ID - DeOrr Kunz Jr, 2, Timber Creek Campground, 10 July 2015 - #3

[rkf]

What is the fascination with this particular piece of information? I keep seeing this here and on FB as if it's some vital part of the story we all need to know and I just don't get it. Is it just desperation for something, anything, we don't know? What changes if the friend's name is released?

eta: I'm not asking you specifically and expecting an answer. It's just a curious situation I can't figure out.

It's the fact that the person's name was not included initially as part of a normal news story - who, what, when, where and how. Two of the people last seen with a toddler who disappeared without a trace haven't been named. We know the relationship of one of those people to the child and his parents (ggf) and LE has said he is not suspected of foul play (or something like that - can't remember the exact phrase). "Friend" is a pretty vague word, and can mean anything from significant other to drug dealer to housekeeper. The fact that we can't place everyone in their neat categories peaks our curiosity. The fact that this witness is being treated differently than most people who are last known to be with a child who disappeared, makes it seem like there might be a story there. That's just what I'm thinking.

 

[bluesneakers]

For example, if the person does not have a good reputation, is mentally ill, or has a criminal record, or something like that. In such a case people could jump to conclusions (as many like to do) and stop looking for Deorr because they think they already know what happened. They don't keep an open mind. moo

So you want them to release the person's name so everyone knows the person isn't ill, or doesn't have a criminal record so they'll keep looking? Will people really stop looking and caring if they don't know the name, or if they find out the person doesn't have a good reputation?

 

[rkf]

I don't think less of the parents for not wanting to get on national TV... I personally do not think that going on the msm is going to bring this child home any faster and would just add to the suffering of the parents. BUT, don't get me wrong though because in some cases it could be absolutely vital. jmho

If they think he was kidnapped, I'd think they would go on any show that would have them to get their son's photo out there. I know I would and I abhor being in front of the camera. If I thought someone had absconded with my child, I would dance naked on the today show if I thought it would help get more people looking for my child. JMO.

 

[bluesneakers]

[video=youtube;yIA0NvCxrRE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIA0NvCxrRE[/video]

Please, check from 6:34

"We also know that grandpa, he is a little older, he has some health issues".

Without knowing the health issues we have no way of knowing how they affect his memory.

 

[gitana1]

Possible? Yes of course, but based on the statistics that have been shared in previous threads, it seems unlikely. CDB also shared his opinion about encountering animals on the previous page.

What stats? CDB is very knowledgeable. I learned a lot. But he or she did not seem to totally rule out a wild animal attack. Yes. Wild animal attacks are rare. True. But so are missing kid cases that go unresolved. And this child didn't go missing from his bed or his yard or his daycare. He went missing in the wilderness. And he's not a full grown man. How many babies wander the forest by themselves? Wild animals shy from adult humans. But we don't know their typical behavior around small children wandering alone in the wild because that doesn't happen much. Interestingly, though, the majority of coyote attacks and I think maybe even puma attacks are on kids.

My best guess is that Deorr wandered and fell into water or wandered far away and got taken by an animal. I don't necessarily think an animal walked into camp and took him. But I can't rule that out.

 

[SleuthMom]

Without knowing the health issues we have no way of knowing how they affect his memory.

Correct, I was backing up the request of where in the media it states that he has health issues.

 

[Elainera]

So you want them to release the person's name so everyone knows the person isn't ill, or doesn't have a criminal record so they'll keep looking? Will people really stop looking and caring if they don't know the name, or if they find out the person doesn't have a good reputation?

I wasn't advocating either approach nor do I know which would be more helpful regarding the public's willingness and interest to follow this case and keep an eye out for Deorr. Just thought it might be the reasoning behind the secrecy.

 

[SleuthMom]

What stats?

Please check previous threads. There was a lot of discussion with statistics and a few people participating.

I do not rule out anything at this point.

 

[gitana1]

If they think he was kidnapped, I'd think they would go on any show that would have them to get their son's photo out there. I know I would and I abhor being in front of the camera. If I thought someone had absconded with my child, I would dance naked on the today show if I thought it would help get more people looking for my child. JMO.

Emmett Trapp's mom refused to talk to anyone from the media at all when her son went missing. She even begged a reporter who called to not report on her missing son. She did not kill him. (He wandered out of the house and died in the desert). I haven't found that willingness to talk or not talk to the media or frequency of interviews etc, necessarily bears a relation to guilt or innocence. To me, the number one sign of parental involvement is refusing to cooperate or speak to LE and lawyering up at once.

 

[Eloise]

Generally speaking I think cooperation with LE matters far more than cooperating with the media. I would be guided by what LE told me would be helpful. If it meant media appeals I'd do them if the cops said I should and I wouldn't if they said it could hinder their investigation for whatever reason. I sure wouldn't just go along with the media because the media wanted me to. They only care about clicks and eyes on the screen caused by high drama, not what's best for a Missing person.

 

[gitana1]

Please check previous threads. There was a lot of discussion with statistics and a few people participating.

I do not rule out anything at this point.

My memory is not great right at the moment so although I read the threads I don't recall concrete stats about anything. And I'm not going to wade through a whole thread and 50 pages of posts to find them! If anyone can repost?

 

[SeriouslySearching]

The question about why the witness has not been named is actually a valid one. For the media not to have picked it up tells me maybe LE has asked the witness be kept out of the limelight for now. There are many reasons. If the witness turns into a State witness at some point, they may be keeping he/she under wraps. If the witness could be a possible suspect in the disappearance, LE could be wanting to vet information they have before making it public. If the witness has been cleared (due to whatever it could be to determine witness could not have left with the child etc), there would be no reason to bring them into the situation. Whatever the reason, LE doesn't seem to want it out and it is curious. Not often does an eyewitness go unnoticed for this long.

 

[Floridian]

There is a Amber alert on him.....saw it last night on missing children website

 

[SeriouslySearching]

There is a Amber alert on him.....saw it last night on missing children website

It must be a mistake because there is no Amber Alert for Deorr Kunz Jr. and LE has stated the case doesn't fit the criteria in order to issue one.

 

[brighidin]

No excuse? They're in the middle of nowhere Idaho. They have cooperated fully by all accounts. Are we assuming the non-local media is going to fly into Boise or SLC and grab the puddle-jumper to IF, then drive to the middle of nowhere for an interview, or are the parents expected to leave their campsite, where they likely feel closest to their boy, to do interviews that LE may have suggested are unnecessary as creeks and mountain lions don't get their news from ABC?

We don't know everything. WE don't have to.

Eta: I don't know what is going on more than anyone else here...very likely less, and idk what LE has said to whom, the above is just hypothetical.

Its Idaho, not North Korea. I'm sure if the parents agreed to it, any major network would have done a satellite hookup for an interview. If they don't want to, that is their choice, but I doubt geography is that much of a hindrance.

I also agree with the poster who said its not the name of GG's friend that is so important, but WHY the name is not being mentioned in the press (misspelled comments not included) or by the police.

 

[rkf]

Emmett Trapp's mom refused to talk to anyone from the media at all when her son went missing. She even begged a reporter who called to not report on her missing son. She did not kill him. (He wandered out of the house and died in the desert). I haven't found that willingness to talk or not talk to the media or frequency of interviews etc, necessarily bears a relation to guilt or innocence. To me, the number one sign of parental involvement is refusing to cooperate or speak to LE and lawyering up at once.

I think the part that is confusing to me is that the parents believe he was kidnapped and are posting on SM, hoping people will share his photo and help bring Deorr home, but they're not interested in using MSM which I believe would still do a better job of disseminating the information more quickly and broadly. I can understand wanting to crawl into a hole and not talk to anyone! Or grab anyone who would listen and beg them to help you find your child. It seems that the parents aren't getting great advice if their working theory is that their child was kidnapped, but their primary means of drawing attention to it is a closed facebook group. Those efforts aren't likely to pay off as well as a few widely broadcast TV news shows. I wouldn't expect a young couple to know the best way to harness media to help them, but aren't there other people in their circle who could advise them? Or in law enforcement? Missing and Exploited Children?

 

[shellbythesea]

That FB group is not run by them.

 

[rkf]

That FB group is not run by them.

I thought it was run by a family member. The open group only has 6,383 likes (which is not the same as views or shares, but is still quite low). They could reach 100 times that number in a five minute satellite interview.

It's not that they want to be left alone and don't want to talk about their missing son. They just aren't reaching out in a way that would increase the chances of having their son spotted if he's still alive and it was a stranger abduction. It's frustrating to see opportunities lost if they could make a difference in the way this story ends. JMO

ETA: I now see that the closed group is not supported by the family. The last update on the community FB page was July 19th, but the mom is updating her page several times a day with new photos and pleas for people to share. This has an even lower probability of success. It seems like she's trying to find him all by herself.

 

[katydid23]

I thought it was run by a family member. The open group only has 6,383 likes (which is not the same as views or shares, but is still quite low). They could reach 100 times that number in a five minute satellite interview. It's not that they want to be left alone and don't want to talk about their missing son. They just aren't reaching out in a way that would increase the chances of having their son spotted if he's still alive and it was a stranger abduction. It's frustrating to see opportunities lost if they could make a difference in the way this story ends. JMO

Probably more like 1000x that number reached. I agree. :sigh:

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I think the part that is confusing to me is that the parents believe he was kidnapped and are posting on SM, hoping people will share his photo and help bring Deorr home, but they're not interested in using MSM which I believe would still do a better job of disseminating the information more quickly and broadly. I can understand wanting to crawl into a hole and not talk to anyone! Or grab anyone who would listen and beg them to help you find your child. It seems that the parents aren't getting great advice if their working theory is that their child was kidnapped, but their primary means of drawing attention to it is a closed facebook group. Those efforts aren't likely to pay off as well as a few widely broadcast TV news shows. I wouldn't expect a young couple to know the best way to harness media to help them, but aren't there other people in their circle who could advise them? Or in law enforcement? Missing and Exploited Children?

There are people who are experienced in navigating the rough water of having a child missing and would probably be willing to help the couple, but if they are not invited in by them personally...it is unlikely they will just show up. The ones who do come out of the woodwork often do not have the best advice to offer. I would have to assume LE does have a liaison for the family, but they probably don't give advice on how the family should handle themselves on social media. They are present as a go-between to give LE a chance to communicate with the family in a more personal way and visa versa.