8 years ago DeOrr Kunz Jr. disappeared – Kunz family lawyer speaking out after former investigator gets involved again

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – DeOrr Kunz Jr. disappeared 8 years ago from Timber Creek Campground in Lemhi County near Leadore.

On Tuesday, the father's lawyer is speaking out about how his client is coping and how they feel about a former investigator getting involved again.

Attorney Allen Browning with Browning Law in Idaho Falls represents DeOrr's father, Vernal Kunz. He is once again defending his client, claiming Vernal's innocence.

Private Investigator Philip Klein says he has been hired back to investigate DeOrr's disappearance and find out where he may be. Klein believes DeOrr's parents, Vernal Kunz and Jessica Mitchell, know what happened, but Browning is shutting down those accusations.

"You don't find the child by torturing the parents, particularly when the parents in this case are innocent, they're victims themselves," Browning said. "It's enough to suffer for the fact that they don't know where the child is. But it's worse to have someone constantly accusing you of killing your child."

Klein was let go by the family years ago because of his accusations. Then, Vernal hired another private investigator named David Marshburn, who is no longer involved in this case.

"Marshburn reported some things to Vernal that were very disturbing to Vernal and since hearing that, vernal has stopped looking for his son," Browning said.

Browning said Vernal worked tirelessly to find DeOrr before stopping his search.

"I have worked with vernal to to do what we can to work together to see if we can find this child, for years and Vernal was doing that. He was he was upbeat, you know, that, you know, he was going to find his son. He was very upbeat about that. Until he got some information from Mr. Marshburn," Browning said.

There is still hope to find DeOrr, but Browning is urgently asking for the accusations to cease, and to simply focus on finding the child.

"It's great to be concerned about finding DeOrr Jr. We support that 100%. It's not okay to say that because we don't know where the child is, we should make the parents suffer. That's horrible. That's vicious," Browning said.