2 Arizona men arrested 8 months after body found in Mohave County desert

PHOENIX — Authorities arrested two men they believe were involved in the death of a man whose body was found in a remote desert area near Kingman last December.

Bryan Keith Gibson of Yucca, 52, and Shannon Allen Powell of Yucca, 29, were recently arrested in connection with the death of 50-year-old Brandon Parlanti of Kingman, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office said on Wednesday.

Gibson was charged Monday and faces one count of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. He was already in jail on unrelated charges, authorities said.

Powell was arrested Aug. 2 on second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges.

Deputies responded to the remote desert area in Yucca on Dec. 4, 2022, after a caller reported finding human remains when he was riding his side-by-side utility vehicle in the area, authorities said. Parlanti’s body was found among a large pile of debris, wrapped in a tarp. At the time, his remains were unidentifiable.

Authorities worked with Othram Inc., a private laboratory that specializes in forensic genealogy, to identify Parlanti in July.

The investigation into the homicide is ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding the case is encouraged to call the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office detective division at 928-753-0753, ext. 4288.

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