Found Deceased OR - Hunter Smith, 18, Junction City, 18 June 2017 *Arrests*

[WesternArtist]

 

[WesternArtist]

Nicholas Vandenberg has been arrested in connection with remains found in the Owyhee desert. Authorities believe they may be Hunter but a positive ID has not yet been made.

The suspect made several incriminating posts on facebook both after the remains were found and was trying to sell a gun for "a friend" around the time the murder may have occurred.
http://www.ktvb.com/news/crime/owyhee-county-man-accused-of-slaying-young-hitchhiker/486641098

OWYHEE COUNTY -- An Owyhee County man is facing murder charges in the shooting death of a teenager whose body was found in the Owyhee County desert Saturday.

Although tests confirming the victim's identity are still pending, Owyhee County Prosecutor Douglas Emery said the victim is believed to be 18-year-old Hunter Smith of Medford, Oregon.
Smith, who would have turned 19 this month, was murdered around June 22, Emery said.
Nicholas B. Vandenberg, 27, is facing charges of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and destruction of evidence in connection to Smith's death.
Emery said Smith and Vandenberg did not know each other, and had met just before the murder happened. A motive in the case remains under investigation...
the teen was trying to hitchhike from Junction City, Oregon to Nebraska when he went missing...
Smith died from at least one gunshot wound to his upper torso, Emery said.
Vandenberg is accused of stripping Smith's body of his clothes to make him harder to identify, and leaving the body in the desert off Hot Springs Road, about 15 miles north of the Nevada border...
Vandenberg himself remarked on how close the discovered remains were to his house on Facebook Monday, before his arrest.
The suspect shared a KTVB story about the body found in the desert, captioning the post "this is close to where i live... wtf!?"
An Elmore County judge ordered Vandenberg to be held without bond Friday afternoon. He will be transported back to Owyhee County to face the charges. If convicted, Vandenberg could face up to life in prison or the death penalty.

Nick Vandenberg's facebook https://www.facebook.com/nicholas.b.vandenberg All of the comments are pretty chilling to read.

 

[Lilibet]

I’m confused. The article says Hunter is from “Medford,” the missing poster says “Junction City” and the thread title says “Cave Junction.” I believe the thread title needs to read “Junction City” not “Cave Junction” since that’s what is on the official missing poster. Junction City is much further north than Cave Junction or Medford. It appears that he is no longer missing, at least as soon as there is a positive identification of the body found in ID.

I’m so sorry this boy’s cross-country adventure seems to have ended in his murder.

http://oregon.missing.report/hunter-smith-junction-city-oregon/

http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article181191701.html

ETA: Thanks for changing the thread title, mods!

 

[iliketotalk15]

That article is kind of weird. Like it's a foregone conclusion that it's Hunter, but testing is not done yet.

 

[Lilibet]

That article is kind of weird. Like it's a foregone conclusion that it's Hunter, but testing is not done yet.

I wonder why LE would release that info if they don’t have other evidence it’s Hunter. I think they must have found something belonging to him even though his clothing was taken.

 

[iliketotalk15]

It might be wishful thinking on their part. I wonder why LE would release that info if they don’t have other evidence it’s Hunter. I think they must have found something belonging to him even though his clothing was taken. But it must be awful for his family to wait and hope it isn’t Hunter.

Sorry, Lilibet. I deleted some of comment since it was discussing FB info. I figured it would be rumor. You are probably right, though. Very sad either way. There must be a lot behind the scenes, too, if they aren't positive of his identity and already making the arrest.

 

[Lilibet]

Here’s another poster about Hunter.

https://www.facebook.com/OurMissing...783008949626/1519511154776810/?type=3&theater

 

[Lilibet]

Sorry, Lilibet. I deleted some of comment since it was discussing FB info. I figured it would be rumor. You are probably right, though. Very sad either way. There must be a lot behind the scenes, too, if they aren't positive of his identity and already making the arrest.

I edited my reply to delete the other info. You may be able to fix your post where you quoted me. But yes, it’s very sad and whoever it is will be someone’s loved one.

 

[WesternArtist]

Thank you to the mod for fixing the thread title (I messaged one once I realized my mistake). I was eager to post this case quick while a lot is currently happening with it. I had read the article first saying Medford the when I found a missing flyer I just misread it as Cave Junction because my mind was in SW Oregon. I later realized it was actually Junction City (which is odd since it’s a ways away) and requested the correction. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[WesternArtist]

Sorry, Lilibet. I deleted some of comment since it was discussing FB info. I figured it would be rumor. You are probably right, though. Very sad either way. There must be a lot behind the scenes, too, if they aren't positive of his identity and already making the arrest.

From what I can tell Hunter’s family is upset with the prosecutor releasing his name without a positive ID yet, and rightfully so. I’m really surprised they did that. I think it could have been based on matching tattoos since Hunter has some distinctive ones. This is a really sad and strange case all around.

 

[iliketotalk15]

Looks like NV's FB is gone.

 

[iliketotalk15]

Nothing really new.

NV will be in court tomorrow (Monday).

https://idahostatejournal.com/news/...cle_e6a9e9fd-b400-5152-b32b-748bbf26f6ea.html

 

[Elainera]

I'm puzzled they arrested someone based on a fb post saying they live really close to where a body was found. How many times I have read these words here on WS that people are really close to where a crime occurred! This is not a reason to arrest someone? They must have more on him if he's already due in court today. The body is not even officially id'd! There must be a lot going on that hasn't been reported otherwise this all makes not much sense.

 

[wbjcs5034]

Hunter was from Junction City, no clue where Medford ever came from.

 

[wbjcs5034]

not as far as the family has been told. It seemed to start from one of the missing person online people searching all missing people in the area, and then putting it together. Still waiting for DNA to come back.

 

[WesternArtist]

Two more arrests have been made in this case but a positive ID of the victim has not yet been made. http://www.ktvb.com/mobile/article/...connection-with-hitchhikers-slaying/488114058

This article includes their pictures: http://idahonews.com/news/local/two-more-people-arrested-in-connection-to-owyhee-county-killing

 

[siliconrod]

This sounds like some type of thrill killing by Vandenberg. It make me wonder if he has done something like this before.
If he didn't make those comments on FB he could still be on the loose. I am curious if he made any strange comments on FB when he actually killed Hunter.

 

[Rayemonde]

According to a missing persons flyer that circulated after Smith's disappearance in June, the teen was trying to hitchhike from Junction City, Oregon to Nebraska when he went missing. Emery said it's not clear whether Vandenberg offered the victim a ride before the slaying, but added that police are following up on leads related to Smith's hitchhiking.

http://www.ktvb.com/mobile/article/...connection-with-hitchhikers-slaying/488114058

 

[Rayemonde]

Troopers say Montanna Reed, 20, of Twin Falls, and Willie Rabey, 34, of Mountain Home, have been charged with conspiracy to commit first degree murder...

Troopers say the two are known associates of the man who is charged with the murder, Nicholas Vandenberg, from Melba.

http://idahonews.com/news/local/two-more-people-arrested-in-connection-to-owyhee-county-killing

 

[Rayemonde]

The suspect shared a KTVB story about the body found in the desert, captioning the post "this is close to where i live... wtf!?"

When a Facebook friend responded - apparently jokingly - that Vandenberg should have hidden the body better, the suspect responded again in the comments.

"If it was me, i wouldnt have left him in the desert lol too much risk of ‘hunters stumbling on dead body’ lol," he wrote.

An hour later, Vandenberg weighed in again.

"Being the bruneau desert area (very open and vast) with 2 state highways running through it, the body could have come from anywhere at any time unfortunately," he posted.

Vandenberg was arrested Thursday.

Emery said that investigators were "absolutely" aware of Vandenberg's online posts.

"It's certainly evidence that could be very incriminating if it is found that it relates directly to this matter," the prosecutor said Friday. "Those are clues, or that is certainly a lead that is being pursued."

http://www.ktvb.com/mobile/article/...accused-of-slaying-young-hitchhiker/486641098