Camping is a great way to escape the pressures of everyday life. People go camping for different reasons, some to test out and practice their survival skills, some to get away from city life. Others take camping as an opportunity to spend time with and reconnect with family in a natural environment, away from modern technology. Some go camping off the beaten path, while others prefer to stick to vetted campgrounds. When one family decided to go camping to enjoy nature and do some fishing, they didn’t expect their 2-year-old son, DeOrr Kunz Jr., to vanish into thin air.
Timber Creek Campground, located in the Salmon National Forest of Lemhi County, in northern Idaho and near the Montana border, is a wooded area with two creeks that run along either side of it. The campground is popular among families during the summer months.
On July 9, 2015, one such family took a trip to the campground for a fishing trip. Jessica Mitchell and Vernal DeOrr Kunz left home with their son DeOrr, his great grandfather, Robert Walton, and Walton’s friend Isaac Reinwand. The trip was a 2-hour drive, 120 miles north of their home in Idaho Falls.
Their campsite was at the end of a long rocky road from the town of Leodore. They set up 2 separate tents and enjoyed their first evening in nature. The next morning after breakfast, Jessica and Vernal took DeOrr into town to pick up some supplies and snacks. Back at the campsite, Jessica and Vernal decided to explore the woods alone, looking for fish in the creek and leaving DeOrr back at camp with his great-grandfather. According to Vernal, the couple only made it 50 yards from the site before they discovered some minnows in the creek and wanted DeOrr to see.
When they arrived back at the campsite, looking around, DeOrr wasn’t in his chair. When they asked Robert where he was, he responded, “I thought he was with you!” Not only was Robert hard of hearing, he required an oxygen tank to breathe, and it is believed he was suffering from Alzheimer’s.
They began shouting for DeOrr, and after about 20 minutes, realized he was nowhere to be found. Vernal got into his truck and left, driving toward town, looking for cell service. Still at the campsite, Jessica was able to get through to police at 2:28pm.
911 Call Transcript
911 OPERATOR: What`s the address of your emergency?
MITCHELL: I`m actually camping in Leadore, just outside of Leadore. My 2-year-old son — we can`t find him.
911 OPERATOR: How long has he been missing?
MITCHELL: About an hour.
911 OPERATOR: An hour?
MITCHELL: Yes.
911 OPERATOR: Are you by water?
MITCHELL: Yes.
911 OPERATOR: Do you know which campground you`re in?
MITCHELL: It`s Stone Reservoir, Timber Creek.
911 OPERATOR: Stone Reservoir?
MITCHELL: Yes, or Timber Creek.
911 OPERATOR: Hold on. We need search and rescue. Jessica? Jessica?
MITCHELL: Yes?
911 OPERATOR: What`s your son`s name?
MITCHELL: Deorr.
911 OPERATOR: OK. What was he wearing?
MITCHELL: He was wearing cowboy boots, a blue pair of, like, pajama pants, and a camo jacket. And he`s got shaggy blond hair.
911 OPERATOR: Is your husband calling, too?
MITCHELL: (INAUDIBLE) like, all down where we`re camping at, and we can`t find him at all.
911 OPERATOR: OK. We need you to stay within cell service. We have people going on the way.
MITCHELL: Thank you.
Officers from the Lemhi County Sheriff’s office scoured a search radius of 2 miles around the campsite. Search and rescue crews set out on ATV’s while divers took to the reservoir. Within 12 hours, over 200 volunteers had arrived to help in the search for DeOrr.
A thermal imaging helicopter flew over the area most of that night but saw nothing.
Meanwhile, over 120 miles away, a Walmart cashier spotted a man with a young boy who matched DeOrr’s description. Police located the man and learned that the boy was not DeOrr, he was in fact, the man’s son.
By the next day, the search was in full force. Searchers on foot, ATV, and even horseback covered every inch of that 2-mile radius to no avail.
Perhaps the largest area of concern was the creek, about 15 yards from the campsite. The creek was 4-6 feet wide, and at least a foot deep – enough for DeOrr to be swept away, or even drown in. Despite their efforts, the boy was not found, and 2 days later the ground search was called off. According to Vernal, the entire mountainside had been combed thoroughly, and there was no sign of him. He believes DeOrr was taken.
While divers continued their search in Stone reservoir, cadaver dogs kept getting false hits in this area. As it would turn out, a man had released cremated ashes into the water the same day DeOrr went missing.
Lemhi County decided it was time to call in the FBI.
Questions and Conflicting Statements
Interviews conducted raised more questions than answers. While the couple says they were together when DeOrr went missing, Isaac Reinwand said that he and Jessica had gone to the creek first, and then Vernal and DeOrr were supposed to follow but never showed up. When questioned, Vernal’s story changed a little. This time he said DeOrr wanted to be with his great-grandfather, so turned and walked back to the campsite. This alone raised more questions. Where did DeOrr go? Why would a parent let their child wander back alone?
The claim that DeOrr turned back to the camp to go be with his great-grandfather also contradicts another statement. In an interview of Jessica and Vernal, Vernal claims that they took their walk around 2pm – DeOrr’s nap time. They intentionally left him with Robert so he could take his nap.
Another question arose when the couple’s timeline was analyzed. Though Jessica and Vernal claimed to have contacted police within 20 minutes of DeOrr’s disappearance, the timeline would suggest it was more like an hour. Police found it suspicious that anyone would wait an hour before contacting police after their child had gone missing.
Another question raised is why would Vernal have to hop in his truck to look for cell service when Jessica was able to contact authorities right from their camp site? In an interview Vernal claims it was because he had only 1 bar of service and didn’t want to risk being disconnected.
On scene, Robert refused video interviews, and only allowed audio. In his interviews he never referred to DeOrr by his name, or any nickname he may have had. Instead DeOrr was always, “the kid,” or “that kid.” Psychologists would consider this the act of a guilty conscience, not using his name allowed him to distance himself from any crime that may have been committed. Robert Walton has since passed away, in June 2019.
When asked, “What does your heart tell you happened to little DeOrr?” and “Do you know where little DeOrr is?” Robert laughed, a throaty cackling laugh. Later, he said that he had seen his grandson near the creek. When he took his eyes off the boy for just a moment, DeOrr was gone.
In January 2016, lead investigator and Sheriff Lynn D. Bowerman, told the media that Jessica and Vernal were the prime suspects. “I believe his parents are hiding something. There is no doubt in my mind. We gave them every opportunity to explain if it was an accident of some kind, and they haven’t.” Additionally, Bowerman believes DeOrr was killed, and will not be found anywhere near the Timber Creek campground.
The couple submitted to polygraph tests. The FBI found them to be, “less than truthful in their polygraphs and had a lot of irregularities and discrepancies in their interviews.”
“They could not pass the section on ‘Do you know where DeOrr Kunz is at this time?’ and ‘Do you know what happened to him?’ They could not pass those parts of the polygraph,” said Lynn Bowerman. “We’ve given them too many opportunities to tell us what happened, if it was an accident. There’s been no interest in going that direction. So that tells me there’s only one other possibility. It has to be a homicide.”
In July 2016, a search of Jessica and Vernal’s home was conducted. Inside, investigators found the camo jacket that DeOrr was reportedly wearing when he disappeared. Another question that was raised is that of the boy’s cowboy boots. They were reportedly a size too big and kept slipping off of his feet. If DeOrr was really attacked by an animal, or even snatched away, wouldn’t his boots have fallen off? Wouldn’t there be some trace of them somewhere?
In an interview with EastIdahoNews.com, when asked if he was surprised about the parents being named as suspects, Isaac Reinwand said, “Yeah actually I kind of was a little bit.” When asked if he remembered what happened at the camp site, his response, “I don’t want to comment on that.”
Despite this, neither have been arrested or charged.
In early 2016, the Kunz family hired private investigator, Frank Vilt, a former employee with the US Marshals service, who quit shortly thereafter. In his letter he wrote, “My stipulation was that both of you would be absolute truthful. In my professional opinion, both of you lied and misrepresented the true facts that could possibly solve the mystery of your missing son. Sooner or later the truth will come out.”
Vilt has said, “When a mother has lost her child she looks into a camera and says, ‘I want my child. Please help me find my child, I love my child.’ But she didn’t want to do that.”
Looking into Jessica’s background, he found something he deemed suspect. Jessica had two other children from a previous marriage. She had given up custody of those children, and he believes she wanted to do the same with DeOrr. “I believe the mother made an arrangement to give her child up for adoption.”
Jessica has responded saying, “I would have never in a million years given DeOrr up for adoption.”
The next investigator hired was Philip Klein who had his own issues with the family. To this day, he believes that the family knows what happened to little DeOrr. He believes it was an accidental homicide. Philip Klein went so far as to claim that Jessica Mitchell had admitted to one of his investigators that she knew where the body was.
Despite being fired, Klein continued working on the case, hired back by another, unnamed, member of the family.
The family sued Philip Klein for breach of contract, slander, libel, fraud, and infliction of emotional distress. The family lost the lawsuit and the appeal was also denied. Going further, Klein demanded the Kunz family pay him unpaid fees. When he finally retired from the case, he issued a statement:
On Monday, November 13, 2017, KIC Texas provided formal notice to Steve Penner, Lemhi County Sheriff, that we would be withdrawing from the DeOrr Kunz case effective immediately. I would like to make the reasons for withdrawal very clear for the media and the general public:
- We believe KIC Texas can no longer move this case forward. It is our firm belief that until truthfulness comes from the persons that we, as well as law enforcement, have named as suspects, there is nothing further to investigate. 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.
- We believe charges should be filed on the parents for child endangerment, at a minimum. We publicly ask the District Attorney of Lemhi County to strongly consider this charge.
- We have recently become aware that Vernal DeOrr Kunz and his father Dennis Kunz have filed another lawsuit against our firm. This suit, as well as the misinformation campaign by certain social media trolls, appears to be a coordinated effort to impede the investigation. We are unable to continue our efforts in this case while simultaneously defending against a suit of this nature. As we have said: “The Truth Is The Ultimate Defense.”
We would like to publicly thank the citizens of Idaho for their open hearts and minds. We thank the businesses that offered us food, shelter and warm wishes. We thank the family members of Baby DeOrr who have pure and clean hearts, and have helped us understand the parent’s dysfunctional family dynamic.
We would also like to thank the many who we have interviewed. You are in great hands with Lemhi County Sheriff Penner, Bonneville County Sheriff, and the FBI. We believe Deorr Kunz, Jr. will be found one day.
Theory #1: Wild Animal Attack
Looking for evidence of predators in the area. None of the 200+ volunteers reported any sign of an animal attack. Nothing was left behind; no clothes, no blood, and no bones/remains. While this can still be considered a theory, the likelihood is minimal at best.
Theory #2: Abduction
There is only 1 road into/out of the campground. A long, 7-mile road. Realistically speaking – no one could have driven up that road without being seen/heard. If anyone had walked up and snatched him, someone would have heard something.
Theory #3: The Family
The biggest piece of evidence found is the family themselves. With ever changing stories, it’s hard to know what really happened, let alone rule them out. Philip Klein interviewed each member of the family, individually, on video. When he finally took a step back, he handed 10+ hours of interviews over to KTVB, who then analyzed the footage and put together their series Little Man Lost: The Search for DeOrr Kunz Jr.
The interviews reveal that none of them really knew what was going on, or who could have done what. Jessica claims she asked her grandfather, Robert, to watch DeOrr. Robert says he doesn’t remember if he heard them say that. Regardless, he admits to watching DeOrr while they took off.
When asked if he trusts Jessica 100%, Vernal admits he did when it came to DeOrr, but not with anything else. “The only thing I could ever, that I ever thought was maybe she knew something about Bob. And was worried about Bob spending what life he’s got left in prison. And that was eating at her.”
They all ended up pointing to Isaac – the only non-family member on the trip.
“When you came walking up to camp, did you see my son? Did you cross paths,” Vernal asked Isaac. His response, “Uh, I don’t know.”
When asked if he trusts Isaac, Robert said no. He didn’t trust him to spend the night in his house, to not steal his money, and he didn’t trust him to watch his grandson. He and Isaac ceased to be friends just a couple of months after the trip.
Jessica said, “He really, kind of, was just odd.” She went on to say that when police picked up a shovel from the ground at the campsite, it looked like it had been used, “it was kind of muddy. And at the very tip of it, there was a blonde hair that was like the same color as Little Man’s.” She goes on to say police pulled Isaac away from the camp to ask him questions, and when he returned, he ran his hands up and down the shovel.
She claims that when the shovel was picked up, the blonde hair she saw on it was picked up by the wind and blown away.
According to Philip Klein, out of all the interviews, only Isaac’s remained the same, his answers never wavering.
In another interesting interview with Jessica’s mom, Trina Clegg, she says she believes her daughter is innocent, but adds, “I just know in my heart that’s how I feel. You know, but. And, and people, people have asked what happens if you get proved wrong? I’ve been proved wrong about other things before.”
As far as Jessica’s conflicting statements in interviews – she blames the feeling of being out of control, and the strain on her memory and brain. “People that have been in a traumatic experience know exactly what I talk about. Like it’s a way to kind of protect yourself from the trauma that’s going on around you. That’s a way to protect yourself.
Theory #4: DeOrr Kunz Wasn’t Even There
There is speculation that something happened to little DeOrr before the family even took the trip, that the trip was being used as a means to cover up his death, either accidental or otherwise.
Investigators, going over Jessica’s Facebook profile found that she was always posting photos of DeOrr, yet there were none from the camping trip. If you think she just hadn’t posted them yet, you’d be wrong. She admitted in an interview with Philip Klein that she hadn’t even taken any.
Jessica, of course, refutes these claims. She is adamant that DeOrr was there, and even claimed to have witnesses. Unfortunately, neither remembered seeing a child.
While there is no proof that DeOrr was at the campsite, police believe he was there.
The question remains, where is DeOrr Kunz Jr.? How does a 2-year old disappear into thin air?
If you, or anyone you know, have any information that could lead to the return of DeOrr Kunz Jr. please contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-the-LOST or visit missingkids.org.
DeOrr Kunz Jr. was featured in the Missing 411 series. Also part of that series is the Mysterious Case of Bobby Bizup.
Another sad mystery that will never be solved.