MN MN - Kyle Jansen, 2, Good Thunder, 20 Dec 1991

[JusticeWillBeServed]

NamUs

Charley Project

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
• Missing Since: December 20, 1991 from Good Thunder, Minnesota
• Classification: Lost/Injured Missing
• Date of Birth: August 17, 1989
• Age: 2 years old
• Height and Weight: 3'3, 55 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Sandy blond hair, blue eyes.
• Clothing/Jewelry Description: A dark blue snowsuit, blue jeans and winter boots.

Details of Disappearance
Kyle was last seen inside his family's Good Thunder, Minnesota apartment. Both parents thought he was with the other one. He apparently wandered outside near the Maple River. Searchers later found Kyle's mittens, a thread from his jeans, and boot-tracks leading out onto the ice of the river towards a channel of open water in the middle. The tracks disappeared then, and it is believed Kyle fell into the water and drowned. The river was about four to five feet deep in December 1991. His body was never recovered, but a memorial service for him was held three months after his disappearance.

In October 2003, a man inspired by a television crime show went looking near the river, which was at unusually low levels, for Kyle's remains. He found what appeared to be a small child's femur and turned it in to authorities. The discovery of the bone resulted in a fresh search of the area. A child's winter boot that matched Kyle's and a piece of material believed to be from the child's snowsuit were found. The "femur" turned out to be an animal bone. Nonetheless, investigators still hope to recover Kyle's remains.

2-Year-Old Boy Disappears 25 Years Ago, Believed to Have Drowned

2–year–old Kyle Jansen disappeared just before Christmas in 1991, when he apparently wandered from his rural Good Thunder home toward the high–flowing river south of Mankato.

Will Purvis says, "It's every parents' worst nightmare. You lose track of your child for just a moment and they disappear."

Now, 25 years later, Blue Earth County still keeps this case open.

Brad Peterson says, "The family told us the footprints went from their home and if I remember right, it was pretty fresh snow."

The tracks then disappeared.

A pair of mittens left sitting on the ice.

Peterson says, "It's always been treated as the boy had fallen in the river and drowned."

Brad Peterson, who is now the Blue Earth County Sheriff, was on the dive-team that was sent to rescue and then recover Kyle's body.

Peterson says, "We dove for days. I remember stopping for Christmas but we were out there."

Peterson says, "My experience with dive and rescue, we've had victims even with lace shoes tied tightly and we've found something."

Making Kyle's case extremely rare.

"No boots, no jacket, no piece of clothing, just mittens and tracks the family said they followed."

And 25 years later...still no sign of Kyle.

Peterson says, "If we could find a bone, we could close the missing person report."

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Kyle, now missing 29 years...

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Kyle David Jansen – The Charley Project

 

[John/Jane Doe]

1126DMMN - Kyle David Jansen

www.doenetwork.org

 

[Pressureandheat]

1126DMMN - Kyle David Jansen

www.doenetwork.org

Any idea why he was wearing a snowsuit if he was inside the house? Were they about to go outside and he snuck out without them? Wondering how far away the river is from the apartment. One report said fresh snow. At 2 years old bundled up in a full snowsuit and boots, most kids have a hard time walking through fresh powdered snow…

 

[iusedtofloat]

Any idea why he was wearing a snowsuit if he was inside the house? Were they about to go outside and he snuck out without them? Wondering how far away the river is from the apartment. One report said fresh snow. At 2 years old bundled up in a full snowsuit and boots, most kids have a hard time walking through fresh powdered snow…

that's what i would guess happen. it says too both parents thought he was with the other, so that part i find interesting, bc... dd they both have him that fully bundled to go with either parent? you'd think just ONE parent was leading a "fun activity" like sledding etc if each thought he was with other.

good pt about fresh snow... i have spent a lot of time in mn.... you're exactly right.

interesting comment from LE in original post about how there is nothing left behind, just stuff the parents said they found. i could see this potentially going a different route than what has been reported- only my 2 cents.

 

[Pressureandheat]

that's what i would guess happen. it says too both parents thought he was with the other, so that part i find interesting, bc... dd they both have him that fully bundled to go with either parent? you'd think just ONE parent was leading a "fun activity" like sledding etc if each thought he was with other.

good pt about fresh snow... i have spent a lot of time in mn.... you're exactly right.

interesting comment from LE in original post about how there is nothing left behind, just stuff the parents said they found. i could see this potentially going a different route than what has been reported- only my 2 cents.

There’s got to be more to it as it stated they were in apartment. Apartments aren’t usually very big and getting a 2 yr old fully bundled like that including mittens and boots, it’s an ordeal. Were there other kids? Did one parent go outside and he follow? Or…

 

[MangoCove]

Any idea why he was wearing a snowsuit if he was inside the house? Were they about to go outside and he snuck out without them? Wondering how far away the river is from the apartment. One report said fresh snow. At 2 years old bundled up in a full snowsuit and boots, most kids have a hard time walking through fresh powdered snow…

A Dec 25, 1991 article in the Start Tribune says that Kyle's dad was working outside while his mom was inside at the time of his disappearance.

It also says that Kyle was "playing on the family's property, on the river.." and "authorities were called to the house." Confused about whether they were in a standalone home or an apartment