Britney Ujlaky’s 2020 disappearance and murder case will feature on Dateline NBC’s episode this Thursday, December 7, 2023. The episode “Open Desert” airs on the network at 10 p.m. ET.
Ujlaky went missing on March 8, 2020, per People Magazine. Three days later, police found her partially clothed dead body in a remote Burner Basin desert area. She had been raped, strangled, and stabbed to death. Investigators narrowed down on Bryce Dickey, who was close to the victim like a brother and was also the last person to have seen her alive. Moreover, they found DNA evidence that linked him to the crime scene.
The investigation into Dickey resulted in a conviction in May 2022, after which he received a 70-year sentence. According to the Nevada Department of Corrections, he is serving his lengthy sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center.
Britney Ujlaky’s killer: How was Bryce Dickey linked to the murder case?
The New York Post reported that Bryce Dickey, then-18, was the last to see Britney Ujlaky alive on March 8, 2020. He reportedly picked her up from Angel Park in Elko and later told police that he dropped the teen off at Spring Creek High School. Dickey further claimed he saw her get into a green Ford F-150 pickup truck with a tall man in a cowboy hat. Investigators never found this man or the pickup truck in question. Prosecutors later alleged that Dickey fabricated the story to mislead authorities.
During the initial investigation, police started looking into Dickey after he gave inconsistent stories. Moreover, they used physical evidence found near Ujlaky’s body to link him to the case. This crucial evidence included a used condom containing his DNA. He later confessed to having consensual sex with the 16-year-old on the day she went missing.
The outlet stated that prosecutors alleged Dickey raped, strangled, and stabbed Ujlaky, who considered him like a big brother. The accused even mourned the death of his “sis” on social media after the discovery of her body.
In the Facebook post, he wrote, “Yesterday, we all received [sic] 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.”
Per People Magazine, the defendant’s counsel maintained that he did not kill Ujlaky. His defense attorney, Gary Woodbury, told the jury, “You will not hear any evidence that anybody anywhere saw Bryce Dickey kill Britney Ujlaky.” Additionally, a girl Dickey previously dated testified at his May 2022 trial, claiming he had choked her four times during their 18-month relationship.
A jury found the then-20-year-old guilty of first-degree murder and sexual assault with a deadly weapon. He initially received a sentence of 20 years to life in prison before the court added 50 years to it.
NBC Dateline’s episode on Britney Ujlaky’s murder case will air on Thursday, December 7, 2023.
