Community remembers slain Reagan brothers near Sawmill as investigation continues

It's really a surreal nightmare. You don't think any of it is real," said Maureen Shear as federal and local investigators press a five‑year-old probe into the deaths of her brothers, Matthew Reagan, 39, and Philip Reagan, 29, whose bodies were found near Sawmill, Arizona, on March 21, 2020. The FBI Phoenix Field Office continues to work the case with the Apache County Sheriff’s Office and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations.

The FBI confirmed that on March 21, 2020 the bodies of Matthew and Philip Reagan were found in Sawmill on Navajo Nation land and that the medical examiner ruled both deaths a homicide. The FBI release also states, "As this is an ongoing investigation, the manner of death is not being released." Local reporting and family statements have described the brothers as found with gunshot wounds.

Investigators say the brothers were traveling from Ohio to California when they passed through Sawmill. Cleveland19 reported that the Reagan brothers' SUV was found stuck in the mud about a half mile from where their bodies were located, and the FBI release says the vehicle became stuck and the brothers may have been walking for help when they were killed.

Family recollections trace the trip back to a March 17 St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Donovan Quintero’s long form reporting in the Navajo Times recounts that Phil had dinner with Matthew and a woman named Faye, and that Phil was anxious about leaving Ohio for a maintenance job in California. Faye said Matthew used Google Maps to route them toward Spider Rock Campground in Canyon de Chelly and that the brothers had discussed following Route 66. After being notified by police, Faye said she was told "Matt had been found" and that her memory of the phone call is "fuzzy." Faye added, "I had no idea and had not ever (thought) I would hear the words that my husband had been shot to death," and she asked that people remember the brothers as "really good guys" who were "gentle and so kind, gentlemanly and helpful."

Biographical details family and local outlets provided show Matthew Reagan as a 39‑year‑old engineer who designed HVAC systems, a husband and father of five, and Philip Reagan as a 29‑year‑old who was headed west for a maintenance job. Their mother, Diana Reagan, told reporters, "It's harder, just that they're both dead than how they died."

The FBI has updated its public appeal and is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to arrest and conviction, a figure increased from an earlier $5,000 offer. Authorities ask anyone with information to call FBI Phoenix at (623) 466-1999, Navajo DCI in Window Rock at (928) 871-7519, or the Apache County Sheriff’s Office at 800-352-1850.

Maureen Shear has noted the remoteness of the scene, telling Cleveland19 the area is "very, very rural" and that the chances of a witness were "probably very, very, very slim." Five years after the discovery more than 1,700 miles from the brothers' Fairview Park, Ohio home, family members say they remain focused on remembering Matthew and Philip for the lives they led while investigators continue to seek answers.