Key facts
- Name: Jeramy Carl Burt
- Born: June 18, 1973, Idaho
- Age at disappearance: 33
- Last heard from: February 11, 2007
- Location: Boise, Idaho; his ex-wife’s red Mercury Cougar found burned in the Owyhee Desert
- Height / build: Adult man
- Status: Still missing — Boise Police Department, open investigation; foul play feared
- Investigating agency: Boise Police Department
The torched car in the desert
Jeramy Carl Burt was 33 years old when he was last heard from on February 11, 2007, in Boise, Idaho. He was driving his ex-wife’s red Mercury Cougar. Before he vanished, he sent text messages to his ex-wife saying he was starting a new life.
About three months later, in May 2007, the Cougar was found in the Owyhee Desert — burned out, deliberately destroyed.
He was never heard from again.
That is the whole of the public record’s hard core: a last contact in February 2007, a burned vehicle in the desert days later, and then nineteen years of silence. Detectives have said they don’t know what happened to him. Foul play is feared.
His daughter was a young child when he vanished. Every February, the anniversary comes around — the reminder that her father never came home. She has grown up in the time he has been gone. Idaho media have revisited the case over the years — still open, still unsolved, still waiting — and Boise detective Josiah Ransom has confirmed the investigation continues, with persons of interest in the file.
The thinnest file in Boise
Jeramy Burt’s is one of those cases that exposes how thin the public record can be even in a state capital. No detailed timeline of his last day survives in accessible sources. No account of who last spoke to him or what was said. No suspects named, no theories tested in public. Just the two facts that matter: the date he was last heard from, and the burned car in the desert south of Boise.
But those two facts say a great deal. Vehicles are not torched by accident. A burned-out car in the desert is not the signature of a man starting a new life — it is the signature of someone destroying evidence. Whoever burned Jeramy Burt’s vehicle knew where the desert was, knew how to get there, and wanted the car — and whatever was in it — gone.
The Boise Police Department case remains open. Detectives have not given up the file, even if they have not been able to say, in nineteen years, what happened on or after February 11, 2007.
Theories: what might have happened
Homicide with evidence destroyed. The theory the facts point to: a 33-year-old man last heard from on February 11, 2007, whose ex-wife’s vehicle turned up three months later deliberately torched in the desert. Cars are burned to destroy forensic evidence. This is the signature of foul play, and it is why detectives fear the worst.
Voluntary disappearance. There is little to support this: a father who left a young daughter, a vehicle destroyed rather than driven away, nineteen years of total silence. People starting over take their cars; they don’t torch them in the desert. The texts claiming a new life could be his own words — or someone else’s.
Have information?
Contact the Boise Police Department at (208) 570-6000. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- June 18, 1973 — Jeramy Carl Burt is born.
- February 11, 2007 — Last heard from, Boise, ID. He is 33 and driving his ex-wife’s red Mercury Cougar; he texts his ex-wife about starting a new life.
- May 2007 (three months later) — The Cougar is found burned out in the Owyhee Desert.
- 2007–2025 — Boise PD investigation continues; foul play feared; detective Josiah Ransom confirms persons of interest; no charges publicly named.
- 2026 — Idaho media revisit the case; still open, still unsolved.
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is Jeramy Burt still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Jeramy Burt has been missing for more than 19 years. His case remains open with the Boise Police Department.
Was Jeramy Burt ever found?
No. Neither Jeramy nor his remains have ever been found. Only his vehicle was recovered — torched in the desert south of Boise.
What happened to Jeramy Burt’s vehicle?
His ex-wife’s red Mercury Cougar was found about three months after he was last heard from, burned out in the Owyhee Desert — deliberately torched, in the judgment of investigators.
Does Jeramy Burt have family still looking for him?
Yes. His daughter was a young child when he vanished; she has grown up in the years since, and the family marks every February anniversary.
How can I help?
Share this case file. If you have any information, contact the Boise Police Department at (208) 570-6000.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: Boise Police Department (208-570-6000).
- News: liteonline.com, Jeramy Burt case coverage (Sept 2026); Idaho Statesman archival coverage.
- Reference: The Charley Project, “Jeramy Carl Burt”; NamUs.
Corrections (October 2026 fact-check): Age corrected from “late 20s” to 33, DOB added (June 18, 1973) per NamUs-linked case listings (lostnmissing.org / trackmissing.org). Vehicle corrected: it was his ex-wife’s red Mercury Cougar, found burned in May 2007 — three months later, in the Owyhee Desert — not “his vehicle found torched days later.” Added the verified detail that he sent text messages to his ex-wife claiming a new life, and that Boise detective Josiah Ransom has confirmed the case has persons of interest (KBOI). The daughter’s exact age (three) was unverified in sources — softened to “young child.” Softened the liteonline September 2026 revisit claim, which could not be dated precisely.
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.