DeOrr Kunz Jr. disappeared while on a camping trip in Lemhi County on July 10, 2015. It's a possibility DeOrr never actually made it to the campsite in the first place and the whole thing was a staged cover up, who knows. Hes hoping it wont take that long to find DeOrr but hes determined to keeping working until he does. When I called to talk to him, you could just feel the tension because he was trying to get things set up to go up to Leadore, get the permitting done, but there was so much drama being caused that he was having to take care of the drama rather than focus on getting up there. IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) The parents of missing Idaho toddler DeOrr Kunz are speaking out for the first time since a sheriff publicly announced they were considered suspects in their son's disappearance. I know some people find it suspicious that they turned down media interviews when most parents beg for coverage, but honestly, I think you have social media and the internet to thank for that. The couple got a divorce, and Jessica remarried soon after, leaving their apartment abandoned. I dont have her. Two-year-old DeOrr Kunz Jr. disappeared from a campground in a remote part of Lemhi County on July 10, 2015. Everyone inside that circle and everyone outside that circle. 2015 - 2023 According to the sheriff, there was "no credible witness" to say they had definitely seen DeOrr at the campground, and it's possible he was never there at all. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. We, the investigators in the case, stand next to our opinions and conclusions based upon our investigation and the law enforcement investigation that not only is Vernal Kunz a person of interest, (he is) a suspect in the disappearance of DeOrr Kunz Jr., Klein says. The parents separate 911 calls, Police interviews, and other evidence triggered an investigation that left more questions than Bowerman is 100 percent positive the child was not abducted and he credits the FBI and the Bonneville County Sheriffs Office for playing a major role in helping the investigation. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. KTVB's Kim Fields sat down with DeOrr Kunz Jr.'s parents and a volunteer that went looking for him to dig deeper into what exactly happened on July 10, 2015. I think they used that in their favor. | NCMEC. In a July interview with EastIdahoNews.com, Kunz and Mitchell said they were camping in Leadore when they left their son with Robert Walton, Mitchells grandfather, and Isaac Reinwand, a friend of Walton. Fields to Mitchell: "Were you offered immunity? Id love to point the fingers but it doesnt, in the end, make me a good person. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. I never thought Issac or the grandfather harmed him, but I think they may have been duped maybe? Browning tells EastIdahoNews.com he will comment once the matter is finalized. But Isaac, even after the parents pointed fingers at him, he insists that he saw DeOrr that morning of his disappearance. Bob Walton is Jessica Mitchell's grandfather (baby DeOrr's great-grandfather), the grandpa who was on the camping trip. That was some personal information, but thats just how I feel. SALMON, Idaho The Lemhi County Sheriff says the parents of DeOrr Kunz Jr. have been less than truthful during polygraph tests and interviews with investigators. Returning to the site, Kunz immediately noticed that DeOrr was gone. EastIdahoNews.com. I guess I could say its one of those three.. I walked up the embankment and when I looked over, he wasnt in his chair and he wasnt with [Walton], Kunz recalls. He and Isaac Reinwald were fishing buddies. CLEGG: All I want to say is what I have said for so long. I feel the grandfather with his medical state and age along with his friend became good distractions from the parents. IDAHO FALLS A lawsuit against a private investigator once hired by the family of DeOrr Kunz Jr. has been officially dismissed. On a new Facebook page called DeOrr Kunz Jrs Voices, updates are continually shared regarding the case. I hadn't thought about him getting into a substance that isn't legal but that makes a lot of sense actually. 11 Strict Rules That Elon Musk Makes His Girlfriends & Wives Follow, Justin Bieber Suspected As The Father Of Kourtney Kardashian's Son Reign (Instead Of Scott Disick), Why Kate Moss Was 'Scared' & 'Couldn't Get Out Of Bed For Weeks' After Working With Mark Wahlberg. CLEGG: Rough. Theres no first priority on anyone else except the sheriff and the family and then, from there, well find out. They were supposed to go fishing that day, and DeOrr was being watched by his great- grandfather, when Robert had supposedly falling asleep, and lost track of the toddler. I just recently listened to the podcast True Crime Garage cover this case, and it was very well done, as are all of their episodes. IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KBOI) A private firm investigating the case DeOrr Kunz, who's been missing for more than a year, says a jacket that he reportedly was wearing on the day he went missing was found at an Idaho Falls apartment complex. The previous P.I., Philip Klein, quit in 2017 and released a statement that said, All evidence leads to the death of DeOrr Kunz, Jr. We do not believe a kidnapping or animal attack occurred and all evidence supports this finding.. How are you doing since he died? IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) The parents of missing Idaho toddler DeOrr Kunz are speaking out for the first time since a sheriff publicly announced they were considered suspects in their son's disappearance. Sheriff Steve Penner declined to comment about what crews did at the site but said investigators will follow-up in the area as environmental conditions change.. Its a mourning day. Mitchell and Kunz were named suspects in January 2016 by former Lemhi County Sheriff Lynn Bowerman but they have never been arrested or charged. I offered to help feed him and let him stay in my home but as a PI and trying to stay neutral, he cant do that. Isaac Reinwand was pretty much thoroughly cleared by the police, as much as he could be. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. We go back to so many things. They either killed him at home, or know where he is buried. I think it more likely he is telling the truth and DeOrr really was there. If he asks my parents what I'm up to he doesn't use my name, he just asks what "the kid" or "the story" is doing. His beautiful eyes, his laugh on some of the videos, and he just captured so many people. I would go so far as to say it was a red flag that he used my actual name. De Orr Sr's sister was very vocal and seemed to be the spokesperson for that family. Their statements dont match, and its frustrating because we have absolutely no idea where DeOrr is, Bowerman says. CLEGG: I know it started on Facebook. Again the grandfathers behavior seems normal. to take on DeOrrs disappearance. I think De Orr jr and sr. lived with Dennis. Theres national media, online chats, I get asked about it at least every other day There really is an intense fascination on this story. Sorry that he took his eyes off that baby and he just kept telling Jessica that he was so sorry. Weve lost two grandpas through all this (Walton and DeOrr Kunz Sr.) and we thought when grandpas get up to heaven, maybe well get an answer. The sheriff points to cases of people whose bodies are discovered in remote areas years or decades after they vanish. I don't know much about the grandpa Dennis and I haven't heard any interviews from him. Could an Animal Have Taken Missing 2-Year-Old DeOrr Kunz from an Idaho Mountain in 2015? Grandfather of Missing Idaho Boy Claims Parents are Innocent As Sheriff Calls Them 'Less Than Truthful', Idaho Hunter Discovers the Remains of Another Hunter Who Went Missing 53 Years Ago, Idaho Sheriff Says Parents Are Now Suspects in Son's Disappearance: 'They Know Something', Police Investigate Whether There Was 'Anyone Else Involved' in Cleo Smith's Abduction, 'We'll Find Him No Matter What It Takes': Idaho Parents Search for Toddler Who Went Missing 5 Days Ago While Camping. They said they think Deorr was kidnapped, and beg for whoever took him to send him okay. On that fateful day, Kunz was taken on a trip with his mother, Jessica, his father, DeOrr Kunz Sr., his grandfather, Robert Walton, and Isaac Reinwand, who was a friend of Robert's. EATON: It seems like a lot has happened over the last year but yet not a lot has happened. Sad New Details About The Missing Toddler Who Was Found Dead, Evidence Supporting A Woman's Claim That She Is Madeleine McCann & Questionable Details About Her Theory, Parents of 5-Year-Old Lost in California Flood Share His Last Words, Police Address Why Quinton Simons Mom Hasnt Been Arrested As She Parties Amid Search For His Body, Who Is Anndine Jones? The grandfather saying that wasnt strange to me. The wreck occurred exactly one year to the day that DeOrr was reported missing by his parents at a Lemhi County campground. Deorr Kunz Jr., 2 years old at the time, was reported missing by his parents on July 10, 2015. Including items that little DeOrr was supposedly wearing when he disnappeared. Apparently claimed missing items said to be with DeOrr were found in his parents apartment after they were evicted. People have already made their mind up about me, he says. July 10th, 2020 was the 5-year anniversary since Deorr Kunz Jr. went missing. My impression is that these are rather simple, salt-of-the-earth type people- not criminal masterminds. Your father (Robert Walton) passed away and were sorry to hear about his death. DeOrr Kunz Sr. and Jessica Mitchell were officially named suspects Monday in connection with the childs disappearance. There is definitely something off about the whole thing and all of the family involved. Jessica Mitchell and Vernal Kunz have split up, and apparently Jessica claims she said in a video that: I believe DeOrrs father could have hurt him, Hes living his life like its nothing and Im falling apart every day. This friend of the grandparent actually came off the most credible of the four for me-although that isn't saying much. Upon returning to camp, Kunz and Mitchell went looking for a place to fish. WebVernal Kunz, the father of missing toddler DeOrr Kunz, was involved in a serious wreck earlier today on Highway 39 near Pingree in Bingham County, the Bingham County Sheriff's Office reported. It would explain why all four of them would work together to cover it up. Jessica Mitchell told the police that DeOrr was wearing a camo jacket and cowboy boots when he went missing. EATON: Are there any misconception or rumors or anything youve seen that you want to clear up? Kunz and Mitchell briefly left the campsite looking for a place to fish. Attorney General Labrador joins Amicus Brief over same-sex wedding photographer in Kentucky, Books, ballots, and bullets among topics during busy Wednesday at the Idaho Statehouse, Crashes, highway closures, slick roads around southwest Idaho in latest snowstorm. It was going to be a long weekend. Heres why shes coming and when you can see her, Huge avalanche engulfs snowboarder on New Hampshire mountain, dramatic video shows, Idaho State Police investigate death on I-84 after finding abandoned vehicle, Footprints in freshly-fallen snow lead cops to shooting suspect, Connecticut cops say. Because of those things, were keeping it very private this year. I felt they were lying from the beginning. Trina Bates Clegg, DeOrrs grandmother and Mitchells mother, agreed to speak with EastIdahoNews.com about the anniversary of her grandsons disappearance and where the case stands today. You start thinking, Ok. IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KBOI) A private firm investigating the case DeOrr Kunz, who's been missing for more than a year, says a jacket that he reportedly was wearing on the day he went missing was found at an Idaho Falls apartment complex. | Nate Eaton, EastIdahoNews.com. This case also got to me because my husband and I are trying to have children, and personally, sometimes I get so angry when the wrong people are parents and its harder for some people to have kids. He and Mitchell have split and havent spoken for months, and he says Mitchell is now married. Bowerman says the parents have told investigators conflicting stories since the beginning.. Reinwand and Walton have also said they have no idea where the boy is. Saturday, March 12th 2016. Again, there was no evidence of this. When children go missing, families spend months, years and even decades trying to find out what happened to their lost loved one. 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