WA WA - Jeffrey Klungness, 14, Sumner, 2 Mar 1996

SheWhoMustNotBeNamed

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Missing Since
: March 2, 1996 from Bonney Lake, Washington
Classification
: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth
: December 9, 1981
Age
: 14 years old
Height and Weight
: 5'10 - 5'11, 155 - 160 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics
: Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Jeffrey slouches when he is walking. He may use the names Jeffrey Haynes and/or Stanley Ipkiss. Jeffrey is dyslexic and has a speech impediment.
Clothing/Jewelry Description
: A green short-sleeved shirt, green pants and tennis shoes.


Details of Disappearance

Jeffrey's mother, Susan Klungness, was found deceased inside of their family's mobile home in the 20400 block of east 113th Street in Bonney Lake, Washington near Sumner on March 2, 1996. She had been killed by a blow to the head. Investigators believe she was beaten with a blunt object while sitting in an armchair in the living room. A trail of blood lead from the chair to her bedroom; she either crawled into the bedroom or was dragged there.

Jeffrey's father, Ron Klungness, came home from work between 4:00 and 4:30 p.m. and found the door to the residence unlocked and the television on. He tried to open his bedroom door and could not. He was able to open it at 6:30 p.m. and found Susan's body slumped against the door, holding it shut. Ron's gold watch and about $700 in cash had disappeared from the home. Jeffrey was also missing and has never been heard from again. His father last spoke to him by phone at 9:30 that morning.

Ron says he and Susan, who had been married for fifteen years by the time of her death, had a troubled marriage and had separated once before. Their arguments distressed Jeffrey. He developed anger problems before his disappearance and damaged his bedroom door so badly it had to be replaced. He was attending a private school at the time of his disappearance and doing better academically than he had been before. His father describes him as a shy but basically normal teenager.

Martin S. "Marty" Malcolm, then 41, was employed as a handyman at the time and he claimed he discovered Susan's body on the day of her death. Malcolm told authorities that he panicked and drove away in Susan's maroon Toyota Camry station wagon with license plates numbered 093GHZ; the car was found abandoned at 4:00 a.m. the next day at a convenience store in Auburn, Washington. Malcolm turned himself into police that same day. He admitted withdrawing $300 dollars from Susan's bank account the day of her murder and says he spent it all at the Muckleshoot Casino that same evening. Martin was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail and has since been released. He has hired an attorney, refused to take a lie detector test, and will not speak to investigators about Susan and Jeffrey's cases.

Neighbors reportedly told investigators that Malcolm was seen with Jeffrey shortly before the child vanished. He says he took Jeffrey to get a haircut at 11:30 a.m. Shortly afterwards, a surveillance camera at a drive-through bank automated teller machine (ATM) showed Malcolm driving Susan's Toyota. There was no obvious sign of Jeffrey in the car, but a woman waiting in line behind Malcolm says she saw a "young person" in the car with him. Malcom says he returned Jeffrey to his home at 12:30 p.m. and left to run an errand. He returned to the Klungness residence at 2:00 p.m. and found Susan's murdered and Jeffrey missing.

Malcolm was a known friend of Jeffrey's and often drove him places. He was becoming unwelcome in the Klungness home by March 1996 because he spent so much time there and never put any gasoline in their car after he drove it. Malcolm has never been charged in connection with Susan's homicide or Jeffrey's disappearance. Malcolm had been convicted of second-degree murder in 1980; he killed his estranged wife. He was released from prison in 1992.

Police are interested in locating Ron's watch, which disappeared after Susan's homicide. It is a Seiko Quartz with a gold finish and the serial number SGF 206. It is engraved with Ron's name and a message thanking him for thirty years of service with Boeing. Authorities believe the watch was taken by whoever murdered Susan and was possibly sold afterwards.

An extensive search of the Bonney Lake area turned up few clues as to Jeffrey's whereabouts. He enjoys playing the game Magic. Investigators do not believe Jeffrey ran away from home, as he is not used to being on his own and it seems likely that he would have been in contact with his loved ones or the police eventually if he had left of his own accord. He is not considered a suspect in Susan's murder. Foul play is suspected in his disappearance.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Tacoma Police Department
253-591-5959
Charley Project
NCMEC
 
Bumping for Jeffrey. Missing 15 years today.

I don't understand why this case never caught on. This Marty Malcolm fellow, already convicted of murder in 1980, seems a pretty likely suspect. He was the last person to see Jeffrey, and he found his mother's body. Hoping for answers for Jeffrey's family after 15 long years.
 
Does anyone else think it's bizarre that Malcolm was a 'known friend' of Jeffery's? Exactly how much time was a 41yo man with teenager? That part kind of sticks out...JMO
 
Thank you for this thread. I live in Sumner where many of the reports are saying he is missing from, and never knew about this case. So close to home.
 
I really wish this case would have some kind of resolution. Doesn't Jeffrey's Dad want to find him and find out exactly what happened? It seems like LE would have some places to search since they know some places that MM went to that day. There are WAY too many missing kids in WA state and they need to be found.
 
Couldn't he have been a witness and run away out of fear or shame? Or - and I hate to say that - have something to do, or thought he had something to do, with his mother's death?
 
Maybe that Marty guy was such a big influence on Jeffrey that he manipulated him into helping him with his mother's murder.

But what happened to Jeffrey in all the following years? It's possible he went into hiding somewhere, or Marty wanted him to be silent about the murder case forever and harmed him as well.

And what did become of Marty?
 
Does anyone else think it's bizarre that Malcolm was a 'known friend' of Jeffery's? Exactly how much time was a 41yo man with teenager? That part kind of sticks out...JMO

It stood out to me as questionable as well. Youth Jeffery’s age tend to be fairly impressionable and it doesn’t seem as though Malcolm would be an ideal role model. If he did in fact have notable “anger problems”, Malcolm may have seen an opportunity and capitalized on it.

I’d be interested to know if Malcolm abused drugs, as a watch, $700-$1000 and a joyride doesn’t seem like much of a motive, unless of course he was being cut off from the family and became enraged. If Malcolm was involved, he could have groomed Jeremy into helping or made him disappear and figured Jeremy would be a good person of interest given his “anger problem”.
That being said, the same goes for Ron.

It’s concerning that the father/husband wasn’t able to get the bedroom door opened until 2-2.5 hrs after he arrived home. Was he ever considered a person of interest?
 

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