Idaho authorities are now using sonar as well as divers to search a remote reservoir for missing 2-year-old DeOrr Kunz Jr. The toddler disappeared last Friday while camping with his family near the Stone Reservoir in Leadore.
Police divers have been methodically searching every square inch of the reservoir for the little boy after cadaver dogs indicated there may be something there. However, Lemhi County Sheriff Lynn Bowerman tells HLN they just learned that someone had been dumping human cremains in the reservoir, and that very well could be the smell the dogs picked up on.
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“It’s pretty disappointing. Someone was depositing human cremains up there while we’re searching the area. It contaminates the reservoir and the entire area,” says Bowerman.
“Nevertheless, we have sonar there today and divers still at the reservoir. We are going to side scan and sonar the whole lake. We have people up there on horseback too searching as we speak.”
The boy’s parents, DeOrr Kunz Sr. and Jessica Mitchell, told police they left the toddler with his great-grandfather and a friend of the great-grandfather’s to go exploring, but when they returned less than 15 minutes later, the child was nowhere to be found. The great-grandfather, in turn, thought DeOrr was with his parents. It was then that Mitchell called 911 to report her son missing.
While the couple remain up on the mountain waiting for any word of their son, his paternal grandfather, also named DeOrr Kunz, told HLN the family believes little DeOrr may have been kidnapped.
“He had little toy hot wheel trucks in his pocket and nothing fell. They found nothing. It’s like he vanished without a trace. He had to have been abducted. The only good thing about being abducted is it means he’s is still alive,” says Kunz.
Authorities say while nothing has been ruled out, they don’t believe foul play is in involved.
“We are still treating it as a missing person,” says Sheriff Bowerman.
Bowerman says the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children have requested they collect DNA samples from the parents.
“They want that on file so if the child turns up somewhere else they can easily check if there’s a match. It’s standard procedure with all missing children,” Bowman said.
According to police, the parents have agreed and are “cooperating 100%.” Authorities say they are concerned parents who just want to find their son and have even offered to take lie detector tests.
Bowerman says they will complete their search of the reservoir and re-assess at the end of the weekend where to focus on next. In the meantime, they are following up on all the leads and tips that keep coming in.
DeOrr’s grandfather says he’s heartbroken over his missing grandson.
“They’ve lived with me in my house for the past year and a half and he’s my buddy. When he wants to take a nap he’ll come up to me and say ‘nap papa, nap papa,’ so we’d lay down and take a nap. I’m so attached to him. I don’t know what I’d do if we lost him. I just can’t imagine going day to day without that little boy running around. I’m so sad. I’m just at a loss here.”
DeOrr was last seen wearing cowboy boots, blue pajama pants, and a camouflage jacket.
Police are asking anyone with information to call 208-846-7676.
