She Vanished In 1995, And Her Classmates Were Later Charged With Her Murder, But She Remains Missing
In 1995, Kiplyn Davis was a sophomore at Spanish Fork High School in Spanish Fork, Utah, and known as a very friendly teen.
“She was a person that’s very sweet and very kind; kind to everyone. She’s like that social butterfly,” recalled Kiplyn’s younger sister, Karissa Davis Lords.
“I kind of looked up to her that way. She’s a bright personality, like these flowers right here, that’s Kiplyn.”
Yet, at just 15-years-old, Kiplyn vanished without a trace, and an argument with her parents on the morning she went missing led to her disappearance initially being treated as a runaway case.
It all began on May 2, 1995, when, before school, Kiplyn got into a fight with her parents. Afterward, she attended a driver’s education class at her high school, which was only eight blocks away from her house, and went on to attend her morning classes.
However, once Kiplyn was last spotted sitting in the cafeteria with her friends, she was never seen or heard from again. She didn’t make it to her later classes, and her parents were contacted by school staff members.
Kiplyn didn’t return home, either, and at 5:00 p.m. that evening, her parents, Tamara and Richard, contacted the Spanish Fork Police Department to report her missing.
The fact that Kiplyn was a teenager and had gotten into a disagreement with her parents caused authorities to first think she’d run away. So, two whole weeks passed before investigators asked the public for information.
Kiplyn’s parents, on the other hand, didn’t believe she’d left on her own, as she was looking forward to getting her driver’s license and going to her older sister’s wedding. A later search of her locker revealed that all of Kiplyn’s belongings had been left behind. This included her purse, makeup, retainer, and books for school.
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Rumors started spreading like wildfire in the wake of Kiplyn going missing. Some claimed that her remains had been buried at various locations, such as under a building, at a train tunnel, or in a canyon.
Additionally, other reports suggested that Kiplyn was possibly seen in a car after leaving her high school. Still, none of these rumors could be substantiated.
The FBI ultimately got involved two months later, but it took years for a break to come in the case. Former U.S. Attorney Paul Warner reinvigorated the investigation, and five of Kiplyn’s male classmates were honed in on.
These men included Timmy Brent Olsen, David Rucker Leifson, Scott Brunson, Christopher Neal Jeppson, and Gary Blackmore.
The first four, Timmy, David, Scott, and Christopher, were all a part of the drama club at Spanish Fork High School. On the day Kiplyn vanished, they also claimed to have been inside the school’s auditorium, hanging up lights for a performance.
A community choir’s statement later went against their story. The choir had actually been rehearsing in the auditorium that day, and it was revealed that no one had seen the teen boys there.
Investigators first became suspicious of Timmy, who’d reportedly told conflicting stories to authorities. Moreover, he allegedly confessed to assaulting Kiplyn, murdering her, and hiding her body in a canyon close to Spanish Fork River, according to multiple witnesses.
These new clues in Kiplyn’s case turned her disappearance into a presumed murder. It’s believed that she was assaulted and killed by her classmates. Timmy and David were alleged to have been responsible; meanwhile, Scott, Christopher, and Gary were thought to have put together an alibi.
So, various charges and indictments were filed in 2005 against all five members of the group. Beginning in April, Scott was charged with perjury and lying to a federal agent. Gary was indicted on the same charges in August.
By September, Timmy was charged with 15 counts of lying to a grand jury. The next month, Christopher faced charges of perjury and lying to a federal agent. Finally, in November, David was indicted on perjury-related charges.
In 2007, Christopher was convicted and given a five-year prison sentence. Later, he was also charged in connection to Kiplyn’s presumed killing. Yet Christopher pleaded no contest to obstruction of justice and reached a plea deal, meaning he couldn’t be charged in relation to the case.
Two years prior, in 2005, Scott pled guilty to six counts of perjury as well as lying to a federal agent and was able to strike a plea deal. Gary was able to make a similar deal.
As for David and Timmy, they were ultimately charged with Kiplyn’s murder, in addition to their other indictments. David was sentenced to five years behind bars after pleading guilty to one count of perjury.
Timmy, on the other hand, received a prison sentence of 12 and a half years following his trial and conviction of perjury. He then pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, adding another 15 years to his prison sentence.
Timmy claimed to have seen one of the other suspects, who had pleaded guilty to perjury, use a rock the size of a softball to strike Kiplyn’s head. He wouldn’t reveal their identity. Rather, Timmy said that, after the attack, he helped the individual move her body to Spanish Fork Canyon.
He never told authorities where Kiplyn’s body was, either, which is why he wasn’t granted parole in 2021.
Despite some semblance of justice being served in her case, the location of Kiplyn’s remains is still unknown, and the search for closure continues.
“We know what happened to her, but we just don’t know where exactly she’s at,” her sister, Karissa, stated.
“I’ve been living a nightmare for 29 years now, and I would give anything to find my sister.”
Karissa created a Facebook page entitled “Find Kiplyn Davis” to continue raising awareness about her case. Kiplyn’s father, Richard, also penned a book, “When An Angel Leaves Your Life,” and all proceeds are given to a scholarship fund set up in Kiplyn’s name.
Kiplyn was between five foot two and five foot four, weighed between 110 and 120 pounds, and had blue eyes and curly red hair. Anyone with information related to her case is urged to contact the Spanish Fork Police Department at (801) 798-5070.
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