UT UT - Reed Jeppson, 15, Salt Lake City, 11 Oct 1964

Could the young dog have got into trouble in some water and he went in to help and they both drowned ?
 
I think it's strange the dad died a year later. In his 50s. Either guilt or mb just so sad to lose his son. So sad!!
 
How strange! I just stumbled on this case on another site and came to check the theories here. It seems strange that if he was kidnapped or something that the person would risk grabbing a kid with 2 dogs who could attack. Its seems more like he maybe got offered a ride with someone he knew who let him bring the dogs. I cant even think of another scenario! i mean if it was a accident then the 3 of them died. but if he was just walking them on his usual route then what could happen that would make them all just vanish
 
Possibilities to consider...from an amateur crime buff:
1) Accident?: what kind?
a) If it were automobile, there would have been a body and possibly dead dogs. Who would / could hide it? Obviously a hit and run is out also.
b) Drowning?: probably not. It was October 1st and the creeks in the area would have been low. (I once lived in SLC and somewhat know his area). Since he was athletic I would assume he could swim anyway. Again him and 2 dogs drowning and no bodies recovered sounds implausible.
c) Something in the hills there? ie..an old mine shaft? Doubt it...there hadn't been mining in those particular hills..that I'm aware of. A fall? No. He would have been found and/or his dogs would have been discovered.
2) Foul Play: my money would be on this one. But what is the most likely explanation?
a) Surprised a burglar(s)?: Perhaps he walked into a crime in progress. Maybe he intervened, the criminal(s) produced a deadly weapon, told him to shut-up and took him and the dogs away.
b) Abducted and killed by someone he knew and trusted?: This seems to be the best possibility. Perhaps he surprised someone he knew committing a burglary and the burglar knew he could be ID'd and took Jeppson and his dogs away by force. Or.. perhaps he was talked into a ride, again, from a trusted person. Maybe he saw Reed out walking his dogs and offered a ride. Perhaps this person came on to him sexually. Maybe this person was a closet pedophile, Jeppson resisted and this man had to kill to keep his secret intact.
Lastly, he could have been approached by someone close to his age that was a sociopath (and kept it well-hidden) and there was possible enmity between the 2 or maybe the person had bad feelings about Reed - unbeknownst to him. Perhaps he decided to entice him somewhere where there were no witnesses, killed him and disposed of him somewhere far away.
Again these are just my opinions. I don't know his family or anyone connected to him.
 
Bumping for Reed Jeppson since it's been over a year since anyone posted here.
Sadly, I couldn't find anything recent on this young man, so I am posting this article from 2010
It may be a repeat, but worth bringing forward along with his age progression:
so I am posting this article from 2010.
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Bumping for Reed.
Doe states case information had been updated as of Jan. 10 2018 (not sure what, could be contact info?)
Link to his DN page.
 
What are the theories as to Reed's fate?
This is an old thread but why not bring it back up again? :)

I feel like this case probably has answers close to "home." (Not necessarily meaning family members, but at least people close to him.) I feel like both he and his dogs were killed by someone he knew. Perhaps he had plans to meet someone that his family didn't know about, or maybe he just ran into someone along the way. I would have started with the people closest to him: neighbors, coaches, preacher, teachers, etc. We're talking 45 years ago, too, when things were handled much differently. If I were investigating today, I'd look at his behavior preceding the weeks leading up to his disappearances. Had he become more withdrawn? Was he dressing differently? Acting secretive? Were there any signs of abuse? Maybe I've seen too many movies but my first reaction was that he was a good-looking, younger-looking, kid. Was someone in his life taking advantage of him and did they panic when they thought he might tell?

My second theory would be that he and the dogs fell into a well or some kind of hole, especially since all three are missing. Seems like those would've been looked into, though.

I don't think this was a stranger abduction. Most abductors like to take action as quickly as possible. I find it hard to believe that they'd snatch a kid with two dogs-it just would've taken too long to get them all in the car and then they'd have had to deal with killing three things instead of of one.
 
Did they live near mountains? Could they have gone on a hike in the mountains and got lost or fell down a ravine? Or even came upon animals?
Otherwise, for all 3 to go missing is strange. Many times the dog is found, but not the missing person.
 
This is an old thread but why not bring it back up again? :)

I feel like this case probably has answers close to "home." (Not necessarily meaning family members, but at least people close to him.) I feel like both he and his dogs were killed by someone he knew. Perhaps he had plans to meet someone that his family didn't know about, or maybe he just ran into someone along the way. I would have started with the people closest to him: neighbors, coaches, preacher, teachers, etc. We're talking 45 years ago, too, when things were handled much differently. If I were investigating today, I'd look at his behavior preceding the weeks leading up to his disappearances. Had he become more withdrawn? Was he dressing differently? Acting secretive? Were there any signs of abuse? Maybe I've seen too many movies but my first reaction was that he was a good-looking, younger-looking, kid. Was someone in his life taking advantage of him and did they panic when they thought he might tell?

My second theory would be that he and the dogs fell into a well or some kind of hole, especially since all three are missing. Seems like those would've been looked into, though.

I don't think this was a stranger abduction. Most abductors like to take action as quickly as possible. I find it hard to believe that they'd snatch a kid with two dogs-it just would've taken too long to get them all in the car and then they'd have had to deal with killing three things instead of of one.

This is what I also think,

Charlie Project said that Reed left to walk his dogs after church, but said he would be back within a half hour in time for dinner. Reed Taylor Jeppson – The Charley Project A witness according to that page says that they saw Reed at 1PM. That's not dinnertime, so the time element for whatever reason is wrong. I think that Reed was abducted by someone that he and the dogs knew, OR the one of the dogs, both of them, maybe Reed as well, fell in a hole or, drowned in water, couldn't get out and died. Here is a good article:

Reed Jeppson

And another:

Salt Lake police reopen case of boy missing for 45 years

Both parents are deceased. A graveside has been placed for Reed and is at find-a-grave.com. It seems that family members believe that he was taken against his will, and killed. But that would be a strong stranger risk with two dogs involved:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45478640/reed-taylor-jeppson

Do you lean towards:

1.) Abduction?
2.) Accident?
3.) Left on own accord?

Satch
 
In many parts of the US people refer to lunch as dinner. Also, many that go to church also have what they call "Sunday Dinner" which is usually around 1 or 2 depending on when church gets out. It's possible that when he referred to dinner, it could mean this, which might explain that timeline.
 
In many parts of the US people refer to lunch as dinner. Also, many that go to church also have what they call "Sunday Dinner" which is usually around 1 or 2 depending on when church gets out. It's possible that when he referred to dinner, it could mean this, which might explain that timeline.

I agree that that’s an excellent working hypothesis. I don’t see any mystery or inconsistency in the timeline.

In my limited experience, I think of German shorthaired pointers as being a large and rambunctious breed. Hard to imagine an abduction with the two dogs as well as him. (One was a puppy, of course....) Could the dogs have been left behind, and simply never have been found? Taken in, perhaps, by someone who didn’t pay attention to the news?

What about some sort of misadventure? The adult dog falls into some sort of abandoned well—he falls in, trying to rescue it. The puppy is picked up by a coyote or other wild animal. Or, if he was enjoying the walk, and went much further than he’d planned—is there any wild country, with cliffs? Again—perhaps the dogs simply got lost and never returned home.

Or—I apologize to any family members who might ever read this. I mean no insult to him. He loved the dogs. Is there any possibility that he harmed himself and ‘took the dogs with him?’ I really doubt it. Very unlikely, but people who commit suicide sometimes hide themselves horrifyingly well.

All this is purely my speculations.
 
I just stumbled across this case and thought I'd give it a bump. I did a little "walk around" the area with instant street view, and am convinced that this handsome young teen had an accident, and is yet to be found.

Given that the older pointer didn't return home, I suspect it was the dog that first got itself in to trouble, and most likely with a mama bear with cubs, or a cougar with cubs. Both are abundant in the Salt Lake area.

I believe this to be an accident, with any remains taken to a den, or long ago scattered by other animals. (Sorry to be so graphic). Despite the many years, it is still possible for fragments to be found and tested.
Perhaps some day there will be a discovery, let us hope so for the sake of the family.

What a handsome fellow young Reed was. So sad.

Amateur opinion and speculation
 
My guess is accident as well. Their home is only about .6 miles to Emigration Creek which runs through a golf course on the way to Emigration Canyon (~1.6 miles from their house). He and the dogs may have fallen into an old mine, sink hole, ravine, etc. Interesting that the search party was looking in that area. October 11th is pretty late in the year. I grew up in Salt Lake and one of my classmates died of hypothermia on a "nice" fall afternoon day after a hike in the foothills.
 
My guess is accident as well. Their home is only about .6 miles to Emigration Creek which runs through a golf course on the way to Emigration Canyon (~1.6 miles from their house). He and the dogs may have fallen into an old mine, sink hole, ravine, etc. Interesting that the search party was looking in that area. October 11th is pretty late in the year. I grew up in Salt Lake and one of my classmates died of hypothermia on a "nice" fall afternoon day after a hike in the foothills.

Also thinking "Accident."

Kidnapping is too far-fetched especially with two dogs. One was a puppy, but Reed's dogs were German Shorthair Pointers, and they are big dogs, and would be very protective of their owners. How would one fall into a mine shaft? Wouldn't those be easy to spot or be covered up for safety reasons? I agree about a sinkhole, river, or ravine possibility.

I recall that Utah residences are not like traditional city or suburban dwellings. There's a lot of rough terrain, rivers, lakes, canyons. I think that Reed was very aware of the surroundings, but one of the dogs got spooked by something while Reed was walking them, the dog got trapped, the second dog did as well, and Reed got caught in their trap, trying to save the animals. Reed was seen walking behind a school with the dogs. The school no longer exists. I think it was taken down in 1969. Where was the school in relationship to Reed's house? What environmental dangers were near that school?

The only question that remains assuming this theory is correct is, why wouldn't Reed's body or the dogs bodies be found?

Satch

PS. *UPDATE*- Found pictures of the school where Reed was last seen outside walking the dogs according to a friend of his! As you can see, there are many areas of terrain and mountains in the background. Probably rivers, a lot of places that would have wild animals. The dogs could have easily gotten away from Reed. Reed chased after them, and all three met with tragic fate. Seeing these photos of the school and the area, convinces me very much that this was an accident. The schools name was Saint Mary's of the Wasatch High School. Here is a Facebook page dedicated to the school, and the reference for the photos uploaded: (You don't need to sign into Facebook to see the main page containing the history of the school. But you would have to join Facebook or log in with your account of you wanted to be a part of that page's community.)

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