Honestly, some true crime stories just don't leave your head. You've probably seen the headlines or caught a snippet of a documentary about the Pleasant Grove case. It’s the kind of thing that makes you want to double-check your own locks, even though the horror was tucked away in a suburban garage for nearly twenty years. When people search for Darren West Lisa Aguilar where are they now, they’re usually looking for a resolution to a story that feels like it has no bottom.
But here’s the thing: there’s a bit of a mix-up with the names that happens a lot online. The woman at the center of this tragedy wasn’t Lisa Aguilar—it was Megan Huntsman. Lisa Aguilar is often a name that pops up in related searches or separate cases, but the actual partner of Darren West in this haunting Utah saga was Huntsman.
The Discovery That Changed Everything
Back in April 2014, Darren West was just trying to move on. He’d spent years in federal prison on drug charges, and once he got out, he headed back to the house on Woodbury Drive to clean out the garage. It was a normal Saturday. Or it should have been.
Instead, West found a small white box. It was wrapped in plastic and tucked away, looking like old holiday decorations or forgotten junk. When he opened it, he found the remains of an infant. He called the police immediately. By the time the forensic teams were done, they had found seven bodies in total.
Darren West: Where Is He Today?
People often wonder how a father could not know. The police wondered, too. They grilled Darren West for hours, trying to figure out if he was an accomplice or just incredibly oblivious.
The reality? It was a toxic cocktail of heavy drug use and a partner who was a master of concealment. West admitted he was "messed up on freaking drugs" almost every day during the decade those babies were born (1996 to 2006). He knew Megan had been pregnant a couple of times but was told she had miscarried.
Today, Darren West has largely stayed out of the public eye. After the sentencing in 2015, where he was seen walking past reporters looking absolutely shell-shocked, he chose a life of privacy. He isn't a "celebrity" in the way some people involved in true crime become. He’s a man who discovered his own children had been murdered by their mother while he was in the next room or high on meth. He's reportedly spent the last few years trying to maintain a relationship with his surviving daughters—the three girls who actually grew up in that house, never knowing what was in the garage.
The Fate of Megan Huntsman
Megan Huntsman isn't going anywhere. In 2015, she was sentenced to 30 years to life. To be specific, the judge handed down six life sentences to be served consecutively.
She's currently incarcerated at the Utah State Correctional Facility.
During her sentencing, she didn't offer much in the way of a "reason." Her attorney read a statement where she basically said she was too addicted to drugs to care for more children. She claimed she wanted to "help them avoid the terrible life" she would have given them. It’s a chilling perspective that the court didn't find particularly redeeming. Her first chance at a parole hearing isn't scheduled until 2064. By then, she would be nearly 90 years old.
Why the Name Lisa Aguilar Pops Up
You'll see the name Lisa Aguilar linked to Darren West in various internet forums or "where are they now" queries. Often, this is a result of digital "telephone"—names getting swapped in comment sections or people confusing different local news stories from the same era.
In the actual legal records of the Pleasant Grove infanticide case, Lisa Aguilar isn't the defendant or the primary subject. If you're looking for the most accurate updates on the people involved in the 2014 discovery, you have to look at the Huntsman-West family tree.
The Aftermath and Insights
The house where this happened was eventually sold and renovated. The community in Pleasant Grove—a place known for being quiet and family-oriented—had to grapple with the fact that this happened right under their noses.
What we can learn from this case:
- Addiction hides in plain sight. The most common question was "How did nobody know?" The answer lies in the isolating nature of severe substance abuse. Both West and Huntsman were living in a haze that allowed reality to be distorted.
- DNA doesn't lie. One of the most heartbreaking parts of the investigation was the DNA confirmation that Darren West was indeed the biological father of all seven infants (six murdered, one stillborn).
- The system's limitations. Neighbors described Huntsman as a "good babysitter" and "skinny." It’s a reminder that we often see only what people want us to see.
If you’re following this case to understand the legalities, the "where are they now" is simple: one is serving a life sentence with almost no hope of release, and the other is a private citizen trying to live with a trauma that most people can't even imagine.
To stay informed on similar criminal justice updates, you can follow the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole public records, which provide the most current status of Megan Huntsman’s incarceration and any future hearing dates.