DeOrr Kunz Update: Investigators Sadly Believe Missing Idaho Toddler Was Likely Killed


An update in the DeOrr Kunz, Jr. case has emerged from private detectives hired to assist in the search for the missing Idaho toddler after he vanished on July 10, 2015.

East Idaho News interviewed Philip Klein of Klein Investigations and Consulting. The firm was brought on to work in the missing Idaho toddler’s case in November and has narrowed down what they believe happened to DeOrr Kunz.

Klein believes DeOrr was killed either accidentally or intentionally. Investigators on Klein’s team have ruled out the possibility that the child was taken by an animal or abducted.

The investigator explains that when they arrived on the DeOrr Kunz case, it was “cold” and that they didn’t discuss it with law enforcement or anyone else. All they knew was were there four people on Timber Creek mountain when the 2-year-old went missing. They had to recreate the case from the very beginning, Klein explains. He said three theories were focused on from the start.

“First, the possibility that there had been an animal that had gotten the child and killed the child,” Klein said. “Second, that it could have possibly been an abduction situation or what we call ‘forced abduction.’ Third, it could have been a possible homicide.”

Klein’s investigators have conducted over 80 interviews, 500 hours of investigation, and have taken numerous sworn statements.

“There was not an animal that took the child in this situation,” Klein explained. “There was no forced abduction. This includes the black Rubicon (theory). We can find no corroborating statements and no corroborating witnesses. We can find nothing that can corroborate this. So we are absolutely, beyond a reasonable doubt sure was not an abduction case.”

He continued, “That leaves us with one last possible theory: that the child could have died up on mountain either accidentally or possibly with intent. So now we are sinking our teeth into that part of the case and we’re developing that part of the case.”

Klein goes on to say that all nine of his investigators don’t believe DeOrr is alive.

“It is our firm’s belief, and the nine investigators involved in this case, that we do not believe that DeOrr Kunz is alive,” Klein confirmed.

The lead detective is now working off other scenarios over what could have happened to the missing Idaho toddler. The first one has to do with the possibility of an accident happening at the campground in Leadore where the family was staying. It’s possible that DeOrr is still up there and was overlooked. The second scenario might be that there was “intended removal of the body from the area,” but the concern is that first responders, witnesses, and scented dogs weren’t able to find any sign of him.

Klein also said the team has about six “good active leads still working” in the investigation and some witnesses will be brought back to be re-interviewed. One thing the detective made clear was that no one is being blamed for the disappearance of DeOrr Kunz, Jr.

“We’re not blaming anybody, we’re not accusing anybody,” Klein asserted. “Now it’s time to focus on those four people and let’s get to the bottom of this thing.”

Klein isn’t giving anyone false hope by saying that a “big break” in the case is on its way, but thinks “it will happen faster than we even thought.”

He said things are going quicker than he thought they would and that “some things match, some things don’t match.” It’ll be about going through the timeline of that day and putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

Klein Investigations and Consulting has done over 900 missing children’s cases and have been successful at helping solve over 90 percent of them. Philip Klein describes this case as being along the lines of things he’s seen, but there are just enough elements in it that make it different from the others.

There were four people with DeOrr Kunz on the day he went missing at Timber Creek — the boy’s father, DeOrr Kunz Sr., his mother, Jessica Mitchell, grandfather Robert Walton, and family friend Isaac Reinwand. Only one is being uncooperative in the investigation.

“I would say three have been cooperative,” Klein revealed. “There is one that has hired legal counsel and we have been unable to interview him and that would be Isaac Reinwand.

Klein shares that Reinwand’s counsel hasn’t returned their phone calls and that he declined to interview with them before they were aware he hired an attorney. Reinwand did tell them that he’d interview with them as long as his counsel was present. At this time, however, his counsel is urging him not to make any statements.

Klein warns people to be wary of what’s posted on social media because it’s a “very emotional case.” He urges people to “stop the conjecture, stop the rumors, be good citizens, ask your questions and we’ll answer as we can on social media. We don’t just sit there on social media watching.”

While the detective says social media has been beneficial as far as receiving excellent tips in the case, he explains that if something big happens people will hear about it — and if people have something to say, speak up.

Klein praises law enforcement, the FBI, and everyone else involved in the missing DeOrr Kunz case. He firmly believes this a very “solvable case.”

“We’re getting there. We promise you we’re getting there,” Klein reassured everyone. “This is a very solvable case. We will get there, but you must understand that this case is now going to a prosecutorial phrase very quickly and we need to do it right for the citizens of Idaho.”

He noted in the interview that people may not get the answers they want as soon as they want, but a conclusive answer is ahead. Klein made it clear that all of the rumors circulating that an arrest is going to be made soon are “debunked.” He said investigators and prosecutors still have a lot of work that needs to be done before anything else happens in the DeOrr Kunz case.

If anyone has any information regarding this case, contact the DeOrr Kunz, Jr. Hotline at 409-729-8798 x3 or law enforcement.

[Image via DeOrr Kunz Jr.’s Voices Facebook Page]

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