What Happened To Baby DeOrr Kunz Jr.? New Details On The Missing Idaho Toddler
He's been missing for five years.
youtube When children go missing, families spend months, years and even decades trying to find out what happened to their lost loved one. But getting closure and some sort of resolution is never easy, especially when there’s limited evidence.
And one of the most recent mysterious disappearances is that of DeOrr Kunz Jr., who has now been missing for 5 years.
What happened to Baby DeOrr Kunz Jr.?
It’s a mystery that has baffled investigators and left family and friends heartbroken. On July 10th, 2015, the two-year-old went missing during a camping trip in east Idaho, seemingly disappearing without a trace.
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.
According to Lemhi County Sheriff Lynn Bowerman, Jessica and DeOrr Sr. were walking down to a creek near the campsite to fish with Reinwand. DeOrr Jr. followed the three individuals.
DeOrr Jr.'s parents asked the two-year-old if he wanted to stay with his grandfather or go fishing, to which DeOrr Jr. allegedly began walking back to be with Walton. This would be the last time he was seen alive.
Later, Walton said he saw his grandson near the creek, took his eyes off the boy for just a moment, and when he looked back, DeOrr Jr. was gone.
When Jessica returned, they called the police to report DeOrr missing, leading to immediate search parties, with volunteers looking for the lost toddler. For two weeks, volunteers looked in surrounding areas, and eventually, the search was called off. There was no trace of DeOrr at the campsite.
As months passed, suspicion mounted against Jessica and DeOrr Sr.
The couple got a divorce, and Jessica remarried soon after, leaving their apartment abandoned. Investigators got hold of everything that was put into storage, and found the jacket that DeOrr Jr. was supposedly wearing on the day he went missing.
Police then confirmed they were dealing with a possible homicide. No arrests have been made, but it appears that Jessica and DeOrr Sr. remain suspects.
So, what happened? Did little DeOrr wander off into the wilderness, potentially being killed by a wild animal? Or, did DeOrr never actually go on the camping trip?
Evidence continues to build against the parents, as there was no evidence their son was ever at the site, there was no blood or DNA evidence discovered, and the jacket he was supposedly wearing was in their apartment the whole time.
Said Lynn Bowerman, “They need to know that mom and dad are being less than truthful, and they can make a decision on whether to donate based on that. We’ve interviewed them multiple times, and every time there are changes to parts of their story.
The little things all change every time we speak with them. We re-interviewed them, but they weren’t willing to tell us the truth... [Robert and Isaac] were at the scene, so we won’t rule them out, but in terms of persons of interest, I think mom and dad are higher on the list.”
Recently, in April 2019, a new private investigator has become involved in the search.
David Marshburn, who co-founded the Search For Me Foundation, has become part of the investigation. On a new Facebook page called DeOrr Kunz Jr’s Voices, updates are continually shared regarding the case.
But Marshburn isn’t the first P.I. to take on DeOrr’s disappearance. 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.”
The family believes Marshburn will be able to find DeOrr Jr., and even his father has spoken out:
Hopefully, these new details and involvement from third parties will determine what happened to this young boy, and bring closure to his loved ones.
In November 2019, this case got national media attention. HLN's Real Life Nightmare series reexamined the case and aired unseen footage — including hours of recorded interviews with family members and friends.
July 10th, 2020 was the 5-year anniversary since Deorr Kunz Jr. went missing. A website has also been set up, urging anyone with information to come forward.
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Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.