Quote · Crime, Conspiracy, Cults and Murder
Ep. 117 | Mysterious Missing Children Cold Cases
Where this was said
Private Investigators, Polygraphs, and a Defamation Lawsuit
At 32:54 · chapter starts 31:10
Three private investigators worked the DeOrr Kunz Jr. case over the years, and the saga reads like a textbook in chaos. Frank Vilt arrived in August 2015, initially concluded kidnapping, reversed course to accuse the parents of lying within a month, cut ties in September, and died in August 2023. Philip Klein, brought in by the Kunz family in November 2015, concluded the boy was dead and the parents knew what happened; by March 2016 the family had fired him, but he claimed anonymous funding kept him working the case. Klein alleged Mitchell knew where DeOrr's body was but refused to say. Most explosive: Klein reported Vernal Kunz failed 5 polygraphs and Mitchell failed 4 — saying in 26 years he had never seen results that bad. Kunz and his father took Klein to court for defamation in 2017, but a judge dismissed the case in 2019 for insufficient evidence of slander. David Marshburn, the third PI, disagreed with Klein entirely, focusing suspicion instead on Rainwand and continuing to work with the family as of 2025. [1] — Host "DeOrr's dad allegedly failed 5 polygraphs: Private investigator Philip Klein claimed Vernal DeOrr Kunz failed 5 polygraph tests and his mot…" 32:00
Private investigator Philip Klein claimed Vernal DeOrr Kunz failed 5 polygraph tests and his mother Jessica Mitchell failed 4.
Vernal DeOrr Kunz was driven to suicidal ideation by relentless online accusations that he killed his own son. He left Idaho Falls entirely. The couple split; Jessica Mitchell remarried and stayed. His lawyer sued the administrator of a Facebook group called Justice for Baby DeOrr. A child disappeared — and a family collapsed in every direction.
