revolved around horses after she learned horseriding at the age of nine, living in the small town of Spring Creek. Britney and Bryce allegedly shared a love for horses.
According to Britney's friend Cheyenne Fry, the former considered Bryce to be a big brother. Dickey, meanwhile, had a girlfriend for two and a half years. Fry spoke to PEOPLE, saying:
“Bryce told her a few months earlier he had feelings for her. But she saw him as a friend. She made sure he knew that.”
Britney's childhood friend, Saquarra Ashby, with whom she homeschooled, mentioned:
“She would say that he was like one of her closest friends and she cared about him a lot, but besides that she didn’t really talk about him."
However, things took a turn as Britney was last spotted on March 8, 2020, as she accompanied her father, James Ujlaky, to their band rehearsal and then left for her home with her long-time friend, Bryce Dickey.
Bryce Dickey and Britney Ujlaky had allegedly been friends for a few years
Britney Ujlaky's bloodied, partially clothed body was found in the desert area of Burner Basin, 15 miles northwest of Spring Creek, wrapped in blue tarpaulin on March 11, 2020. She had been r*ped, strangled, and her throat was slit so deep that her carotid artery was cut in half.
The crime scene had a pair of bloodied boots and a used c*ndom - both of which were traced back to Bryce using the DNA left behind. Her clothes were recovered a day later from a site nearby.
The officers from the Elko County Sheriff’s Department had initially considered Britney's disappearance to be a runaway case. They spoke to Bryce Dickey as he was the last person she was spotted with, and he mentioned her getting into a Ford F-150, pickup truck with a "pretty tall" man.
According to Dickey's claims, the two drove around for three and a half hours before Britney allegedly asked to be dropped off at her school, Spring Creek High School. His account was eventually ruled out as false upon further investigation and footage collected from surveillance cameras.
Dickey also tried to steer their friends away from the Burner Basin area after noticing their GPS positions on their social media. Dickey attended vigils and memorials prior to his arrest.
He had taken to social media after Ujlaky's body was found:
“Yesterday, we all received news that made us hit the floor. Around 8 in the morning we all started meeting up at my house to grieve and to mourn Britney’s life. Which was taken far too soon. That day I had tears of pain and joy. I wish she could have seen the amount of us that came together to honor you sis. We love you so much. Just know you won’t ever be forgotten.”
Britney dreamt of being a Rodeo Queen one day.
Where is Bryce Dickey now?
Bryce Dickey was arrested eight days later on March 19, 2020, and convicted of first-degree murder and s*xual assault with a deadly weapon. He was initially sentenced to 20 years in prison, which was later increased to 70 years by Elko County Judge Mason Simons.
According to the Nevada Department of Corrections, he is presently serving his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center.
