KATHLYNN SHEPARD - 15 yo - / Suspect: Michael Klunder, suicide - Dayton, IA

Iowa teen abducted after getting off school bus


15-year-old Kathlynn Shepard was abducted after getting off her school bus on Monday afternoon. Police say the suspect has committed suicide.


By Stephen Loiaconi

updated 5:42 PM EDT, Thu May 23, 2013

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Image Credit: Iowa Department of Public Safety

Kathlynn Shepard was reported missing on Monday afternoon. Police say she was abducted after getting off a school bus.


A 15-year-old girl has been abducted in Iowa, and police say the suspect in the case was found dead from apparently self-inflicted injuries before they could question him.

Kathlynn Shepard and a 12-year-old friend disappeared soon after exiting their school bus in Dayton, Iowa on Monday afternoon, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Around 4:30 p.m., the 12-year-old girl ran to a rural residence about five miles away in Pilot Mound and asked for help.

The girl informed authorities that she and Shepard were abducted after accepting a ride from a man in a red Toyota Tundra pickup at the bus stop. They were taken to an agricultural facility southeast of Dayton, and that is when the 12-year-old escaped.

Based on information provided by the 12-year-old, police said investigators identified Michael Klunder as the owner of the vehicle and a suspect in the case.

Klunder, a 42-year-old registered sex offender, was found dead by police around 8 p.m. Monday in rural Dayton about six miles north of the abduction site, along with his vehicle. The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation confirmed Tuesday that Klunder committed suicide.

Searchers found both girls’ backpacks late Tuesday night in Boone County about 14 miles south of the block where they were abducted, according to police.

Investigators said that discovery established another location where they now know Klunder or Kathlynn had been.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers and volunteers have participated in the search across three counties, focusing on rural and uninhabited areas. Police remain hopeful that they will be able to locate Kathlynn.

“We are very optimistic still. Our plan is to find her alive,” DCI Special Agent Bill Kietzman said at a press conference Tuesday.

On Wednesday, authorities released an image of Kathlynn as she exited the school bus just before her abduction. It shows her wearing a Cubs baseball cap and a gray T-shirt with an American flag on it.

The 12-year-old who escaped told the Dayton Leader Wednesday that a man believed to be Klunder approached them in a red Toyota Tundra after they got off the bus and asked if they wanted to make some money mowing lawns. He told them he’d take them to their parents’ houses to ask permission, but he kept driving instead.

According to the Dayton Leader, the girl said the man took them to a hog confinement facility and zip-tied their hands. He then led Kathlynn away to another location on the property, leaving his gun behind. The 12-year-old took
the gun and ran for help, the paper reported.

Investigators have asked anyone who came into contact with Michael Klunder between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday to call them at 515-573-1410. They also asked hunters who have placed hunting cameras in the rural areas where they are searching to check their recordings for any useful information.

Iowa Sex Offender Registry records show Klunder was convicted of third-degree kidnapping in 1992. The Des Moines Register reported that the conviction was related to the abduction and assault of a 21-year-old woman and the kidnapping of two 3-year-old girls who were later found alive in a trash bin.

According to Iowa Department of Corrections records, Klunder remained in prison for those offenses until he was transferred to a work release facility in September 2010.

He completed his sentence there in February 2011, and his most recent known address is in Stratford, Iowa.

Kathlynn Shepard’s family released the following statement to the media on Wednesday afternoon as search efforts continued:

"We would like to thank everybody who took the time from their busy lives to help search for Kathlynn. To see so much love in our community and the surrounding areas is amazing. Thank you for all of your prayers and we hope to have Kathlynn home soon.

"We know that members of the public and media want to talk to us. Please understand, the idea of doing an interview is too overwhelming right now. Until Kathlynn is found, we’ll remain focused on our family and ask that any requests for information or comment be directed to the DCI.”

Volunteers are not needed to assist with the search at this time, but anyone interested in contributing to the search effort is asked to call Webster County Emergency Management at 515-571-6483.


www.hlntv.com/slideshow/.../iowa-teen-abducted-after-getting-school-bu...‎

Missing Iowa teen’s blood found as search expands

By Stephen Loiaconi
updated 2:33 PM EDT, Fri May 24, 2013

• Kathlynn Shepard was abducted after getting off a school bus Monday in Dayton, Iowa
  
• Suspect Michael Klunder was found dead hours later
  
• New search efforts were planned for Friday
  
• Evansdale police 'actively' looking into possible link to case of Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins
  

Authorities said Thursday that blood found at a hog confinement facility in Pilot Mound, Iowa has been identified as that of missing 15-year-old Kathlynn Shepard.

Shepard and a 12-year-old friend were abducted after getting off their school bus Monday afternoon in Dayton and taken to the facility.

The 12-year-old girl escaped and fled to a nearby house for help, but Shepard is still missing.

The man who police believe abducted them, 42-year-old Michael Klunder, was found dead hours later. An autopsy concluded Thursday determined that Klunder—a registered sex offender who had prior convictions for kidnapping—hung himself.

Police announced at a press conference that blood found on the ground in two areas of the facility and inside the tailgate of Klunder’s
pickup was confirmed as Shepard’s through DNA testing.

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Bill Kietzman would not say how much blood was found but he told reporters it was enough to suggest Shepard suffered some injuries.

“This evidence diminishes our hopes that we’re going to find her in a safe manner, but we’re not giving up,” Kietzman said.

Slideshow: Iowa teen abducted after getting off school bus

Kietzman confirmed that information the 12-year-old provided to the Dayton Leader about the abduction was consistent with what she told law enforcement. He said Klunder’s weapon that the girl believed was a gun was actually a tool used to euthanize animals that looks similar to a gun.

According to the 12-year-old, the girls went with Klunder because he offered them money to mow lawns. He said he would take them to their parents’ homes to ask permission, but once they got in his truck, he drove them to the hog confinement facility several miles away.

The 12-year-old told police that Klunder brought them into an office and zip-tied their hands, then left the building with Kathlynn. She took the weapon and ran through the woods and across a field to a farmer’s house.

Klunder’s body was found at another location around 8 p.m. Monday.

The following day, both girls’ backpacks were discovered about 15 miles south of the abduction site.

According to Kietzman, Klunder’s wife has been “completely cooperative” with investigators and is not suspected of involvement in
the abduction.

“When someone’s family member does this, that makes them a victim as well,” Kietzman said.

Police have released a photo of Klunder’s red Toyota pickup truck, which has a silver liftgate and silver toolbox on the driver’s side. It has no license plate, just a Department of Transportation paper plate on the window behind the driver’s side.

Anyone who saw that truck between 4:50 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. on Monday is asked to call law enforcement at 515-573-1410.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety also announced Thursday that they have expanded the search to areas 10 miles north and northwest of the location in rural Dayton where Klunder’s body was found. Farmers and other residents are being asked to search their grounds and any abandoned buildings on their property.

“There is reason to believe he may have been in that area as well,” Kietzman said.

Police requested volunteers to participate in a search on Friday. According to the Des Moines Register, 250 to 300 people showed up on Friday morning to join the effort.

“We’re going to continue to search until we find Kathlynn, and we hope it’s sooner than later.” Dayton Mayor Richard Travis said at
Thursday’s press conference.

Kietzman also addressed speculation that Klunder may have been involved in the deaths of 10-year-old Lyric Cook and 8-year-old
Elizabeth Collins. The girls’ bodies were found in December 2012 following their disappearance in Evansdale, Iowa on July 13.

“Those are things we’re going to look at, questions that we all have,” he said, but he added that the focus right now is on finding
Kathlynn and authorities will investigate possible connections to other cases “when the time is right.”

Evansdale Police Department Chief Kent Smock told HLN Friday that his officers are actively looking into the possibility and following some leads, but “it’s entirely too early in the investigation to draw a conclusion.”

“That information is still flowing in,” he said.

Smock said anyone with information regarding the Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins case can submit tips to ourmissingiowagirls@dps.state.ia.us or call Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers at 855-300-8477.

See HLN’s previous story for additional photos of Kathlynn Shepard, a map of the search area and the newly-released photo of Klunder’s vehicle.

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2013/05/24/missing-iowa-teens-blood-found-search-expands

May 30, 2013 8:46 AM
(CBS/AP) DAYTON, Iowa - Authorities are halting their search for an Iowa teenager who was abducted more than a week ago.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety announced Wednesday that investigators have exhausted their ground search efforts for 15-year-old Kathlynn Shepard. Officials also say flooding has affected their efforts.

Officials have searched more than 250 square miles in the Dayton area, about 60 miles north Des Moines.

Police suspect Michael Klunder abducted Kathlynn and her 12-year-old friend on May 20th in Dayton. The younger girl was able to escape. Klunder was later found dead. Some of Kathlynn's blood was found last week, dampening hopes of finding her alive.

Kathylnn's father asked Senator Charles Grassley to support stricter sex-crime penalties on the same day authorities made the announcement.

Michael Shepard argued it could have prevented her abduction.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57586812-504083/kathlynn-shepard-update-search-halted-for-missing-iowa-teenager/

FORT DODGE, Iowa —The father of a missing Iowa girl abducted a week ago spoke out at town hall meeting by Sen. Charles Grassley Wednesday morning.

Kathlynn Shepard has been missing since May 20 when she and a friend were abducted. Authorities believe the man responsible, Michael Klunder, later killed himself. Searchers continue to look for Kathlynn near the town of Dayton.

Kathlynn's father, Michael Shepard, gave an emotional speech at the meeting in Fort Dodge Wednesday that he wants stricter laws for offenders who commit crimes against children.

Holding up his daughter's picture, Shepard told Grassley, and the crowd, what he wants.

"It's my daughter that was abducted. We want first-time offenders mandatory laws -- state, federal, nationwide. Nobody else should have to suffer what we have gone through," said Michael Shepard. "If we can get this out to the forefront then hopefully nobody else's daughter, granddaughter, sister or anything will have to suffer, and if you could help us with that we would be eternally grateful."

KCCI's Laura Nichols reported from the meeting that the crowd of about 100 people applauded after Shepard was done.

Grassley told Shepard that he's a supporter, but told him the change needs to happen at the state level.

"I encourage them to pursue their goals, but more importantly I hope that they find that their child is safe," said Grassley.

"My main focus is still bringing Kathlynn home. I've been staying home. We have three other children, and I haven't really been able to leave their side right now," said Denise Shepard, Kathlynn's mother.

According to Iowa law, when someone is convicted of a crime that does not carry a mandatory sentence for every day they serve in prison, they receive 1.2 days come off the back end of their sentence so most end up serving less than half their sentence in prison before being paroled.

Read more: http://www.kcci.com/news/central-iowa/kathlynn-shepards-father-speaks-out-at-grassley-meeting/-/9357080/20343246/-/rpp438z/-/index.html#ixzz2Up9OmqLJ

Florida used to give gain time of two days for every day served. Now, a convict must serve 85% of their sentence.

Autopsy set for body believed to be Iowa girl


FILE
- This file photo provided by The Iowa Department of Public Safety
shows Kathlynn Shepard, 15. Authorities announced early Saturday, June
8, 2013 that they have recovered a body believed to be Shepard, who was
kidnapped by a registered sex offender while walking home from school.
(AP Photo/Iowa Department of Public Safety, File)




The Associated Press

BOONE, Iowa —

Authorities plan to conduct an autopsy on a body believed to be that of a 15-year-old Iowa girl who has been missing since she and another girl were abducted more than two weeks ago.

Authorities say they're confident that the body a fisherman found Friday night in the Des Moines River near Boone is Kathlynn Shepard's. They scheduled the autopsy for Saturday.

Investigators say clothes on the body matched what Kathlynn was wearing when she and a 12-year-old girl were abducted in
Dayton, a town about 20 miles north of Boone. They also found zip ties that matched those used to restrain the younger girl, who managed to escape and call 911.

Authorities believe registered sex offender Michael Klunder abducted the girls and committed suicide after the younger girl's escape.

http://www.wjactv.com/ap/ap/crime/police-body-believed-to-be-missing-iowa-girl-15/nYFzZ/

Autopsy confirms body found in Iowa river was that of missing teen abducted by sex offender  

Monday, June 10, 2013, 2:11 PM

An autopsy confirmed the body found Friday night under a bridge near Boone is that of 15-year-old Kathlynn Shepard. Authorities said Kathlynn and her friend were lured into a pickup driven by registered sex offender Michael Klunder.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/body-identified-kathlynn-shepard-article-1.1368322#ixzz2jWY2U6MK

Evil POS didn't have to kill her.