He had blond hair and chubby cheeks. He loved trucks, hugs, and making his mommy laugh. He was inquisitive and independent. And he hasn’t been seen since July 10, 2015.
On Friday, July 9, 2015, baby DeOrr, his parents DeOrr Sr. “Vernal” and Jessica Mitchell, Jessica’s grandfather Robert “Bob” Walton and family friend Issac Reinwand headed out of town for a last-minute camping trip.
They made the two-and-half-hour drive from Idaho Falls, Idaho to Leodore. Just outside of Leodore was their destination, Timber Creek Campground, a remote campground deep in the eastern Idaho mountains.
After a quick stop at a convenience store close to the campground, they continued to the campground. The group found a perfect spot by the river. Best yet: no camping neighbors. They had the area all to themselves. They parked the camp trailer and began unloading gear. Once settled, the group sat around roasting marshmallows before calling it a night.
After breakfast the next day, Isaac walked down to the nearby river to go fishing. Vernal and Jessica took Baby DeOrr to the general store in town before coming back to also go fishing. Jessica and Vernal grabbed their fishing poles and started walking towards the river, leaving Baby DeOrr in the care of his Grandpa Bob.
Baby DeOrr had initially tried to follow his parents when they started to walk away. But they told him to stay with his grandpa and they would be back for him soon.
Later, in his interview with police, Grandpa Bob indicated that he never heard Jessica ask him to watch Baby DeOrr. He last saw Baby DeOrr with his parents. He assumed they had all left together.
At the same time Jessica & Vernal walked away from Baby DeOrr, thinking his great-grandfather had eyes on him, Grandpa Bob headed into the camp trailer.
Alone.
Arriving back at camp a half an hour later, Jessica & Vernal discovered that Baby DeOrr was nowhere in sight. All four of the adults spread out and began searching the immediate area, calling for Baby DeOrr.
Around 2:30 PM, Jessica called dispatch to report her baby missing. DeOrr Kunz or “Little Man” was last seen wearing a camouflage jacket, blue pants, and cowboy boots. His favorite blanket and toy monkey were still at the campsite. Baby DeOrr never went anywhere without both.
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Jessica Mitchell (left) & Vernal Kunz (right)
Photo Credit: People Magazine
Lemhi County Sheriff’s Department immediately responded but, because of the remote location, it was almost two hours before an official search began.
Since the campsite was so close to the river, the search focused there. Divers began an extensive search of the water and the area surrounding it.
After three days, the search came up with nothing.
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- Photo Credit: 911 WeKnow
Had Baby DeOrr been kidnapped? Had he been snatched not by a wild animal but by a person or persons? But no other campers had been in the immediate area and no other evidence supported this theory.
Months went by and no new information had developed. Local authorities were at a loss as to where Baby DeOrr could be. Was he even still alive?
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Bob Walton
Photo Credit: East Idaho News
While witnesses had been thoroughly questioned, one could only wonder if the answers may lie with the family.
Each member from the camping trip had inconsistent and varying accounts of what happened that day. Vernal and Jessica both claimed interactions with different people in town the morning of Baby DeOrr’s disappearance but when those witnesses were questioned, none of them remembered ever meeting or seeing Baby DeOrr. One witness remembered only seeing an empty car seat.
Vernal and Jessica also failed their respective polygraph tests. Their accounts of what happened during that trip have changed several times throughout the investigation.
While the community of Idaho Falls had initially rallied around the couple, they soon became suspicious of the grieving parents.
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- Photo Credit: Facebook
Almost a year after Baby DeOrr went missing, new evidence finally emerged. In Jessica’s storage unit, investigators found the jacket that Baby DeOrr was claimed to have been wearing when he disappeared.
Just a few months after this find, Vernal and Jessica were officially named suspects in the disappearance of their son. Grandpa Bob and Issac Reinwand were named persons of interest.
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The campground that Baby DeOrr disappeared from.
Photo Credit: East Idaho News
The Timber Creek campground, where the Kunz family had been staying, was surrounded by 4.3 million acres of forest. It became horrifyingly clear that a wild animal may have snatched Baby DeOrr.
Bears, wolves, and mountain lions roamed the area, and Baby DeOrr weighed only 30 lbs. The possibility was extremely high for this scenario.
But if a wild animal had snatched Baby DeOrr, something would have been found such as blood or torn clothing. And if dragged away by an animal, Baby DeOrr’s screams would most certainly have been heard by the family.
Investigators believe Baby DeOrr met with foul play either during the camping trip or maybe even before. Some think that Baby DeOrr never even went on the camping trip. He may have been missing before and the trip was used as a decoy.
A private investigator hired by the extended members of the Kunz family concluded that Baby DeOrr was either murdered or accidentally killed at the hands of his own parents.
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Jessica Mitchell (left) and Vernal Kunz (right)
Photo Credit: East Idaho News
As of today, no charges have been brought and Baby DeOrr remains missing.
In July 2023, Baby DeOrr’s grandmother, Tina Clegg, released a statement:
“Today marks 8 years of this ongoing nightmare. I still have faith and pray for answers everyday. I remember all the great times, laughs and your beautiful eyes and smile.I have and will never give up hoping for the answers until the day I die. I give great thanks to everyone who still helps with looking and keeping positive thoughts and prayers in the name of baby DeOrr…I am eternally grateful for all law enforcement that continues to help seek for the answers to the nightmare at Timber Creek Camp Ground. I love you baby DeOrr today, tomorrow and for eternal!”
