Background: News footage of David Remley (right) in court on Jan. 15, 2026 (KUTV). Inset: Brittany Deal (GoFundMe).
A Utah man who kidnapped and abused his ex-girlfriend and her children was called a "monster" by his own sister in court as he was sentenced.
David Remley, 37, was handed four terms of 15 years to life, to be served consecutively, after being convicted by a jury of three counts of child kidnapping, one count of aggravated kidnapping, domestic violence, and other charges. Remley was arrested in August 2024 after he was found in Nevada with his former girlfriend, 28-year-old Brittany Deal, and her three children, who were ages 9, 5, and 2 years old at the time.
Deal had a protective order against Remley at the time, just one of many that Remley violated. According to Deal in an interview with local CBS affiliate KUTV, she "would try breaking up with [Remley], and that's when the fights would get really violent."
Deal told KUTV that a warrant for Remley's arrest was issued on Aug. 14, 2024, after the two had a physical altercation. The affidavit said, according to KUTV, that "[d]ue to the severity of the injury that the victim Brittany sustained during this incident and [there] being previous domestic violence and protective order violation charges in David's criminal history, I am requesting that a no-bail be set on David for the safety of the victim."
Deal and her children were reported missing on Aug. 20, 2024, less than a week later. KUTV reported that Remley showed up at Deal's home and told her and her children that they were going on a road trip. Remley then drove for eight hours without stopping. He did not have any supplies or luggage inside the car, but chains were later found.
Authorities found Remley, Deal, and her children in Nevada, unharmed, the same day. Remley was taken into custody. After Deal and her family were found, she told authorities that while he was holding them captive, he told them they were "going to Heaven."
Once Remley was behind bars, he continued to make threats toward Deal, telling his father, "She deserves to die for what she did to me." The phone call was one of many similar calls played in court.
Remley was found guilty on Oct. 29, 2025, of three counts of child kidnapping, one count of aggravated kidnapping, unauthorized possession of a firearm or motor vehicle, assault, and three counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child.
During his sentencing hearing on Thursday, Deal's mother said in her victim impact statement that Remley's abuse "robbed Brittany of so many things, has robbed her children as well." She said one of Deal's children told her, "My mom is not the same since David hurt her, and I miss my old mom."
Remley's sister also spoke on behalf of Deal, saying, "I watched over time as you became someone I didn't want to know. You became the monster Mom warned us about. The one she spent her whole life protecting us from."
Remley was sentenced to four terms of 15 years to life for the four kidnapping charges, to be served consecutively. He received lesser sentences for the remaining charges, to be served concurrently.
Deal has a GoFundMe page set up for her family as she continues to recover and rebuild after the kidnapping.
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