22 Years After Teen's Body Found Off Idyllwild Trail, Arrest Finally Announced

IDYLLWILD, CA — Nearly 22 years ago, a body was found near an Idyllwild trail, and detectives determined at the time that they were dealing with a homicide, though no arrests were made.

Despite the passage of time, the victim's family finally has some answers this week.

James Robert Landi, 43, of San Mateo, was taken into custody Friday night in his home city, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, which made the arrest.

Landi was booked into Southwest Detention Center on suspicion of murder and lying in wait in the death of 18-year-old Reynaldo Burts of Hemet.

It's an investigation spanning more than two decades. At 2:18 p.m. on March 21, 2004, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department's dispatch received a call from a hiker reporting the discovery of human remains in the hills near Southfork Trail and Highway 74 in Idyllwild.

Deputies from the Hemet Sheriff’s Station responded and found the body, which showed signs of obvious trauma, according to the sheriff's department. The victim was eventually identified as Burts.

The Riverside Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit assumed the investigation, and the work continued for several years. Detectives identified Landi as a person of interest in the killing, but investigators did not have sufficient evidence at the time to make an arrest, according to the sheriff's department.

The case went cold for years.

In August 2025, the sheriff's department reviewed the Burts slaying. That investigative work led to additional leads, and the case was reopened, culminating in Landi's arrest, according to the sheriff's department.

Details about why Landi was suspected in the case, and/or a possible motive for the killing, were not disclosed.

Landi has no prior criminal history in Riverside County, according to court records. He is due to appear in court on Dec. 10.