Twelve years after Ryan Bush was discovered dead at a recycling center in California, investigators in Ogden, Utah are once again revisiting the mysterious case that has long haunted both detectives and his family.
The Unthinkable Discovery
Bush, 20, was last seen by his mother, Tina Ross, on April 15, 2013, as he left home determined to start fresh. “He said, ‘I’m sober. I’m going to work,’” Ross recalled. “He walked away, waved at me, and that was the last time I saw him.”
Two weeks later, Bush’s body was found at a recycling transfer facility in Wilmington, California, a neighborhood within the city of Los Angeles.
Deputy Chief Tyler Ziegler of the Ogden City Police Department said the case was deeply troubling from the start.
“This should have been impossible,” Ziegler said. “It should have been something that somebody knew about.”
From Utah to California: A Disturbing Trail
Investigators later discovered that multiple garbage trucks from the Weber County Transfer Station in Ogden had made deliveries to the Wilmington facility around the time Bush went missing.
Based on that link, detectives believe Bush’s body may have been transported to California inside one of those trucks.
“The unfortunate reality,” Ziegler said, “is that for him to end up on that truck, his body would have gone through a compactor or baling process. There’s almost zero chance he was alive at that point.”
Leads That Went Nowhere
Over the years, investigators examined Bush’s social media, messages, and surveillance footage. They reviewed alarm records at the transfer station, checked garbage routes, and even analyzed the weather conditions that week. Every potential lead ended in frustration.
Detectives also explored whether someone could have entered the transfer station at night and tampered with equipment, but no signs of forced entry or alarm interference were ever found.
“That’s what we’re struggling with,” Ziegler admitted. “How does something like this happen without anyone noticing?”
A Mother’s Pain and Plea
For Bush’s mother, the years since his death have been filled with grief and unanswered questions.
“It’s still hard after 12 years,” Ross said. “I’m very angry about it.”
She described her son as kind and full of life. “He made me a mom — he was my firstborn,” she said. “Not having answers has made it too hard to move forward.”
Ross called her son’s death “sickening” and “disgusting.” “How dare you put a human in a garbage can,” she said through tears. “I just want to know why.”
Renewed Investigation and Public Appeal
The Weber Metro Cold Case Task Force, working with Ogden police, has reopened the investigation and is seeking public help. The task force is also raising funds to conduct advanced forensic testing on this and other unsolved cases.
Anyone with information about Ryan Bush’s death is asked to contact investigators at 801-399-8672.n Utah’s Cold Cases podcast is available on major streaming platforms.
