CO CO - Jaryd Atadero, 3, Comanche Peak, 2 Oct 1999

[Thunder Street]

Well, it is not unheard of that some killers like to get involved somehow in an investigation, they follow "their " cases in press . That interview with Dr. Baden maybe triggered a reaction.
Suddenly the tooth and more evidence "appears". The story of the two hikers is quite off. Why would anyone climb that boulder field? Saw photos and a video of it, and it looks like a good area to break your ankles...
Thunder Street, I am looking forward to the timeline!
(That investigation was really a mess)
ETA Just my opinion! Could the hikers who found the evidence provide an alibi for the day Jaryd went missing?

I have been wanting to ask them about where they were on October 2nd, 1999. However, I have to handle the case very gently as the family and anyone involved in the search who raised objections about the investigation were (and will be) harassed by the sheriff. The case is still a hot thorn in their sides. I must say that I am NOT being paid by the family or asked to do this. I volunteered my time and services, and the family was gracious enough to give me a chance at it. They are some of the most amazing and genuine people I've ever met.

Just listened to the Generation Why podcast. My heart goes out to the Atadero family...have the feeling that leads not including a mountain lion weren't even considered...

This is true. They were completely disregarded. At a documentary shoot for TLC, the sheriff was asked about the Mesa Verde sighting between takes. Not realizing the cameras were rolling, the sheriff went off on him and said "Look, I've never heard of someone taking a child and then parading him around. Are you as tired of this story as we are?" Jaryd's father wrote in his book how the Elizabeth Smart abduction would later challenge that belief. But that's not the first case where the abductor and his prey walked about in brought daylight.

I thought the same thing about the hikers, why did they climb up there in the first place, then later a tooth appears after Baden's interview. Way hinky, IMO. I can't figure out what the deal is with the sheriff that handled this investigation, strange.

The sheriff wanted to be a star. He loved the cameras and thought they'd love him back. When the news reporters were on the scene, Sheriff Alderden was right there to grandstand. When they left the scene, he was nowhere to be found. (EDIT: And this is the guy who was in charge of the search.) In front of cameras he'd say that a mountain lion was the probable cause, but then told the father over the phone that he really thought Jaryd had drowned. He then added this: that they wouldn't find Jaryd's body for at least five years because the waters were so cold, thus preventing his body from surfacing. That is the most imbecilic statement I've ever heard.
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UPDATE ON TIMELINE

The timeline will be produced in video format, which is now underway. Thank you all for your patience and keeping the discussing alive.

 

[Thunder Street]

CORRECTION: "the family and anyone involved in the search who raised objections about the investigation were (and will be) harassed by the sheriff." should end with 'harassed by the sheriff's office.' Did not intend to implicate the current sheriff or the entirety of the office. Merely certain individuals.

 

[whatsnext]

Thank you @Thunder Street , it is so good to know that the Atadero family has people who are dedicated to find answers for Jaryd. I am reading the book about Jaryd's disappearance currently, and am more and more shocked about how this was handled.
Of course you're all in a delicate position here. Without "official " back-up there are many obstacles.

 

[margarita25]

The father just did a podcast interview on the Generation Why Podcast:
http://thegenerationwhypodcast.com/

(Marking)

 

[whatsnext]

Having read the book, I am still trying to "digest" the information that is presented in there about Jaryd and about what went on after he disappeared.
It am very disappointed that the FBI didn't want to get involved in this investigation, because with the lack of evidence for either theory, an abduction was STILL a possible scenario. The Mesa Verde sighting by the ranger was a possible lead. I just don't get it why they didn't talk to him.
My guess is that this had also something to do with politics, but that's really only a guess.
And this is only one of so many thoughts about Jaryd's story. I will go back re-reading to get my thoughts into some kind of order...
It should never have been allowed for one (or maybe some more) publicity-addicted person(s) to crash this case into a wall.

 

[Thunder Street]

TIMELINE

Was originally planning to produce this as a video, but are experiencing some glitches. Here is a rough timeline of events from October 2nd, 1999. These were take from the sheriff's report and are the closest averages we can give as most in the group were not concerned with keeping time. Thankfully one of them was.


Rough Timeline



The video is taking longer than I wanted to, so here is a rough timeline of events. All times are approximate and to the best recollection of those interviewed.



9:40AM - Group departs from Poudre River Resort to visit the Poudre River Fish Hatchery less than ten minutes away. Without going back to tell Allyn, they make several more stops, including Poudre Falls, before arriving at the Big South Trail.

10:20-10:40AM - Group arrives at Big South Trail. The hike is loosely organized and no one was ever formally introduced. The first group of hikers heads up the trail at approximately 10:30AM.

10:50AM - The second group, including Jaryd and Josallyn, head up the trail. Jaryd apparently charged ahead in his excitement, but no one bothered to reign him in. One woman yelled after him to wait for the group, to which he replied 'Okay.'

11:00AM – By now the third group of hikers has headed up the trail.

11:00-11:20AM - Jaryd mingles between the first and second groups. Jaryd catches up with the first group and they turn a corner. The previous groups never see Jaryd again.

11:30-Noon - It was around this time that two fishermen, brothers, make their way up the trail to go fly fishing. They stop at different fishing holes while the group stops and goes, chatting with them along the way. Jaryd follows the fishermen for a while. The fishermen then go off trail and Jaryd continues on.

11:45-11:50AM - The fishermen stated that it was around this time that they last saw Jaryd. They stated that he had been preoccupied about bears in the woods, and had asked them several times if they had seen any. They were putting their wading gear on and descended into the river as he walked off.

12:00-12:30PM – The unofficial organizer of the hike was taking in scenery when he heard a child’s scream. He thought it sound like a playful scream but (suggesting a quick utterance rather than a prolonged painful scream), but the lady who had brought him along on the hike thought it sounded like he was in trouble. It was later confirmed by 6-year-old Josallyn Atadero that she thought it sounded like someone putting a hand over his mouth and taking him.

12:30-2:00PM – Some of the group depart the trail and go back to the resort, unaware that Jaryd is still missing. The rest searched the trail but found no trace of Jaryd. The lady in charge of Jaryd took Josallyn back to the resort and found one of the members cooking a late lunch. Realizing Jaryd had not come back with the others, she blew up at them and sped back to the trail. The other members who remained there were still searching.

2:00-2:40pm - Several came back and made the decision to go tell Allyn. It was at this point that Allyn thought they had only visited the Fish Hatchery. Allyn finds out they took Jaryd up the Big South Trail. He speeds up there while the property manager, calls for search and rescue.

3:00-8:30PM – Allyn runs up the trail looking for Jaryd along with one of the younger members of the hiking group. Several deputies arrive on the scene as well as search and rescue. The fishermen come off the trail and are interviewed by a deputy. Allyn calls for Jaryd on the trail but gets no response, likewise with the rest of the hikers. The first night of searching ends with the deputy ushering people off the trail.
__________________________________________________________

As always, questions are welcomed.

EDIT: It is my goal to have a better and more detailed timeline created at a later date, I was just tired of keeping people waiting. More to come. My team and I are planning for the next trip.

 

[whatsnext]

Was the unofficial organizer of the hike in the first group? ( the ones who last saw Jaryd?)
Wasn't there another trail coming down towards the main trail close to the place where Jaryd was last seen?

 

[Thunder Street]

Was the unofficial organizer of the hike in the first group? ( the ones who last saw Jaryd?)

The organizer of the hike was in the last group. The groups kind of changed and intermingled a little along the way. One thing I need to clarify from my timeline post:

The fishermen walked up through the hiking groups while Josallyn was with the second group and Jaryd was a little ahead of the first group. Jaryd followed them for a while. This is when one of the ladies in the group yelled to Jaryd not to get too far ahead, which the fishermen had confirmed to investigators. They forked off the trail and went to look at a fishing hole. They came back several times on the trail and saw the hiking group. The last time they saw Jaryd was when he approached them while they were putting on their wading gear. He then walked up the trail and no one saw him after that with the exception of his abductor.

Wasn't there another trail coming down towards the main trail close to the place where Jaryd was last seen?

There are several trails that fork off the Big South: The Peterson Lake trail, Flowers Trail, and one or two others. When you get to the trailhead, it can be a little confusing because you see the big information center straight ahead with a wide trail behind it. That's not the Big South Trail. The actual trailhead is to the left of that, almost like it doesn't want to be found. When I last visited the trail with Allyn, we went to Campsite #3, which is where one of the scent dogs got a strong hit for Jaryd. The trail that leads off the BST to that site is a bit steeper than the main trail. There is also a trail that connects the sites adjacent to #3. I didn't get a chance to fully explore it as our time on the trail was limited.

 

[neesaki]

The organizer of the hike was in the last group. The groups kind of changed and intermingled a little along the way. One thing I need to clarify from my timeline post:

The fishermen walked up through the hiking groups while Josallyn was with the second group and Jaryd was a little ahead of the first group. Jaryd followed them for a while. This is when one of the ladies in the group yelled to Jaryd not to get too far ahead, which the fishermen had confirmed to investigators. They forked off the trail and went to look at a fishing hole. They came back several times on the trail and saw the hiking group. The last time they saw Jaryd was when he approached them while they were putting on their wading gear. He then walked up the trail and no one saw him after that with the exception of his abductor.



There are several trails that fork off the Big South: The Peterson Lake trail, Flowers Trail, and one or two others. When you get to the trailhead, it can be a little confusing because you see the big information center straight ahead with a wide trail behind it. That's not the Big South Trail. The actual trailhead is to the left of that, almost like it doesn't want to be found. When I last visited the trail with Allyn, we went to Campsite #3, which is where one of the scent dogs got a strong hit for Jaryd. The trail that leads off the BST to that site is a bit steeper than the main trail. There is also a trail that connects the sites adjacent to #3. I didn't get a chance to fully explore it as our time on the trail was limited.

Is it known who was using Campsite #3 ? And if so, have they been investigated ?
Thank you very much for the timeline and all the information, I really, really hope this case can eventually be solved.

 

[Thunder Street]

Is it known who was using Campsite #3 ? And if so, have they been investigated ?
Thank you very much for the timeline and all the information, I really, really hope this case can eventually be solved.

It is not known that anyone was using the campsite at the time. A jogger who had been on the trail during Jaryd's disappearance had looked up in the sites and saw no one. It is thought that the scream the group heard was much closer to campsite #2 than #3. Both of those sites are significant to the case. #2 is the base of the mountain slope where Jaryd's clothing was found 3.5 years after he went missing. Campsite #3 is where one of the scent dogs got a hit that ended at or near a drop off to the river. Please keep in mind that this area would have been too difficult for Jaryd to get to alone so he didn't have an accidental fall.

The case is inching forward as we explore from different angles. We're hoping our next trip is a longer stay and a fruitful venture. We have a lot of ground to cover.

 

[whatsnext]

Hey there, @Thunder Street , thanks again for being with us and giving us the timeline!
Something that I kept wondering about is this:
I read that on the collar of the jacket Jaryd was wearing when he disappeared (and which originally was Jossalyn's) some hairs were found and examined. IIRC by the CBI.
It is stated in Allyn's and Arlyn's book that the tests results showed that those hairs were not of human origin. Did Allyn EVER receive some kind of detailed report about those hairs and do they still exist?
Kudos for all that you are doing!

 

[Thunder Street]

Hey there, @Thunder Street , thanks again for being with us and giving us the timeline!
Something that I kept wondering about is this:
I read that on the collar of the jacket Jaryd was wearing when he disappeared (and which originally was Jossalyn's) some hairs were found and examined. IIRC by the CBI.
It is stated in Allyn's and Arlyn's book that the tests results showed that those hairs were not of human origin. Did Allyn EVER receive some kind of detailed report about those hairs and do they still exist?
Kudos for all that you are doing!

And thank you for helping the discussion to stay alive.

The hairs themselves were not given a complete identification, which is odd considering that every animal on this planet has its hair type indexed and identified. Allyn was told the hairs were non-human and not from a mountain lion and not to worry about it. In truth, the jacket actually belonged to Josallyn, but Allyn put it on Jaryd the day he went missing, and was certain that some of the hairs belonged to Josallyn. I've seen the hair, and it looks like they could have come from a deer bedding down on it, maybe a rabbit or a gray squirrel, but I am not able to make a positive identification myself. The CBI report was included in the sheriff's report but did not give any further identification. This is the same lab that tested the skull and the tooth, the reports given to Allyn with no interpretation whatsoever. Allyn sent the results to another lab to find out what it meant but was told that not only was the terminology misquoted, but that the electropherograms indicated there were two sets of DNA on it. This creates a major conundrum as you've already surmised.

 

[neesaki]

And thank you for helping the discussion to stay alive.

The hairs themselves were not given a complete identification, which is odd considering that every animal on this planet has its hair type indexed and identified. Allyn was told the hairs were non-human and not from a mountain lion and not to worry about it. In truth, the jacket actually belonged to Josallyn, but Allyn put it on Jaryd the day he went missing, and was certain that some of the hairs belonged to Josallyn. I've seen the hair, and it looks like they could have come from a deer bedding down on it, maybe a rabbit or a gray squirrel, but I am not able to make a positive identification myself. The CBI report was included in the sheriff's report but did not give any further identification. This is the same lab that tested the skull and the tooth, the reports given to Allyn with no interpretation whatsoever. Allyn sent the results to another lab to find out what it meant but was told that not only was the terminology misquoted, but that the electropherograms indicated there were two sets of DNA on it. This creates a major conundrum as you've already surmised.

Hi thunderstreet, I was just reading over on your website and am wondering about the man known as “LP”, that had stayed at the Poudre River resort. He was reportedly talking obsessively about Jaryd after he disappeared, then he disappeared himself. If he was registered at the resort would they not have his identification, was that not required to check in to stay there? Has anyone been able to come up with who the man was and has he been investigated since then? TIA

 

[Thunder Street]

Hi thunderstreet, I was just reading over on your website and am wondering about the man known as “LP”, that had stayed at the Poudre River resort. He was reportedly talking obsessively about Jaryd after he disappeared, then he disappeared himself. If he was registered at the resort would they not have his identification, was that not required to check in to stay there? Has anyone been able to come up with who the man was and has he been investigated since then? TIA

There is nothing in the sheriff's report about him. He showed up in the canyon looking for work and told no one his real name. I am not certain about records pertaining to the resort, but he would have just put 'LP'. He also wouldn't let anyone take his picture. He drove a van that was later found to be stolen. The sheriff's department ran some background checks on him but nothing seemed to pan out. To this day the family has no idea what happened to him or who he is despite the fact that his own daughter turned him in. The sheriff's department had his real name, but never released it to the public. It sounds like it was treated in a similar fashion to the Mesa Verde sighting.

 

[whatsnext]

The Jaryd Atadero Case

Don't worry, I know the link for this site has already been posted, I just thought it would'nt hurt to post it again, since I think the special bulletins hold the key for solving this case maybe
Could the ranger at Mesa Verde give a description of the man he saw with the boy who resembled Jaryd so much ?
TIA!

 

[Thunder Street]

The Jaryd Atadero Case

Could the ranger at Mesa Verde give a description of the man he saw with the boy who resembled Jaryd so much ?
TIA!

The ranger was interviewed for the Missing 411 documentary but his scenes were deleted. At the time, they asked him about the incident but after 18 years his memory of the event had changed and details were inconsistent. He's a good man and was extremely upset that no one returned his call regarding the case. We don't know with 100% certainty it was Jaryd, but it's way too close to dismiss. I attempted to FOIA any written report he may have filed with the ranger's station, but nothing was found. He gave his report over the phone and it was never properly checked into.

 

[neesaki]

The ranger was interviewed for the Missing 411 documentary but his scenes were deleted. At the time, they asked him about the incident but after 18 years his memory of the event had changed and details were inconsistent. He's a good man and was extremely upset that no one returned his call regarding the case. We don't know with 100% certainty it was Jaryd, but it's way too close to dismiss. I attempted to FOIA any written report he may have filed with the ranger's station, but nothing was found. He gave his report over the phone and it was never properly checked into.

I'm so sorry about how Jaryd's case was handled, it totally stinks, IMO. Thank you so much for hanging in there, Thunder Street!

 

[Thunder Street]

I'm so sorry about how Jaryd's case was handled, it totally stinks, IMO. Thank you so much for hanging in there, Thunder Street!

Thank you. Doing this doesn't seem like work at all, though, as it's my life's purpose to help these families. The Ataderos have become like family. I'm thankful to see people like you engage in this topic and have a passion for seeking answers. It makes the process much more encouraging.

 

[neesaki]

Thank you. Doing this doesn't seem like work at all, though, as it's my life's purpose to help these families. The Ataderos have become like family. I'm thankful to see people like you engage in this topic and have a passion for seeking answers. It makes the process much more encouraging.

I wish I could do more, if there's anything you think I could help you with from afar, please let me know.

 

[whatsnext]

I wish I could do more, if there's anything you think I could help you with from afar, please let me know.

Though I'm even further away, the same goes for me. Jaryd's story leaves me restless somehow, there is so much missing, and, like Neesaki said, it stinks.