Parents break silence; deny involvement in son’s disappearance

In an exclusive interview with Chelsea Brentzel, Jessica Mitchell and Vernal Kunz speak for the first time after being named suspects in their son’s, DeOrr Kunz’s disappearance.

Eight months ago search and rescue crew first began searching for missing toddler DeOrr Kunz Jr.

His disappearance has made national headlines including making the Nancy Grace Show, and even featured in People Magazine.

For the first since his parents were named suspects, Jessica Mitchell and Vernal Kunz are answering questions about their son’s disappearance.

Both Jessica and Vernal say the majority of the public believes they are guilty of doing something to their son. They’ve felt it was time to share their story with the public.

“It’s hard to even leave my house to go to get gas, or you know to go to the grocery store or something,” said Mitchell.

“You get up in the morning hopeful, you go to bed, just no more answers,” said Kunz.

Jessica Mitchell and Vernal Kunz say July 10, 2015, is the last day they saw their son.

“It’s so much easier just to blame parents,” said Kunz.

Lemhi County Sheriff Lynn Bowerman named the parents suspects in January. Bowerman says the two know more about what happened to DeOrr.

Jessica and Vernal say not a day goes by without a threat.

“That they know we’re going to go to hell for what we did to our son. How could we do that? Just things like that,” said Mitchell.

“If you’re so damn positive we’d like to talk to you and so does the F.B.I. and law enforcement if you’re so positive,” said Kunz.

Jessica tells Local News 8/KIDK Eyewitness News that she never confessed to knowing where DeOrr’s body is.

The parents say they did not murder their son and there was no accident.

They say they worry that people are no longer looking for their son.

“I feel like that’s been the case for months,” said Mitchell. “I feel like they’ve already made up their minds that he is deceased or whatever they think, and people go ‘oh okay, well whatever’ and they were able to walk past him, yeah and they could’ve walked past him, someone could have easily walked past him in a store.”

“Thanks to the politics of this you’ve already made up your mind, you’ve put it behind you, it’s closed in your mind. He’s not home, we have no more answers than we did July 10th,” said Kunz.

The parents are not giving up hope that there son is alive.

“If somebody has him I want them to know that we’re not going to give up and we’ll find him, and it doesn’t matter what you do to his appearance, we’ll find him,” said Jessica.

“Til the day I die, til the day we die, I will find him,” said Vernal. “I refuse to leave this earth without knowing where he is or what happened at least. At least knowing that he’s okay.”

As of right now, no arrests or charges have been filed.

The parents are begging the public to keep their eyes open because they believe DeOrr is out there and hope he returns home safe soon.

If you have any information contact Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office at (208) 756-8980.