*has anyone seriously investigated whether or not someone in that group that lost jerad had any ties to anyone in the sheriff dept?*

I'm shocked that the sheriff wasn't fired for this absolute nightmare.

The sheriff completely knew who took this boy and did his best to cover it up.

From the first time I’ve heard this case to now I will always believe that jaryd was snatched and the police department knew something critical.

You talked about the family not getting along with the authorities. But HOW do 11 adults loose a little boy? What about those 11 adults????

Ya!...”excuse me mountain lion while I take my clothes off before you eat me” !!! 😡

The Sherrifs Dept. had some kind of involvement in his disappearance. There’s just no other explanation for their behavior at all. I think he was kidnapped, murdered by someone who had some connections to the Sheriffs department, and his remains were left at the top of that cliff years afterwards. They planted his remains there so they could push the mountain lion attack theory. Jared did not climb up that cliff when he was alive, I don’t think, and he wasn’t attacked by a mountain lion.

Ok, I'd like to add a few things to the mountain lion thing. I've grown up in the Black Hills, which is absolute prime mountain lion country, not to mention my biological father is a biologist who specialized in the great plains wildlife. Mountains lions are drop predators. If he did take his clothes off on the top of cliff, it is extremely unlikely he was attacked up there unless he got between a mother and cub. They wait on cliffs to drop on prey, that's why almost all attacks have the bite marks on the back of the neck or head. They very rarely will attack from the same level as their pray. Past that, they're nocturnal. He wouldn't have gotten attacked on a trail in the early/mid morning, they hunt almost only at dusk, that's why people almost never see them. If he was attacked on the hill, his bones would not be on top. Not only do pine needles not worm themselves under things, but mountain lions bury their prey. The remains would be hidden within days of being killed, add four years of sedimentation from the mountains and falling pine needles and cones, it would be buried a lot further under than that. Another thing, you're more likely to be struck by lightning than get attacked by a healthy lion. They're terrified of people, the only time you would get attacked, is if you get I between a mother and cub, or if they're sick or injured, and they wouldn't be dragging their prey if they're either of the latter, because by the point they're attacking people, they're on the verge of starvation. Basically, the only possible way he would have gotten attacked by a lion is if he got between a mother an cub up on the cliff, which still leaves the questions of how he got there, and why his clothes and remains are like that. I've babysat toddlers, and yeah, they'll sometimes take off their clothes even when it's cold, but if he was attacked in the same spot, not only would the blood from being bitten or scratched have gotten on the clothes, but he would have already been in between the two lions, and would have been killed while undressing if he even got the chance to start. Also, where are the rest of the bones? If they were carried off by snowmelt, the clothes and other small piece that were on top of the soil for whatever reason, say they got dug up by an animal, would have went too. Spring snowmelt in the mountains can he brutal if it was a bad winter, which 1999 was. There were floods the next spring in the mountains. They wouldn't still be there. And, if you go outside anywhere with white shoes and step in a puddle once, they're not white anymore, much less being buried for four years. For being from the area, the police did a horrible job of making a believable story with the wildlife and climate. It just doesn't make any sense. I'm sure there are plenty more things I could say but my phone is lagging from this being so long, so I suppose if anyone stumbles on this 10+ months after the video, I'll try to answer anything as best I can

Cant believe people are blaming Alan, he allowed them to go to the sanctuary not on a big hike trail and he wasn’t even informed of the change in plan to give his permission 💔 This whole case is so so sad😥

The sherrif is 100000000% involved with the disappearance. He's so suspicious

As someone who is 16, I have 5 and 3 yr old nephews- I would absolutely never take my eyes off of them, I would be holding his hands during this trail and no way I would even allow this 3 yr old child to speak to a stranger and even if they did I would only let them speak if I am there. It’s insane that these people allowed this child to wander off, it’s crazy.

I think the sheriff's office found him and realized they messed up so covered it up by taking the body and then placing the clothes up there to make everyone think a mountain lion did it.

The entire Sheriff's office should be fired.

No one can predict how long it would take for a body to surface like that. Too many variables involved, dry year, wet year, etc. Then 4 years after the child goes missing his clean clothes and white shoes and one adult sized tooth show up? That is one fishy coincidence. If a person off the street were to act the way that sherrif acted they would be the prime suspect. A badge doesn't make a person honest.

You did a story on my sons Enrique Rios and his friend Elijah Moore. I appreciate you making this video but there has been updates. Can you please make an update video? We are still looking for their remains 😢😔 maybe having an updated video shared will get to the right person and they may finally want to come forward with where our sons were buried. We havent been able to lay them to rest. Having their murderers behind bars is a great feeling but not being able to lay our sons to rest makes that feeling downgraded to sadness. You have many views and people that share in wanting to find our sons remains. Please help us. Nobody has continued to cover their story 🙏 they need justice

"Jared is ok, but we can't find him"??? WTH!!???

The group didn't tell the family about the fisherman because it makes them look bad for allowing a three year old they were supposed to be watching to wander around with two strangers. That whole group is at fault. Especially the person(s) who told the father they would watch the kids. They are at fault and now a small child is dead and their family is forever missing a child. Not to mention the authorities who treated the family so appallingly and refused to listen to the military tracker.

There’s a special place in hell for the authorities that handled this case. I hope they all rot in hell

She said happy 2019 as I'm watching this in 2020

Urg my stomach is just turning to the thought of a 3 year old being lost all alone in a forest.

I live in Colorado. There is NO WAY that after 4 years those shoes could have stayed that clean. No way the tooth would be perfectly intact. That poor baby boy. He deserved so much better. I could not imagine how the family felt.

Why wasn't the FBI involved since the minute the family realized that the police wasn't helping

So the hairs in his shirt collar where "Not human and don't belong to a mountain lion" Uhm am I the only one EXTREMELY concerned by this-?

I would think that the man who was holding Jerold’s hand, took him then he killed him and when the media was questioning why there wasn’t any bones or remains of anything he went back as a “volunteer” and he planted the evidence. This is really heartbreaking

Alan was my pe teacher and I'm really glad you made this video. I think it really shines light on the actual story. I know he blames himself and is very active in helping others who have missing children. It breaks my heart that such an amazing guy is being blaming for his sons disapearance.

Something is very wrong with this case. I highly suspect some huge cover-up by the sheriff's department. This is an absolutely terrifying case.

I feel that those 11 adults had something to do with Jared's disappearance

When an autistic little boy went missing outside Charlotte last year, authorities banned any civilians from the search. I have an autistic son and it hit me hard, so I went searching on my own. I searched and searched by myself until it got too dark, so I knew the exact place I wanted to check the next day... And that's where they found his remains. Honestly given the circumstances, I'm pretty relieved I didn't stumble upon his remains. I think the authorities stop letting civilians search when they decide this is no longer a missing person, it's a recovery, and MOST people wouldn't recognize what they were looking at at certain levels of decomposition.

Not being funny... but if I were part of that group, I wouldn't just assume others were watching him, soon as I knew a 3yr old child was joining, I'd grab his hand and watch his every step. My mother's instinct I guess, but I watch kids like a hawk, cos so many sick people out there, i trust NOBODY! This story has seriously wounded me, I'm livid! That poor beautiful boy 💔 so avoidable!

I am absolutely certain someone in that group knows more about what happened to Jayrd and it screams foul play maybe even by one of these hikers.

I am absolutely FLOORED by how much of a disaster the authorities were on this case!! How incompetent and negligent they were omg!!!

I assumed the sheriff is closely related to the guy who stole Jaryd

Can we get a petition together to investigate the police department? There’s definitely a cover up

Oh dear god... I'm halfway through the video and I'm FUMING. I'm so freaking mad. Isn't there someone that checks on the police department to make sure that they are doing their job?!? They were using the father's shorts to find the KID? Are they serious?? 😡 Oh, not to mention the ELEVEN adults that thought it was totally okay to take a 3-year-old to that trail without letting his parents know and on top of that, not paying the attention that was needed

This case has been examined by David Paulides in his research on the missing 411 cases. I'm not saying I agree with David but this case does have a lot in common with countless cases in National Parks around the US.

This is one of the saddest things I’ve heard in a while. Those people failed that child. The more I watch this, the more it enrages me. I would’ve put my own team together and searched where the tracker guy said he believed Jared was. This never should’ve happened. They’re old enough to know better l can’t imagine what that poor child went through.

"This case will probably haunt me for the rest of my life" I couldn't have said it better myself. Poor baby..

Wow....this just...shocking. Terrible police, something seems fishy with the authorities but also like HOW did the group not see him disappear? I would be holding a 3 year olds hand...they are 3! This whole case is bizarre. I think there is not even a remote chance that those clothes magically had been there for 4 years, they were placed. This whole case just tore my heart up :(

I've heard a lot of things, I've literally fallen asleep while true crime is playing. As a forensic scientist, this is insane. Those clothes and that tooth are way too clean and I am deeply disturbed with how this case was handled. I've got to take a huge break after listening to this because I'm way too upset.

The same sheriff who handled this case later gained fame from the balloon boy incident in Fort Collins, CO. In that case he was accused of "misleading the media and public." He has been doing this for years.

"The cops wanted to cover up their mistakes" is the most optimistic and generous interpretation of their atrocious behavior. It makes me sick what police are able to do and get away with. My heart goes out to the family, and I hope the monsters responsible get what's coming to them a billion fold.

This just stinks of an inside job. Can law enforcement seriously be that prideful, refusing all that help & threatening all those people? Pride over the life of a kid? It's so disgusting how these people put their reputations over the life of a child. I can't help thinking about how much this stinks like the Johnny Gosch case. The sightings, the weird evidence, the spiteful cops. Whatever happened to Jaryd, it feels like a coverup.

This whole case makes me sick, from the hikers who were supposed to watch this child to the suspicious and botched investigation. My heart goes out to this family and I hope that they can one day find peace

Someone in the sherif department did this and this was all sabotage on their part... so sad. They all need to be investigated and charged

honestly if the sheriff was “so tired of it” he should have gotten his ass out there and looked in that area jared was thought to be in. bull crap.

I'm only half way through, but this, without a doubt, is the shadiest case i've ever heard.

I’m currently pregnant with my first and this has me pretty much convinced I will never allow my child out of my sight.....

About there not being any blood on the clothes: When I was about three or four years old, a swing hit me on the top of the head at a play ground and there was so, so much blood, even though there was only a small wound (there are pictures of me eating an ice cream shortly after with dried blood on my face to show this). If that’s what happens when you get hit my a swing, there is no way that someone around the same age could be picked up by the top of the head by a mountain lion and there not even be traces of blood on their clothes.

How the police treated this family, just trying to find a missing 3 year old, is beyond aggravating.

I dont think the “Jaryd is fine we just cant find him” is suspicious, it just sounds like they were trying not to alarm the father too much.

I've heard lots of online coverage of this case, and it's the case that brought me to your Channel! I always love "the long form" discussions on these cases; I heard so much content here that I never heard before. Not only a lot more, but the more one hears the more shocking the details are of how this played out

This is clearly a cover up! Someone in that group had ties to the sheriff's office. Think about everything the sheriff did to keep people out and away from the crime scene.

"Jared is okay, we just can't find him" I think is a (bad) attempt to try to reassure him and keep him calm. IE: Don't panic, we'll fix this.

Nah, that sheriff kidnapped him. And if he didn’t he knows who did. That man should be in prison! I’m seriously fuming.

This story has haunted me for years too! It literally makes me feel sick. Sending positive energy to the family. I’m so sorry you had to live through this.

I'm binge watching Danielle's videos during quarantine and this case has made me the MOST INFURIATED! I have a 3 year old nephew and to think of him being missing due to egos, miscommunication, and laziness literally makes me red in the face! If I'm asked to watch my nephew I NEVER take my eye off him! How could these 11 people not take care of him. And when there is a baby missing the cops need to put they're egos always and FIND him no matter what!

Did you know that sheriff was also investigated for basically smearing the family of the "Balloon Boy" scandal? He ran his mouth so much that a fair trial was impossible. I think he is currently an "investigator"...because clearly he's so good at it, *eye roll*. Why isn't he rotting in prison?

I was setting up for a client for eyelash extensions and I was playing your video, my client arrived and it was still playing, I went to change it to a music playlist and my client said “no way, I love danelle and her videos!” So the whole did I her lashes we caught up on your latest video!

I’m from Colorado. My brother went to school with this little boy that went missing and was murdered by his step mom this year. His named gannon stauch. It is a solved case but his murder and disappearance really hit my community and my family because my little brother was friends with him.

My heart is broken , I cant imagine what this little baby went through. My son is 3 years old and best believe I'm hugging him extra tight tonight.

Those police were awful I can’t believe this is even legal!😡 •lying to the public •lying to Alen •not letting them search •using wrong evidence •dismissing leads And much more Honestly! How can this be allowed! So horrible all should be fired and THEY should be the one getting arrested.

I feel like there’s a whole even darker side to this case that is being completely covered up something evil that these police where involved in or the Christian group or even both there is something so soooo twisted and I just hope one day the whole story is revealed and the family gets closer and this poor child gets justice.💔

Nobody is going to watch your kid closely like you do yours.

Really sounds like the sherriff had something to do with that child going missing. Why else would he try to drive away all of that free, well educated, organizations help. That sherriff needs to get the boot!!!

I wonder if they would have been tired of hearing about it if it had been one of their own ?

1. That was way too big of a teeth to have belonged to a 3-year-old. 2. How was he ahead of everyone when there was a specific "fast group"? I work with 3-year-olds and even when they're running, they're not that fast. Not to mention they easily get tired and out of breath and can't keep up running for long. So to say he somehow was faster than anyone else there is just bullshit. 3. Don't even get me started on the authorities... And finally, 4. I don't think he's dead.

This is so unbelievable! I have a 3 year old boy. It breaks my heart to hear how the family was treated by the police department. The horror finding out that your baby is lost in the woods. Praying for this family 🙏❤️

all missing persons cases break my heart , but this one makes my blood boil and i cannot imagine what jaryds family is going through.

Been following this case for so long. It's one of the most difficult for me. My son is 3 now and just thinking about this helpless little baby out there, lost and afraid, just absolutely tears me apart. It comes to mind so often. We can't take our eyes off of our children for even a second. They are just so vulnerable to this world.

Something is defintley rotten with that Sheriff and sheriff's department! How sad for the poor Jaryd. I hope Alan sues the sh*t out of them! I think a human could have snatched him away that quickly, one close with the sheriff ...i really feel those items had to be staged there

Does anyone else think the authorities could have found him and something terrible happened (maybe even accidental). They didn’t want to take responsibility. What if the unidentified hair was from a police dog or search dog 🤔🤔🤔

Holy S***T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just can’t deal at this moment!!!!!!!!!!! Nearly burned my turkey of how angry I got!

this is a cover up which makes this whole thing more disgusting. i have a strong feeling the sheriff's department is some how involved.

The way that the police acted makes me think that there was something on that trail that they didn't want anyone else to see. This might be an outlandish theory, but what if an officer mistook Jaryd for an animal while searching for him so they shot and killed him and they just covered it up? The police department definitely knows something. They are trying to cover up something. The clothing & remains had to have been placed there recently, which means someone had them for one reason or another & decided to go back and place them, probably in an attempt to let people know he was dead, but why? The only logical explanations would have to be either because they felt guilty and wanted to give the family some closure or that they wanted to hide his real cause of death. Someone found his clothes & at least his cranium maybe even his body before it decomposed and decided to hold onto it for that long. The police department either killed that little boy or fucked up the search so bad that they had to cover up his death.

Had to come and watch this again, it's the best coverage! Whenever somebody or an organization makes the bizarre choice of not accepting the help of a second set of eyes, it's because they don't want those eyes to see their gross incompetence.

This is the most frustrating case I have ever heard. With young sons it makes me sick thinking I would not be allowed to look for them. How sketchy and horrific. This should not have happened.

Sounds like that Sherriff NEEDS TO BE FIRED!!!! I'M NOT one that goes straight to a lawyer but I would have had I was put in this situation!!!! REFUSAL OF HELP??????🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 NOT COOL 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

This is in no way a criticism simply an opinionated observation. As a sister myself, even at a young age, I always kept an eye on my younger siblings if we were out in public. In fact, I would usually notice them wandering off before my parents even would. I wonder if the sister was properly questioned at the time of Jaryds disappearance because she may have seen or noticed something that may have been important without her realizing. This is not an observation against her but instead about the way the investigation should have been better handled.

I join you in feeling haunted by this sad, maddening story. Bless their hearts. I live in Colorado but didn’t know much about this situation until your show. Thanks for sharing it in its entirety. I will be researching this too.

This is easily one of the most absolutely INFURIATING cases. My heart aches for the family and their loss of not only their son, but the respect they lost from authorities. There are way too many convenient “coincidences”.

That poor boy..... 🤧😢 I have a 4 yr old son. He just turned 4 a couple weeks ago... My son is incapable of so many of these things the police say happened.

I feel so bad for the parents, what an awful nightmare to go through. Dad blames himself I’m sure but honestly he shouldn’t, that group of people who were supposed to be watching him were unbelievably negligent taking him on that hike without permission and that sheriff should’ve been removed and investigated!

That Sherriff's Dep. is covering someone's tracks, PERIOD!

You did a great job, Danelle, covering this heartbreaking story. God bless all those that loved and cared about this beautiful child.

Man if I was those parents.... Id be so angry.... 11 adults & they still lost a 3 year old...

This is 100% complete coverup!

I left my trainers out the back for 1 week in the rain I had to throw them out as they were 2 dirty to get clean so him do they stay that clean for 4 years I hope for the family's sake that they find out what really happend to that poor baby

This is just so sad. You tell the story beautifully and with such compassion. Sending you love from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Someone placed these clothes there. Probably the police tbh. So convinient that the information of the "body showing after 4 years" and then BOOM 4 years is there...

If it were a flash flood how would all of the clothing end up in the same place

Danelle, I have NEVER EVER NEVER NEVER heard of a case with such glaring misjustice. God bless this poor boy and his family.

You did a wonderful job on this case. I CAN’T BELIEVE how horrible the Sheriff’s Department was!!! So sad for the family

There is a phenomonon called "paradoxical undressing" that happens sometimes to people who are suffering severe hypothermia. But forensic anthropologists also study taphonomic processes, which are the results of remains being moved by water. If he died in that heavily wooded location, they would likely have been able to predict how remains would be dispersed during snow melt, to recover other fragments. If they cared. Also, if a victim is wearing shoes and socks, the small bones of the feet tend to remain inside the shoes. This is an incredibly disgusting case of malfeasance on the part of the sheriff's department. Does this sheriff have a reputation for racism?

I have a 2 year old son almost 3....and these stories are WHY I don't let my baby go anywhere without me. I am an avid hiker too. My son has a watch that tells me his location just incase he ever tried to run ahead. But there have been many hikes where I've had to carry him and it's not easy hiking with him. Its still very enjoyable but these people really underestimated how hard it is to hike with a 3 year old. Sucks that they took it upon themselves to change plans without telling his dad. I'd be so livid even if nothing happened. One phone call could have kept all of this from happening!😭 I would not let anyone take my son hiking without me and I dont think his dad would have either. It's just too many risk factors.

If the Sheriff's department threatened me to arrest me for searching MY SON, I WOULD HAPPILY BE ARRESTED. It would become national news and nonsensical.

I left my sneakers on the porch for 2 days, it rained and they were visibly trashed. No way on earth those shoes looked like that after 4 years

Someone definitely took him and planted those clothes and other evidence

I’m 17 and I still take my pants off the way you explained, so....

I gotta tell you that there’s few stories that really touch me and stir up a lot of feelings. Hands down this is def one of them. Not just the fact that I’m a parent but your talking about a missing 3 year old. But right from the start if I remember right there were 11 adults. Not one of them realized someone or a few of them needed to take turns watching him on the trail. And dedicate to watching especially it’s someone else’s kid and a 3 yr old will walk off. But that police department ir whoever is in charge was soo wrong the way things were handled. Especially turning down the national guard. I can’t imagine how that poor father musta felt. Another great show. Took a while to find you glad I did. You bring some much info to people and it can help in so many ways. Whether it might educate someone how to deal w a situation or bringing awareness of these stories that hopefully can reach someone that might help bring closure.

Danelle you do a great job talking about this case. I have been following it and researching it and you taught me alot of new info. Great job and will definitely be subscribing