UT UT - Reed Jeppson, 15, Salt Lake City, 11 Oct 1964

[Alleykins]

I agree. I don't believe Reed met with foul play, as having two dogs with him would have been a deterrent, IMHO. I read somewhere eons ago that burglars tend to avoid houses with dogs, so I'm thinking that may apply to other types of criminals, too.

After watching a ton of videos of folks getting lost in the woods, some remains are found, some are not. There's no rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes after an area is thoroughly searched multiple times, the remains will be found in that heavily searched area by hikers weeks, months, or years later. The cases with dogs, more often than not, they are found, but sometimes, they aren't. Some have been found a great distance from where their owner was last seen.
Reed's dogs were purebreds. I wouldn't be surprised if one or both of the dogs ended up miles away and someone took them in, thinking they were strays and not realizing they were tied to a boy's disappearance. Or maybe they didn't care and simply wanted prized dogs. Or maybe they turned them in to the dog pound, and the folks there didn't realize whose they were. We weren't as connected back then. Or sadly, whatever fate befell Reed could have also befallen them.

 

[killarney rose]

GSPs are very high strung, flight natured dogs, some are easily spooked. They are runners.

 

[chart75]

Also thinking "Accident."

Kidnapping is too far-fetched especially with two dogs. One was a puppy, but Reed's dogs were German Shorthair Pointers, and they are big dogs, and would be very protective of their owners. How would one fall into a mine shaft? Wouldn't those be easy to spot or be covered up for safety reasons? I agree about a sinkhole, river, or ravine possibility.

I recall that Utah residences are not like traditional city or suburban dwellings. There's a lot of rough terrain, rivers, lakes, canyons. I think that Reed was very aware of the surroundings, but one of the dogs got spooked by something while Reed was walking them, the dog got trapped, the second dog did as well, and Reed got caught in their trap, trying to save the animals. Reed was seen walking behind a school with the dogs. The school no longer exists. I think it was taken down in 1969. Where was the school in relationship to Reed's house? What environmental dangers were near that school?

The school would have been almost dead east of the Jeppson home (~1.2-1.5 miles away) and described as being "south" of Emigration Canyon. I believe it would be south of the Bonneville Golf Course as well since that was built about the same time. There is also a Spring Canyon, dead east of their home, roughly the same distance away. The dogs could have been chasing something, or been on the scent of something, and taken off either towards Spring Canyon or Emigration Canyon. Hogle Zoo was to the northeast, with Emigration Creek running near by (not sure how much water was in it in 1964).

 

[Satch]

Reed's grave at Find a Grave.com:

Reed Taylor Jeppson (1949-unknown) - Find A Grave...

Poor Reed! This case is heartbreaking! His Dad was a doctor and died very young-age 54. Wonder how Reed's Dad died? I am sure that Reed was an awesome kid! And wherever he is, I hope that Reed and his dogs have found peace and love!

Someone should contact Find a Grave, because the date he went missing is not correct at the website. It should be October 11, 1964, not October 1, 1964 (In the grave photo, the second "1" in the date is covered by grass.)

Satch

 

[Satch]

A site showing wild animals that live in Utah that could have scarred Reed's dogs, and forced them and Reed into danger from which, they tragically may not have escaped:

Animals That Live In Utah

Satch

 

[chart75]

I guess there is a slim chance that someone (friend of the family, acquaintance, stranger) picked him and his dogs up in a pickup and drove him into the canyon where he met with foul play. It's troubling that all three of them disappeared without a trace.

 

[Satch]

I guess there is a slim chance that someone (friend of the family, acquaintance, stranger) picked him and his dogs up in a pickup and drove him into the canyon where he met with foul play. It's troubling that all three of them disappeared without a trace.

1.) I am about 75% sure that the dogs get spooked by an animal, likely one mentioned at the above link. They took off like a shot. Reed lost control of them and they had a fight with a predictor all got killed and dragged off to a wild animal den. Reed instinctively fought to save his dogs.

OR

2.) The dogs got spooked by a wild animal, took off from Reed, Reed tried to save them and all would up trapped in a hole, canyon, river, lake, and succumbed to the elements.

Both animal attack and environmental trap I put at 75%. In either case, the dogs got away from him due to being startled by something.

3.) Foul Play is out there, but at most 25%. Those dogs would be a huge deterrent for an abductor.

4.) Running away is 0% Reed loved his dogs and family very much, He had friends both in Utah and in another State where the family had a summer home. He was kind and loving. Very close to family and friends. No evidence of drug or alcohol problems. no history of violence, rebellion, or depression.

5.) Suicide is at 0%.

Satch

 

[chart75]

I totally agree with your percentages. Sad case any way you look at it.

 

[chart75]

This is a quote from a Salt Lake Tribune article (http://www.sltrib.com/justice/ci_15160580):

"Taylor Jeppson said Reed's dogs were being trained for bird hunting and figured that was what his brother had gone off to do Sunday afternoon. He was told about his brother's disappearance that night.

During the next few days the family posted fliers. Searches were conducted, but not on the scale they are done now, Lougy said.

"I remember going through the mountains and lots of people searching everywhere and every cave," said Keith Jeppson, who was 7 when his brother disappeared."

BBM

Maybe the dogs followed a mountain lion into a cave and never made it out? Reed would have gone in after the dogs and suffered the same fate.

Quite a few caves also have poisonous air that could have overcome Reed and the dogs.

I wonder if any follow up searches went into any caves, or was only a surface search done? A lot of the nearby land has been sold off and developed, and some might be in private hands now, prohibiting a full scale search.

 

[Satch]

This is a quote from a Salt Lake Tribune article (http://www.sltrib.com/justice/ci_15160580):

"Taylor Jeppson said Reed's dogs were being trained for bird hunting and figured that was what his brother had gone off to do Sunday afternoon. He was told about his brother's disappearance that night.

During the next few days the family posted fliers. Searches were conducted, but not on the scale they are done now, Lougy said.

"I remember going through the mountains and lots of people searching everywhere and every cave," said Keith Jeppson, who was 7 when his brother disappeared."

BBM

Maybe the dogs followed a mountain lion into a cave and never made it out? Reed would have gone in after the dogs and suffered the same fate.

Quite a few caves also have poisonous air that could have overcome Reed and the dogs.

I wonder if any follow up searches went into any caves, or was only a surface search done? A lot of the nearby land has been sold off and developed, and some might be in private hands now, prohibiting a full scale search.

Agreed,
What causes poisonous air from a cave? How can explorers sense that and overcome this?

Satch

 

[chart75]

Bad air, aka foul or poisonous air is caused by high carbon dioxide levels. It can come from water in the cave, micro-organisms, depletion of oxygen by bats, plants or animals, or volcanic eruptions. Headache is the first sign followed by extreme drowsiness. If you don't know what's happening you'll never make it out.

 

[Satch]

Those photos that I posted, a while back of the school that existed in the 1960's, shocked me at the amount of mountains and wilderness where the witness claimed to last see Reed walking his dogs. The dogs were kept outside Reed's house in a pen.

We can't post addresses on here, but is the general area of Reed's house surrounded by a road or roads? Even if it was, I don't think a car or kidnapping was involved in Reed's disappearance. I am sure that the witness that saw Reed was credible. Would love to know if this person stopped and talked to Reed? That could explain a lot! Was the name of this witness ever published? Whatever happened occurred in that wilderness area behind the school, after the witness saw Reed with his dogs.

That whole area behind the school, the dogs really could have taken off as if shot out of a cannon if spooked.Reed was experienced in dog training, so my guess is that what ever happened happened very, very quickly. Tragically though, if the trio met up with an environmental hazard and not an animal hazard, they may have struggled for some time. Yelling out in distress, if it happened in a wilderness area, as I suspect, it is doubtful that anyone would have heard or have been able to offer aid.

I wonder why the family thinks abduction, as do several writers? I just can't see that as very likely. With two dogs, and Reed, who was athletic, he would not have made an easy target at all.

Satch

 

[Alleykins]

Those photos that I posted, a while back of the school that existed in the 1960's, shocked me at the amount of mountains and wilderness where the witness claimed to last see Reed walking his dogs. The dogs were kept outside Reed's house in a pen.

We can't post addresses on here, but is the general area of Reed's house surrounded by a road or roads? Even if it was, I don't think a car or kidnapping was involved in Reed's disappearance. I am sure that the witness that saw Reed was credible. Would love to know if this person stopped and talked to Reed? That could explain a lot! Was the name of this witness ever published? Whatever happened occurred in that wilderness area behind the school, after the witness saw Reed with his dogs.

That whole area behind the school, the dogs really could have taken off as if shot out of a cannon if spooked.Reed was experienced in dog training, so my guess is that what ever happened happened very, very quickly. Tragically though, if the trio met up with an environmental hazard and not an animal hazard, they may have struggled for some time. Yelling out in distress, if it happened in a wilderness area, as I suspect, it is doubtful that anyone would have heard or have been able to offer aid.

I wonder why the family thinks abduction, as do several writers? I just can't see that as very likely. With two dogs, and Reed, who was athletic, he would not have made an easy target at all.

Satch

I agree, Satch. I suppose anything is possible, but abduction seems the least likely to me, in this case.

 

[chart75]

I grew up in Salt Lake in the 60's (went to the same Jr High and High School that Reed's youngest brother did but didn't know him though, he was three years older than me. Outside of people going to and from church, Salt Lake in the 60's on a Sunday afternoon was a sleepy town. The blue laws were very much in effect with very few stores (7-11 and the occasional drug store) being open. According to Zillow, Reed's house was built in 1956 so the neighborhood was fairly established when he disappeared. St. Mary's of the Wasatch was still there, but probably not a lot else to the east of Reed's neighborhood besides the Bonneville Golf Course and the zoo. Lot's of open space for a boy and his dogs to run.

 

[Alleykins]

I grew up in Salt Lake in the 60's (went to the same Jr High and High School that Reed's youngest brother did but didn't know him though, he was three years older than me. Outside of people going to and from church, Salt Lake in the 60's on a Sunday afternoon was a sleepy town. The blue laws were very much in effect with very few stores (7-11 and the occasional drug store) being open. According to Zillow, Reed's house was built in 1956 so the neighborhood was fairly established when he disappeared. St. Mary's of the Wasatch was still there, but probably not a lot else to the east of Reed's neighborhood besides the Bonneville Golf Course and the zoo. Lot's of open space for a boy and his dogs to run.

It's hard to tell from the pictures, but looking at St. Mary's of the Wasatch, there are mountains in the background. How close are they to the building?

 

[chart75]

It's hard to tell from the pictures, but looking at St. Mary's of the Wasatch, there are mountains in the background. How close are they to the building?

I realize this might not be totally to scale but if you look at this map on ebay: Salt Lake City Utah 1950's Brochure Street & Vicinity Maps Major Attractions | eBay you can see St Mary's pretty much right at the base of the foothills. Reed's house was slightly south and west of the Bonneville Golf Course, also shown on the map. The diagonal street is Foothills Boulevard which is about 1/3 of a mile from Reed's old house.

 

[Alleykins]

I realize this might not be totally to scale but if you look at this map on ebay: Salt Lake City Utah 1950's Brochure Street & Vicinity Maps Major Attractions | eBay you can see St Mary's pretty much right at the base of the foothills. Reed's house was slightly south and west of the Bonneville Golf Course, also shown on the map. The diagonal street is Foothills Boulevard which is about 1/3 of a mile from Reed's old house.

Thanks!

 

[Satch]

Here is Reed's Dad's family tree. His deceased children, five are listed. Sadly, including Reed:

FamilySearch.org

It is reported that the family had thirteen children, and I believe two after Reed vanished.

Satch

 

[chart75]

Reed's youngest brother (the 13th child) was eight when Reed disappeared. It was Reed's youngest brother's obit that drove me here as it mentioned Reed's disappearance. I was only five when Reed went missing but never heard anything about it growing up in Salt Lake.

 

[chart75]

Not totally related but there is still hope that Reed could be found: Idaho hunter finds remains of man missing for 53 years | Fox News