Key facts
- Name: DeOrr Kunz Jr.
- Born: circa 2012–2013, Idaho
- Age at disappearance: 2
- Last seen: July 10, 2015
- Location: Timber Creek Campground, near Leadore, Lemhi County, Idaho
- Height / build: 2-year-old boy; blonde hair, blue eyes
- Status: Still missing — Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office, open investigation
- Investigating agency: Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office
The campground
On July 10, 2015, two-year-old DeOrr Kunz Jr. was camping with his family at the Timber Creek Campground near Leadore, in Idaho’s Lemhi County — high, remote country near the Montana line. With him were his parents, Vernall Kunz and Jessica Mitchell, his great-grandfather, and a family friend.
DeOrr was last seen playing near the campsite. Then he wasn’t there.
What followed was one of the largest searches in Idaho history: helicopters, search dogs, divers, hundreds of volunteers combing the mountains and the creek. They found nothing. Not a shoe, not a toy, not a trace. A two-year-old had vanished from a campground in the middle of the day, and the wilderness gave back nothing.
He would be about 13 years old today.
The suspects who were never charged
In 2016, the Lemhi County Sheriff took the extraordinary step of publicly naming DeOrr’s parents as suspects — saying Vernall Kunz and Jessica Mitchell knew more than they were telling. No arrests were ever made. No charges were ever filed.
The parents split in 2016. Both have consistently denied any involvement in their son’s disappearance. DeOrr’s grandmother, Trina Clegg, has been the family’s public voice of anguish: “We will do everything we can until the day we all die to find him.”
The case has drawn national documentary coverage and endless online theorizing — the parents’ shifting accounts of that afternoon have been picked apart frame by frame. But the legal facts are fixed: named as suspects, never arrested, never charged. The presumption of innocence applies fully, and this article reports the suspicion as what it is — a law-enforcement position, not a finding.
In July 2021, the sheriff reaffirmed the case was still active. In July 2023, lead investigator Steve Penner retired. As of June 2025, there was no new evidence. In July 2025, the tenth anniversary of DeOrr’s disappearance was marked in Idaho — ten years, and the file is essentially where it was: a missing two-year-old, a massive search that found nothing, and questions no one has answered.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has released age-progressed photos of DeOrr — in 2017 and every five years since — showing what the blonde toddler might look like as a boy growing into his teens.
Theories: what might have happened
Foul play by someone at the campsite. The theory the sheriff pursued publicly: the parents know more than they’ve said. The circumstantial case rests on inconsistencies in accounts of the afternoon and the statistical reality that in toddler disappearances, family is the first place investigators look. Against it as proof: no forensic evidence has ever been made public, no charges in eleven years, and both parents deny involvement.
Wandering and exposure. A two-year-old can walk surprisingly far, surprisingly fast — but the search was enormous, with dogs and helicopters, and found zero trace. Children who wander leave signs. DeOrr left none.
Animal attack. Considered and largely discounted by the sheriff’s office: an attack leaves remains, and none were ever found.
Abduction by a stranger. Possible in remote campgrounds, but no witness, no vehicle, no trace — and a stranger would have had to act in a narrow window, in daylight, near four adults.
Have information?
Contact the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office at (208) 756-8980. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- circa 2012–2013 — DeOrr Kunz Jr. is born in Idaho.
- July 10, 2015 — Last seen playing near the family’s campsite, Timber Creek Campground, near Leadore, Lemhi County, ID. Massive search begins.
- July 2015 — Helicopters, dogs, divers, hundreds of volunteers search; no trace found.
- 2016 — Sheriff publicly names parents Vernall Kunz and Jessica Mitchell as suspects; says they know more. No arrests, no charges. Parents split; both deny involvement.
- 2017 — NCMEC releases first age-progressed photo of DeOrr.
- July 2021 — Sheriff reaffirms the case is active.
- July 2023 — Lead investigator Steve Penner retires.
- June 2025 — No new evidence reported.
- July 2025 — Tenth anniversary of DeOrr’s disappearance marked in Idaho.
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is DeOrr Kunz Jr. still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, DeOrr has been missing for more than 11 years. His case remains open with the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office.
Was DeOrr Kunz Jr. ever found?
No. Despite one of the largest searches in Idaho history, no trace of DeOrr has ever been found.
Were DeOrr Kunz’s parents charged?
No. In 2016, the Lemhi County Sheriff publicly named Vernall Kunz and Jessica Mitchell as suspects and said they knew more than they were telling. No arrests were ever made and no charges were ever filed. Both parents deny involvement.
How old would DeOrr Kunz Jr. be today?
DeOrr was 2 when he vanished in July 2015 (born circa 2012–2013). He would be about 13 years old today.
What did DeOrr’s grandmother say?
Trina Clegg, DeOrr’s grandmother, has said: “We will do everything we can until the day we all die to find him.”
How can I help?
Share this case file — including NCMEC’s age-progressed images. If you have any information, contact the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office at (208) 756-8980.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office (208-756-8980); National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (age-progressed images, 2017+).
- News: 1043 WOW Country, “DeOrr Kunz 10-yr anniversary” (July 2025); East Idaho News coverage (2015–2025); liteonline reporting.
- Reference: The Charley Project; NamUs; crimetimelines.com case file.
- Media: allthatsinteresting.com, “The Mysterious Disappearance of DeOrr Kunz Jr.”; documentary coverage (multiple, 2016–2023).
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.