Don Kemp

[LaToyaBoy]

I’m not sure how many remember this case, I did and advance search of the forum and found no one thread for it.
Personally speaking I think the case is a bit bizarre, but after watching the episode several times I think that in all rational Don simply was mentally unbalanced and knowingly wondered off into the wild. I also suspect that Kemp was a closet case, thus explaining the meeting with the guy that Don’s mother insisted had something to do with her son’s disappearance and apparent death. That was also one thing that really unnerved me, the idea that the mother didn’t really see the connection between the stranger and her son (even after she uncovered the calls to the sex hotlines), she really did believe that her son was sexually assaulted. I do recall that Don was involved in a serious accident, where he was practically killed. After much physical therapy he decided to change his course (he lived in NYC) and wanted to write the next great American novel. This in itself was a huge change for him that added to the stress of being disabled, a great mixture for a mental breakdown. I also think that Don wondered around for at least two days on the Wyoming prairie, this explaining the odd things that were found (the socks in the abandoned cabin/house and then tracking out backwards in the footsteps). I wouldn’t be surprised if Don has purposely hid from the search parties. If the mother was so sure that the man in the trailer had did something to her son, did she take any notion to search the trailer for physical evidence after the man had moved? I mean really simple things.


Crystaldawn I saw that you, too, were intersted in this case. Post what you think please. I would like to get some more insight.

[crystaldawn]

I’m not sure how many remember this case, I did and advance search of the forum and found no one thread for it.
Personally speaking I think the case is a bit bizarre, but after watching the episode several times I think that in all rational Don simply was mentally unbalanced and knowingly wondered off into the wild. I also suspect that Kemp was a closet case, thus explaining the meeting with the guy that Don’s mother insisted had something to do with her son’s disappearance and apparent death. That was also one thing that really unnerved me, the idea that the mother didn’t really see the connection between the stranger and her son (even after she uncovered the calls to the sex hotlines), she really did believe that her son was sexually assaulted. I do recall that Don was involved in a serious accident, where he was practically killed. After much physical therapy he decided to change his course (he lived in NYC) and wanted to write the next great American novel. This in itself was a huge change for him that added to the stress of being disabled, a great mixture for a mental breakdown. I also think that Don wondered around for at least two days on the Wyoming prairie, this explaining the odd things that were found (the socks in the abandoned cabin/house and then tracking out backwards in the footsteps). I wouldn’t be surprised if Don has purposely hid from the search parties. If the mother was so sure that the man in the trailer had did something to her son, did she take any notion to search the trailer for physical evidence after the man had moved? I mean really simple things.


Crystaldawn I saw that you, too, were intersted in this case. Post what you think please. I would like to get some more insight.

Yes this case is so baffling. I agree with you in that I think Don Kemp suffered some sort of mental break. He leaves his car, engine running, at an intersection and the police said the vehicle was so packed only one person could have fit in the car. I agree with the police that he died of exposure and if he were in some sort of paranoid state he would have hidden from the helicopters that were searching for him. I can also discount the sighting of him in that bar as a lookalike. What is the hardest part to figure out is the phone call that was made to that friend of his from the trailer. If Don had been in that guys trailer and made the phone call, why would the friend be afraid to admit that Don had used his phone? If it wasn't Don who made the call and it was done as some sort of a prank, who around there would know this girls name and number to call her? I don't necessarily think the guy in the trailer knows anything, I mean I think Don died of exposure so there is no crime imo. It would make sense that after Don's mother kept harassing him and even came to his house, he would want to move away. I guess the strangest thing to me is the calls from Don but aside from that everything else points to mental illness and dying in the elements.

[LaToyaBoy]

Crystaldawn as far as they guy not admitting that Don was there...I have a theory on that. I, personally, think that Don and this mystery guy got into an argument or something. Perhaps the guy beat up Don or vice versa, whatever the case, the guy could have feared that charges would be pressed. I really feel that if Don's mother had met with the guy and attempted to have a civilized conversation with him...he would have told her what he knew (if anything). Im also pretty sure the guy called Don's friends also. Its just all so eerie. :mad:
Don must have suffered some sort of serious break after he left the Lincoln musuem thing...I think he left some of his personal info there, whatever the case, he must have really lost sense of reality.

[ididn'tdoit]

I just rewatched this case. I think it's possible that Don and that guy in the trailer had a relationship of some sort and he was living with him for a while (during which he also made those phone calls), maybe they got into an argument possibly because of Don's mental problems. Don then left the trailer in a rage, had a breakdown and then wondered off into the prairie and later died of exposure.

One reason the guy wasn't speaking could be because he hadn't come out yet and was afraid of the attention he would get.

I'm not trying to offend anyone here, it's just speculations on my part.

[LaToyaBoy]

I just rewatched this case. I think it's possible that Don and that guy in the trailer had a relationship of some sort and he was living with him for a while (during which he also made those phone calls), maybe they got into an argument possibly because of Don's mental problems. Don then left the trailer in a rage, had a breakdown and then wondered off into the prairie and later died of exposure.

One reason the guy wasn't speaking could be because he hadn't come out yet and was afraid of the attention he would get.

I'm not trying to offend anyone here, it's just speculations on my part.

ididn'tdoit-thanks for your take on the case. I agree with you. I am almost certain that the guy in the trailer was gay...and wasnt out. It didnt help with the badggering that Don's mother put him through. (Which is understandable...she wanted to know what happened to her son).
Interesting case...perhaps my favorite.

[MegtheEgg86]

I also think that Don wondered around for at least two days on the Wyoming prairie, this explaining the odd things that were found (the socks in the abandoned cabin/house and then tracking out backwards in the footsteps).

That's an excellent point. I sort of got that idea myself when I first watched the segment. He had to have been wandering around dazedly for an extended period of time. I'm of the opinion that's what got him.

[DP1]

I think Don just wondered off and died of exposure. When you suffer serious injuries like Don did in his past, sometimes you never truly recover. I think that's what happened here.

[justins5256]

The phone calls came after Don disappeared/wandered off, yet before his body was found. His body was found in close proximity to where his truck was abandoned. Also, considering the weather conditions at the time it seems unlikely he lived for very long beyond that first day or so that he wandered off. Forget about going to another state and making phone calls.

The guy in the trailer was gay? Please. What facts do we have to base this off of? The fact that he moved? The fact that he called sex lines? The guy didn't even appear on the segment to be interviewed, yet we can make these assumptions about his sexuality? This is a classic case of coming up with a theory and then twisting and inventing the facts to fit it.

[sdb4884]

Yeah I think that Don just wandered off. Maybe before he left he was looking for something in his truck and threw everything out which might explain the clothes on the road. He probably brought the bag with him which had some food in it. He probably stayed in that hut for a night or too and after he left it he lost his way and died of exposure. All these theories by his Mother and so fourth are just outlandish.

[soilentgreen]

Possibly Don lost an address book or other papers with the phone numbers on it, the same way he forgot his briefcase at the museum. Someone found it and crank called the numbers.

Less viable is that a hitchhiker stole from him, because Don's truck was so filled up with junk it would have been difficult for anyone else to ride in it. Or someone came across the truck abandoned along the road, notices no one is around and rifles through his possessions. I think it's improbable, but not impossible that Don and the guy in the trailer (or someone else who lived there) came across each other at some point.

I think Don died of exposure and he never left the area after abandoning his vehicle. Who had access to the phone numbers is the real mystery.

[justins5256]

Possibly Don lost an address book or other papers with the phone numbers on it, the same way he forgot his briefcase at the museum. Someone found it and crank called the numbers.

Less viable is that a hitchhiker stole from him, because Don's truck was so filled up with junk it would have been difficult for anyone else to ride in it. Or someone came across the truck abandoned along the road, notices no one is around and rifles through his possessions. I think it's improbable, but not impossible that Don and the guy in the trailer (or someone else who lived there) came across each other at some point.

I think Don died of exposure and he never left the area after abandoning his vehicle. Who had access to the phone numbers is the real mystery.

I've got to give you props. This is the best explanation for the phone calls I have heard of. Kemp's stuff was strewn all over the place. I wonder if the guy at the trailer could have come across Kemp's address/phone book at some point. Maybe he thought he would have a little fun pranking the numbers in the phone book (maybe he knew Kemp was a missing person) and it just got out of hand.

[dawnfla6aa2]

I just can't seem to grasp the idea that the phone company made a mistake as the guy in the trailer said. So I think he may have made the calls.

[klavkhalash]

How old would Don Kemp be today?
I found it funny that, being UM mentioned Dom Kemp was interested in Lincoln, a google search of his name generated this:

The Gettysburg Times > Archives > Obituaries > Don B. Kemp
Don B. Kemp, 75, of Carlisle, died Sunday, February 15, 2009. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m. from Camp Hill Presbyterian Church ...

[mattc]

I also agree that Don simply died of exposure, probably due to a psychological imbalance/crisis. I can certainly understand why his mother feels that there was foul play involved, as it's difficult to have closure when there is no logical explanation for how one's loved one ends up dead.

What I remember most about the episode was that beautiful, yet eerie image of Don wandering, alone, through the Wyoming museum, "speaking to no one."

[SMART67]

ididn'tdoit-thanks for your take on the case. I agree with you. I am almost certain that the guy in the trailer was gay...and wasnt out. It didnt help with the badggering that Don's mother put him through. (Which is understandable...she wanted to know what happened to her son).
Interesting case...perhaps my favorite.

Hi - I just learned of this forum. I knew Donald Kemp personally and for a short time. I knew him when he was living with his mother, Mary, in Salisbury, Maryland before he headed West to Wyoming. I helped Donnie find the Chevy Blazer he wanted for this trip to Jackson Hole to write a book on Abe Lincoln. Donnie was a big Abe Lincoln enthusiast and president of the Lincoln club. We had lots of time to talk about life while I was getting his Blazer ready for the trip. He was big into spiritual awareness and I learned a lot from him. He headed off to Wyoming and we never saw him again.

Donnie was a fiercely intelligent man who was deep. He was intoxicating because he held your attention. He was a perfectionist. He was a good looking man. He was sincere.

I remember when we got the call from Mary indicating Donnie had vanished. She was very upset and learning what happened to him became her sole focus. I haven't talked to Mary in 25 years and don't know where she is. But, I've long wondered what she ultimately did about her son's disappearance. I presume it remains an unsolved mystery.

Mary flew me to Wyoming early in 1983 to get Donnie's Blazer and bring it home to Maryland. During the trip back - his Blazer was broken into at Urbana, Illinois and a lot of his belongings were taken. Donnie had a CB in his Blazer. It was stolen too. This was April of 1983.

Donnie had a theory about pennies. If you found one face up - good luck. Face down - bad luck. When I arrived home with his '79 Chevy Blazer, there were two pennies in my front yard. One face up - 1948 - his birth year. One face down - 1982 - the year he vanished. Through the years, I have continually found pennies in my travels from Maryland to Alaska - 1982 pennies. I cannot explain this. Not all of them 1982 pennies - but most of them. How can anyone explain that? If anyone would like to chat with me about this unsolved mystery, I invite your contact.

[hostedbyrobertstack]

Hi - I just learned of this forum. I knew Donald Kemp personally and for a short time. I knew him when he was living with his mother, Mary, in Salisbury, Maryland before he headed West to Wyoming. I helped Donnie find the Chevy Blazer he wanted for this trip to Jackson Hole to write a book on Abe Lincoln. Donnie was a big Abe Lincoln enthusiast and president of the Lincoln club. We had lots of time to talk about life while I was getting his Blazer ready for the trip. He was big into spiritual awareness and I learned a lot from him. He headed off to Wyoming and we never saw him again.

Donnie was a fiercely intelligent man who was deep. He was intoxicating because he held your attention. He was a perfectionist. He was a good looking man. He was sincere.

I remember when we got the call from Mary indicating Donnie had vanished. She was very upset and learning what happened to him became her sole focus. I haven't talked to Mary in 25 years and don't know where she is. But, I've long wondered what she ultimately did about her son's disappearance. I presume it remains an unsolved mystery.

Mary flew me to Wyoming early in 1983 to get Donnie's Blazer and bring it home to Maryland. During the trip back - his Blazer was broken into at Urbana, Illinois and a lot of his belongings were taken. Donnie had a CB in his Blazer. It was stolen too. This was April of 1983.

Donnie had a theory about pennies. If you found one face up - good luck. Face down - bad luck. When I arrived home with his '79 Chevy Blazer, there were two pennies in my front yard. One face up - 1948 - his birth year. One face down - 1982 - the year he vanished. Through the years, I have continually found pennies in my travels from Maryland to Alaska - 1982 pennies. I cannot explain this. Not all of them 1982 pennies - but most of them. How can anyone explain that? If anyone would like to chat with me about this unsolved mystery, I invite your contact.

I think we would all love to hear more about Don from what you know of him. It is always very interesting when someone who actually knows the victims of these unsolved mysteries joins. The mysteries can sometimes lose the feeling of "reality" when you watch them over and over on a tv show...they just become that, a tv show that you forget was an event that actually took place.

I am interested to know his state of mind when he left, if he were depressed or anything regarding the accident he had had a few years prior. Please keep in touch with this thread. And the pennies incident, that is very interesting. I have had some friends pass and some things happen sometimes that are really beyond coincidence.

[justins5256]

Thanks so much for posting, SMART67! This has always been one of my favorite cases and one I have thought about a lot over the years since seeing the Unsolved Mysteries episode for the first time in 2004.

Do you have any theories about what may have happened to Don? Do you believe that he made those phone calls? Is there any possible way Don's family could have been mistaken about the dates the calls were placed?

Based on what the show presented, I find it very hard to believe that Don made those calls or was murdered, but I'm willing to hear different views on the subject if you know of evidence to the contrary.

[Hambone2421]

The phone calls came after Don disappeared/wandered off, yet before his body was found. His body was found in close proximity to where his truck was abandoned. Also, considering the weather conditions at the time it seems unlikely he lived for very long beyond that first day or so that he wandered off. Forget about going to another state and making phone calls.

The guy in the trailer was gay? Please. What facts do we have to base this off of? The fact that he moved? The fact that he called sex lines? The guy didn't even appear on the segment to be interviewed, yet we can make these assumptions about his sexuality? This is a classic case of coming up with a theory and then twisting and inventing the facts to fit it.

I agree, the whole gay thing is just absurd. I think if anything, this mystery guy in the trailer probably heard about Don's case and called pretending to be Don. I think the fact that Don's car was pulled off to the side of the road and still on, tells you that no one kidnapped/abducted him. If so, it seems like they would want to get rid of the vehicle. I think Don simply wandered out into the wilderness and died of exposure.

[JGpiper]

Hi - I just learned of this forum. I knew Donald Kemp personally and for a short time. I knew him when he was living with his mother, Mary, in Salisbury, Maryland before he headed West to Wyoming. I helped Donnie find the Chevy Blazer he wanted for this trip to Jackson Hole to write a book on Abe Lincoln. Donnie was a big Abe Lincoln enthusiast and president of the Lincoln club. We had lots of time to talk about life while I was getting his Blazer ready for the trip. He was big into spiritual awareness and I learned a lot from him. He headed off to Wyoming and we never saw him again.

Donnie was a fiercely intelligent man who was deep. He was intoxicating because he held your attention. He was a perfectionist. He was a good looking man. He was sincere.

I remember when we got the call from Mary indicating Donnie had vanished. She was very upset and learning what happened to him became her sole focus. I haven't talked to Mary in 25 years and don't know where she is. But, I've long wondered what she ultimately did about her son's disappearance. I presume it remains an unsolved mystery.

Mary flew me to Wyoming early in 1983 to get Donnie's Blazer and bring it home to Maryland. During the trip back - his Blazer was broken into at Urbana, Illinois and a lot of his belongings were taken. Donnie had a CB in his Blazer. It was stolen too. This was April of 1983.

Donnie had a theory about pennies. If you found one face up - good luck. Face down - bad luck. When I arrived home with his '79 Chevy Blazer, there were two pennies in my front yard. One face up - 1948 - his birth year. One face down - 1982 - the year he vanished. Through the years, I have continually found pennies in my travels from Maryland to Alaska - 1982 pennies. I cannot explain this. Not all of them 1982 pennies - but most of them. How can anyone explain that? If anyone would like to chat with me about this unsolved mystery, I invite your contact.

Thank you for your kind words about Don, I know who you are, and want to thank you for your help.

Don was most certainly not gay. Very much a ladies man, he was engaged at the time of his disappearance. He was extremely magnetic, a natural leader, extremely intelligent and very attractive.

The woman's phone number in New York was an unlisted and unpublished number. Don had it with him on the trip. The woman in New York is a well known artist in New York. It's possible this person in Casper came across Don's body in the prarie, took his money and his phone book, and placed a call for fun, as Don's address book was missing as well as his money. Mary Kemp tried to enlist the help of the Casper police, they did question this person, but shortly after, this person left the area. The police said they didn't have enough proof of anything to search his trailer. He refused a lie detector test. This person in Casper and Don's high school pictures looked very, very similar, strange.

An expert at an important government facility in Washington D.C. called and asked for Don's remains. Don was sent there. This doctor said he was in perfect condition, untouched, and there was no way he was laying in the prairie for 3 years. I am not at liberty to reveal what else was found but it is beyond bizarre.

So much occurred that wasn't on the show, some happened before his death, and some after.

By the way, Don's Blazer was broken into a second time in Salisbury, and some papers were taken, then Mary Kemp's storage locker was broken into and the rest of Don's things were stolen. Does anyone else think this is more than coincidence?

I wasn't going to write any of this, but some of the things being conjectured bothered me, and I wanted to set some of the record straight. We still are not certain what happened to Don. The family is still hopeful someone will come forward. Mary Kemp is now in a nursing home, still asking what happened to her little boy.

[sdb4884]

I'm sure this case got a lot of people interested in the show and was a good one to start off with.

[Apostapler]

Thank you for posting, JGpiper. Honestly, I have always felt that Don died of exposure soon after he went missing. The information that you posted makes me think otherwise, and the fact that the phone number of the woman in NY was among Don's things makes the phone call more ominous. I still don't have any ideas about what happened.

[SMART67]

I never thought for a minute that Don was gay. And it wouldn't have mattered if he was. He was a terrific friend, deep, spiritual, extraordinary - a life changer for me personally. Donnie taught me spiritual awareness. He taught me the value of looking deeper into who we are. I would have given anything for him to still be with us because he would have been a lifelong friend. I know he liked the ladies, was good looking, tremendous personality. I am sure he never had trouble finding good company.

I continue to have experiences where I feel like Don is trying to tell us all something from the hereafter.

Don had a theory that if you found a penny face up, it meant good things. Face down - bad things. When I returned from Wyoming in 1983 with his Blazer, there were two pennies in my front yard - a 1948 penny face up and a 1982 penny face down. Don was born in 1948 and vanished in 1982. Can anyone explain this? Did he place them in my yard knowing something bad was going to happen to him? Or, were they placed another way?

In my travels in the years since, I continue to find pennies. Several times - they have been 1982 pennies.

Thoughts and prayers have been with Mary for the 28 years Don has been gone. I've often thought of her and wondered how she was. My email is thesmart67@msn.com if anyone wants to discuss this.

[sdb4884]

This had all the earmarks of a car-jacking but who the heck would have been out there to rob him?

[DJ_Foxx]

Wow....the thing with the pennies is creepy :eek:


From watching the segment, I had figured he either died of exposure or possibl even committed suicide. Now I'm not so sure...

[mungo park]

As you all know, this case happened 28 years ago today. What most disturbs me about this case was that the cop in Casper who questioned the young man in the trailer where the telephone calls were made did not consider him a "person of interest". This cop believed this guy when he said that he just paid these phone bills even though he denied ever making those phone calls to New York. IMO, he held the key to what actually happened to Don. The cops should have never let this man leave and should not have been so naive as to believe him. This was a missed opportunity to solve this case and this detective should have been punished for very sloppy police work.

[mungo park]

Thank you for your kind words about Don, I know who you are, and want to thank you for your help.

Don was most certainly not gay. Very much a ladies man, he was engaged at the time of his disappearance. He was extremely magnetic, a natural leader, extremely intelligent and very attractive.

The woman's phone number in New York was an unlisted and unpublished number. Don had it with him on the trip. The woman in New York is a well known artist in New York. It's possible this person in Casper came across Don's body in the prarie, took his money and his phone book, and placed a call for fun, as Don's address book was missing as well as his money. Mary Kemp tried to enlist the help of the Casper police, they did question this person, but shortly after, this person left the area. The police said they didn't have enough proof of anything to search his trailer. He refused a lie detector test. This person in Casper and Don's high school pictures looked very, very similar, strange.

An expert at an important government facility in Washington D.C. called and asked for Don's remains. Don was sent there. This doctor said he was in perfect condition, untouched, and there was no way he was laying in the prairie for 3 years. I am not at liberty to reveal what else was found but it is beyond bizarre.

So much occurred that wasn't on the show, some happened before his death, and some after.

By the way, Don's Blazer was broken into a second time in Salisbury, and some papers were taken, then Mary Kemp's storage locker was broken into and the rest of Don's things were stolen. Does anyone else think this is more than coincidence?

I wasn't going to write any of this, but some of the things being conjectured bothered me, and I wanted to set some of the record straight. We still are not certain what happened to Don. The family is still hopeful someone will come forward. Mary Kemp is now in a nursing home, still asking what happened to her little boy.

I still insist this man in Casper should have been investigated more thoroughly and that his trailer should have been searched. He is the only hope of solving this case. But the Washington connection you mentioned really sounds bizarre. I don't know if UM runs the same case twice but a new episode of this case should have been aired and revealing all the things you mention.

Thanks for the info about Mary. I have always wondered whatever happened to her.

[cocytus]

Sorry to say, but this appears to have been a death by misadventure.

Here's why:

1) The condition of the vehicle. If they were going to kidnap him (for whatever reason) why didn't they also take the vehicle? Or try to destroy it?
2) The scattering of personal items between his vehicle and the cabin. Why would kidnappers do that? A lost,disturbed person would.
3) The scene at the cabin. Why would experienced person assemble wood on a wooden floor to start a fire? And then leave the victim's clothes at the cabin?
4) When his body was eventually found, it was found in an area between the cabin and his car. Again, if you are going to kidnap and murder someone,why return the body to the area where you took them from originally?
5) Signs of foul play were found on the body.

Some people are intrigued by the caller in Casper. There are two relatively simple explanations for the calls:

1) Kemp briefly stayed w/ this person and during that time used his phone to make the calls. This man and Kemp may have had a intimate relations and that, being in Wyoming, the man was unwilling to admit that was the case.
2) The man found the friend's name and address either on the road near the vehicle or in the items that Kemp left in the Lincoln Museum before he disappeared and decided to play "games" and call that person.

I sympathize w/ Kemp's family but this appears to be nothing more than the accidental death of a very troubled man.

[n8riley]

What ever happened the police seemed to say they started out think he wondered off and while most likely correct the investigation should have started off thinking the worse possible just in case it was. Another thing I wonder is when was the SUV moved like in John Cheek case it seems the cars were moved and in the areas both were that moved there transport out. Pilot/Cop says "And on the third day I think he wanted to get out but it was too late" I mean where does this theory come from. As for the phone records it seem the police were content it was just some error that Don left messages from the phone # phone companies don't make mistakes like this then the Sex-line caller say its a mistake and the police are content with this explanation when someone explains the phone calls I'll believe there was no foul play otherwise something happened on that desolate Wyoming prairie. And as for the mom in this case harassing the guy in the trailer can you blame her its like Mrs. Sova and Susan while in neither case was it productive (maybe even counter productive) I think its easy to understand why they did it and they shouldn't be faulted for it.

[justins5256]

1) Kemp briefly stayed w/ this person and during that time used his phone to make the calls. This man and Kemp may have had a intimate relations and that, being in Wyoming, the man was unwilling to admit that was the case.

Only problem I see with this is that I believe the calls were made after Kemp disappeared but before his body was found.

[cocytus]

Only problem I see with this is that I believe the calls were made after Kemp disappeared but before his body was found.

I'm not certain.
I'll have to watch the segment again.
It's odd that his friend didn't save any of the messages or apparently the the message tape, as a sound engineer could have probably identified the voice.

Here's another one: What type of accident was Kemp in? Was there a head injury involved? If so, that could explain his irrational behavior prior to his disappearance.

[zack007attack]

As you all know, this case happened 28 years ago today. What most disturbs me about this case was that the cop in Casper who questioned the young man in the trailer where the telephone calls were made did not consider him a "person of interest". This cop believed this guy when he said that he just paid these phone bills even though he denied ever making those phone calls to New York. IMO, he held the key to what actually happened to Don. The cops should have never let this man leave and should not have been so naive as to believe him. This was a missed opportunity to solve this case and this detective should have been punished for very sloppy police work.

Maybe those phone calls were made from the trailer BEFORE this man moved in there. The detective even indicated he pressured this man but he would not give in. The man probably moved away because he was afraid that the badgering he recieved might escalate, or he just found a better home.

Let's pretend the phone calls were made by Don, if they truly were. Those messages could have been left before Don disappeared, maybe Don rented out that trailer for a short amount of time as he made ideas for his book (the segment information at unsolved.com said he left New York in September of 1982, and his truck was found two months later), so perhaps he wanted to settle down somewhere for a short amount of time before he ventured out to where he might find a more comfortable home. Maybe he had roommates and they were unaware he was declared a missing person and were expecting him back sometime so they said he wasn't there at the moment when his friend called back.

Those phone messages could have been made months before they were recieved by his friend.

I think Don stopped at an intersection in the highway to stretch his legs or dig through his possessions for something he needed (like a music cassette or mapbook). It was cold, he couldn't find it, then he had a nervous breakdown and wandered off. Maybe he noticed aircraft searching for him and tried to hide in that hut because he mistook it for something that was trying to hurt him or something, then tried to get back to his car but couldn't beat the blizzard.

[crystaldawn]

I watched this case again recently and am leaning towards Don having a stroke. That would explain his bizarre behavior and being disoriented wandering out there in the middle of nowhere. Remember he did sustain a pretty significant head injury years earlier in that car accident. The phone calls just never fit in. I wonder if its possible if Don had stopped by that guys trailer and asked to use the phone. Maybe the guy living in the trailer didn't remember it when he was questioned.

[justins5256]

I watched this case again recently and am leaning towards Don having a stroke. That would explain his bizarre behavior and being disoriented wandering out there in the middle of nowhere. Remember he did sustain a pretty significant head injury years earlier in that car accident. The phone calls just never fit in. I wonder if its possible if Don had stopped by that guys trailer and asked to use the phone. Maybe the guy living in the trailer didn't remember it when he was questioned.

I watched this again a few nights ago (along with the other PSS), and noticed a couple things that I hadn't paid as much attention to in the past. On the segment, Kemp's family and Burr speak about how Don was a successful business man living in New York and had a "taste for the good life" until he got into a car accident that left him disabled. After the accident, Don seemingly rejected his previous lifestyle. He sold nearly all of his possessions and went on this road trip to Jackson Hole presumably to write about Abraham Lincoln. I took from his sister's comments that this change in Don's lifestyle was both radical and unexpected.

I also keyed in on a comment the state trooper made about the state of Kemp's car and the thought that perhaps someone "was out of a medication". The subject of medication wasn't addressed again in the segment and I find the trooper's mention of it here odd, like perhaps they were told, knew, or had reason to believe Don was taking something.

Given these clues, I think there may be more to this and I think Don was perhaps suffering from some possibly undiagnosed or misdiagnosed mental illness, possibly brought on by his earlier accident. I also wonder if something he saw or experienced on the road triggered memories of that earlier accident and caused him to have some sort of breakdown.

Maybe others have touched on this (I admit I didn't re-read this thread, I just looked for the most recent Don Kemp discussion) but I think the fact that Don seemingly had problems where and when he did (on the road) is telling considering his previous accident.

I think the possibility of mental illness wasn't considered or was written off by Kemp's family, which is understandable. It also makes the murder theory that much more attractive.

The phone calls came a few months after Don's car was found abandoned. If Don did die in the blizzard, as police suspect, then it would have been obviously impossible for him to have made the calls.

My gut feeling about the calls was and still is that they were a prank. I think this individual may have found Don's address book - either at the museum or possibly in Don's car while it was unattended and made the calls as some sort of joke.

[DarkDante]

I watched this again a few nights ago (along with the other PSS), and noticed a couple things that I hadn't paid as much attention to in the past. On the segment, Kemp's family and Burr speak about how Don was a successful business man living in New York and had a "taste for the good life" until he got into a car accident that left him disabled. After the accident, Don seemingly rejected his previous lifestyle. He sold nearly all of his possessions and went on this road trip to Jackson Hole presumably to write about Abraham Lincoln. I took from his sister's comments that this change in Don's lifestyle was both radical and unexpected.

I also keyed in on a comment the state trooper made about the state of Kemp's car and the thought that perhaps someone "was out of a medication". The subject of medication wasn't addressed again in the segment and I find the trooper's mention of it here odd, like perhaps they were told, knew, or had reason to believe Don was taking something.

Given these clues, I think there may be more to this and I think Don was perhaps suffering from some possibly undiagnosed or misdiagnosed mental illness, possibly brought on by his earlier accident. I also wonder if something he saw or experienced on the road triggered memories of that earlier accident and caused him to have some sort of breakdown.

Maybe others have touched on this (I admit I didn't re-read this thread, I just looked for the most recent Don Kemp discussion) but I think the fact that Don seemingly had problems where and when he did (on the road) is telling considering his previous accident.

I think the possibility of mental illness wasn't considered or was written off by Kemp's family, which is understandable. It also makes the murder theory that much more attractive.

The phone calls came a few months after Don's car was found abandoned. If Don did die in the blizzard, as police suspect, then it would have been obviously impossible for him to have made the calls.

My gut feeling about the calls was and still is that they were a prank. I think this individual may have found Don's address book - either at the museum or possibly in Don's car while it was unattended and made the calls as some sort of joke.

I always assumed that the medication Don was on (if any) would have been prescription pain pills. Being that Don Kemp had gone through a traumatic car accident it would not be at all unusual for him to have to deal with residual and recurring pain as a result of the injuries he sustained in the crash. Therefore painkillers could've been an everyday part of his life.

As far as mental illness goes, it's possible but again it's just too hard for me to make a judgment call on that just from the segment. There are a lot of people who after having gone through a traumatic event feel the desire to change their life in some notable way and that really doesn't necessarily correlate with mental illness. Just think of all those people who had near death experiences that were profiled on the show and subsequently moved their lives in a very different direction than the path they were on before the accident. I believe one guy became a preacher, another began to work heavily with local charity organizations in his area.

The phone calls baffle me. Yes they could be a prank but I have a hard time writing off Don's friend recognizing his voice. To me voice recognition is a little more credible than a brief eyewitness sighting of a missing person (which we've seen on UM many times are off the mark). In the case of Kemp this was a woman who would've have been familiar with Don's voice, heard the man on her answering machine identify himself as Don and she obviously believed the man on the tape to be Don Kemp. One question about the woman and her ability to being able to recognize Kemp's voice is whether or not she immediately discarded the message after receiving it. It would be interesting to know whether or not she based her judgment on whether or not it was Don Kemp on her answering machine based on just a brief cursory listen or something more substantial than that.

Edit: There is also something else we need to consider in this case and that is the possibility that Don Kemp committed suicide. There are a few cases like Don's that have been profiled on UM and one of them involved a man named Daniel Wilson who I believe also may have committed suicide. Both Don and Daniel had suffered through traumatic events in their lives with Dan Wilson having gone through a divorce and Don Kemp his automobile accident. There are life changing events that many people do not deal with all that well. In Don's case it's possible that he may have told his family that he was going to head out west to write a book on Abraham Lincoln but that could've all have been an elaborate ruse to allow him to get away from his friends, family and familiar surroundings to a place where he could give up the ghost. In my opinion that in enough of itself wouldn't be that uncommon.

I also feel that if Kemp's death was a suicide that it was a suicide in which the victim wanted an audience of some type. He made sure to leave several markers (for lack of a better term) so that his body would eventually be identified. He abandoned his car in a way that it would look extremely conspicuous to law enforcement who would have happened upon it. He left his belongings strewn out on the highway and also discarded further items as he continued walking into the prairie. He made a phone call to the Abe Lincoln Museum which could be an indication that he wanted someone to know he was in the general area where he more or less intended on taking his life. I think it's possible that Don Kemp did commit suicide possibly via drug overdose. He could've made the phone call to the museum, wandered off into the prairie, left some clues to where his body would be found behind and then took a lethal amount of pills and collapsed where his body was found several years later.

[zack007attack]

I watched this again a few nights ago (along with the other PSS), and noticed a couple things that I hadn't paid as much attention to in the past. On the segment, Kemp's family and Burr speak about how Don was a successful business man living in New York and had a "taste for the good life" until he got into a car accident that left him disabled. After the accident, Don seemingly rejected his previous lifestyle. He sold nearly all of his possessions and went on this road trip to Jackson Hole presumably to write about Abraham Lincoln. I took from his sister's comments that this change in Don's lifestyle was both radical and unexpected.

I also keyed in on a comment the state trooper made about the state of Kemp's car and the thought that perhaps someone "was out of a medication". The subject of medication wasn't addressed again in the segment and I find the trooper's mention of it here odd, like perhaps they were told, knew, or had reason to believe Don was taking something.

Given these clues, I think there may be more to this and I think Don was perhaps suffering from some possibly undiagnosed or misdiagnosed mental illness, possibly brought on by his earlier accident. I also wonder if something he saw or experienced on the road triggered memories of that earlier accident and caused him to have some sort of breakdown.

Maybe others have touched on this (I admit I didn't re-read this thread, I just looked for the most recent Don Kemp discussion) but I think the fact that Don seemingly had problems where and when he did (on the road) is telling considering his previous accident.

I think the possibility of mental illness wasn't considered or was written off by Kemp's family, which is understandable. It also makes the murder theory that much more attractive.

The phone calls came a few months after Don's car was found abandoned. If Don did die in the blizzard, as police suspect, then it would have been obviously impossible for him to have made the calls.

My gut feeling about the calls was and still is that they were a prank. I think this individual may have found Don's address book - either at the museum or possibly in Don's car while it was unattended and made the calls as some sort of joke.

That makes sense. The calls could have been a prank too. The friend of Don claims she is certain it was his voice on the messages, but she could have been mistaken; especially since this was back in 1982, maybe phones weren't as high quality back then, maybe that could explain for it. Either that or she simply misjudged because the caller sounded like Don.

Mistaken identity like this happens all too often today even in the investigation of crimes. Photo lineups and witness and/or victim identification of suspects is a perfect example. Many victims swear the police have the right person when they have them line up in person for identification, but other evidence such as fingerprints or DNA prove otherwise. I've seen examples like this on Forensic Files.

[justins5256]

Wow, I was just doing some Googling with regard to Don Kemp and came across this series of posts at the forbidden site.

I have pasted them chronologically, but not altered them otherwise. The author claims to be Don's sister. This is some story...

I am Don Kemp's sister . Don had done extensive research on Lincoln's death and uncovered some troubling information. He felt the information was sensitive and I was afraid for his welfare. When Don's remains were found I was called by the head of Smithsonian in Washington, they wanted me to send them Don's remains. Don's body was totally untouched, unheard of, except something very very strange. Why did Washington want Don's remains? How did they hear of our case? Too little space to expain.

Dr. Angel, head anthropoligist at Smithsonian, said there was no way Don could have been out in the prarie for 3 years. He was untouched, which is unheard of with wolves, bears, etc.. The hyoid bone was missing, and there was a perfectly small round hole in Don's head, which, he insisted, nothing he was aware of could have caused the hole, he had never seen anything like it. Don had given me a book, before leaving, and said I "may need this later", he turned to a page on the Pleiades.

There was a UFO group in the same area as Don's disappearance. They were there due to the cattle mutilations. One of Dr. Springer's group ( a UFO group) called me and told me they believed "they" (UFO's?) had taken Don. At this point I thought things just couldn't get any more insane, but, three years later, after receiving Dr. Angel's report, and speaking with him, and his puzzlement over Don's appearance and the hole, I didn't know what to believe anymore. Why give me the book?

Please read this from my first post bottom up. The Doctor's name was Dr. Angel, Not Angle. The calls were placed from Casper to a very close friend of Don's in New York. She is a well known artist there, was in Europe at the time of the calls. She had an unlisted, unpublished number. Don was the only one who had her number. The person who lived in the trailer in Casper from where the calls were placed, was physically my brother's double. I looked at year book pictures, could have been twins.

Did this person kill Don, take his phone numbers and make the calls? I believed this person worked in the field for oil company, could he have just come across Don's body taken the numbers off his body and called for some kind of joke? Since it appears they looked alike, could Don have been killed due to mistaken identity? Was Don killed because someone thought he knew something? Did UFO's have something to do with all this, crazy, but I have to look at all the known facts.

Did Don have some sort of breakdown and just walk out into the prarie? Possibly, but how do you account for Dr. Angle's findings. There is also a paranormal aspect to this story, which played a part in this story. Don had already done years of research when he and I went to the Surratt House in Clinton, Maryland. When we signed in, a woman at the front desk asked if he was the Don Kemp writing the book on Lincoln. He said he was, and she said she was told to give him the name of a woman. 

Before I go on about the paranormal, I want to mention something else. We hired a friend to drive the Chevy Blazer back from Wyoming. He stayed in a motel the first night before starting back. While he slept, the Blazer was broken into and many thing were taken. When we got the Blazer back to Salisbury, it was broken into again. Then, shortly after, my mother's storage area was broken into where she had put Don's research papers, and they were stolen.

We had salvaged a few tapes of Don's that weren't stolen, not in storage or Blazer, we sent them to a Mr. Carrington in Virginia who offered to help us. Shortly after receiving the tapes, his house burned to the ground and Mr Carrington was killed in the fire. I had given some things and papers of Don's to a Civil War store in Bel Air Maryland, I told him to donate the papers to Tudor Manor, home of the Booths in Bel Air. The owner of the store died in an accident, and the papers are lost.

A few words about the "search". We asked the sheriff if he had search dogs, he said no," sage brush stops up their noses", I looked anyway and on the second day found a group in the next county over from Carbon County. They asked to come in but the sheriff told them he wouldn't allow them to search. I then contacted the Civil Air Patrol, they were wonderful and had men and planes ready to go at dawn. They called the sheriff, he said it was his county and no one was going to tell him what to do.

The sheriff told them to stay the hell out of his county and he didn't want a bunch of 14 year olds running around seeing every bush as a person. They weren't allowed to search. My mother and I flew out to Wy., no one would meet, or talk with us. We rented a car and went to the museum to retrieve the pouch Don left, then to the motel where he spent the last night. We found all of these ourselves. I called all the hotels until I found the right one. We stopped everywhere we could think of.

Before we started to search, we were told, by the sheriff's office, if we went out there we may end up like my brother. We serched anyway . We walked out into the fields, I used a stick to go through large receptacles and dug through the snow, we crawled into these pyramid things in the middle of no where, they had little openings, big enough for a man, it was scary, bitter cold and the area was desolate, I couldn't save him, there was no help, I had let my brother down.

Please excuse all the misspellings, I tend not to proof read. It's very hard to tell this story in this format. So much happened, I'm leaving most things out and just telling some of the story. I hesitate to relate the paranormal aspect, as it still unsettles me, and is difficult to talk about. Don contacted the young lady who left her number at the Surratt House. They set up a night to have a seance, as this young lady claimed to be a psychic.

Please read this from my first post backwards. I told Don about the Surratt House being a chapter in a book I had bought about Hauntings in Balt. and Wash.. He thought it would be fun to go, so he flew down from NY and we drove to the Surratt House in Clinton, Maryland. There, the lady at the front desk gave Don the number and name of a young lady who lived just a few houses down from the Surratt House and had claimed to have been "contacted" about Lincoln's assassination and Mary Surratt.

Don couldn't pass this up, so he contacted her and we arranged a night to have a seance at her house. We drove separately, Don drove there with his long time friend, and I drove from Western Maryland. There were six of us present. Besides Don, his friend and myself, there was this young lady, (very attractive and surprisingly young), her husband ( a policeman), and a young man who worked for them caring for their kennel of dogs. We moved to a table which held, in the center, an ouija board. 

I was very apprehensive, but curious as to what would transpire. We sat around the table, Don placed a tape recorder in the middle of the table and set up a camera with light to record the session. We placed our fingertips on the planchette. The young lady, I'll call her Jane, started to ask questions and the planchette started to move. She began to speak in a strange voice, using antiquated words for items, words used in the 1800's. She mentioned Don's friend's cats then mentioned their names.

Please read from my first post up. It amazed me she knew the names of the cats as the names were very unusual, and I didn't even know them. Then she turned to me and told me she could see my little son sleeping in his crib, ( which frightened me), she didn't know I had a young son as I had just met her. She started to choke, I was sitting next to her, and I saw a red line starting to form around her neck in a circle, ending higher in the back of her neck, it was getting darker,

the room became very cold and the light on the camera Don set up across from me started to strobe, on, off, on off. Glancing up at the strobing light, I saw the shadow of a woman turned sideways, on the wall behind the camera, I knew she was sideways because I could see a bustle kind of thing and a long skirt. The light and camera came crashing to the floor the room became colder still. I felt as if evil had entered the room.

It seemed there was a lot of noise in the room because Don had to yell to be heard, he obviously felt as I did, this was pure chaos, he yelled to move away from the table, we gathered together, held hands, and recited the Lords Prayer, (not knowing what else to do), things gradually quieted down. I never went to another seance, but Don did. He kept in touch with Jane. It's, perhaps, easy to laugh at all of this, but I was there, and this is what happened. Mass hysteria, I don't think so

of course anything is possible, but I know what I saw and felt, and I never want to go through something like that again. So much happened after this, but I removed myself from this paranormal atmosphere, I didn't like thinking about it, the wrongness, ( or evil?) was palpable. Whatever it was, I felt it brought with it a terrible foreboding, and I was, unfortunately, correct to be worried for my brother.

Please read from my first post up. I was in the Harford County Historical Society, signing in to do some genealogical research. The lady at the front desk saw my name and said " You don't happen to know Don Kemp do you?" I was amazed and told her I was his sister. She said the Mudd people from Washington who were trying to exonerate Dr. Mudd had heard about my brother's research. They had been told Tudor Manor ( the Booth home in Bel Air Md.) was given some of Don's papers.

Please read from my first post up. I told her that was correct, I had asked the Civil War store to donate the papers to the Manor. She said there was a problem. They had thoroughly searched the house and there was no sign of my brother's papers anywhere. She asked if I knew of any other papers of my brother's, I told her all his papers and belongings had either been stolen or destroyed so we had nothing left. This was the last incident, and since everything is now gone, nothing has happened.

Please from my first post up. In summation, Don had done years of research, much in Washington D.C. and various archives, he said he had uncovered something very disturbing, but wasn't specific, did he, in fact find something, or is it possible someone thought he found something. I don't know how to explain all the break-ins, robberies and deaths, perhaps all of this is merely a coincidence. Why the phone calls 6 months after Don's "death" from Casper Wyoming to an unlisted, unpublished

phone in New York? Did the fact that the person who lived in the trailer from which the calls were placed looked exactly like my brother ( at least in the year book), again, maybe a coincidence and of no consequence. Don went missing in the same area of the Cattle mutilations. Three years later, Dr. Angel told me it was impossible, but Don was perfectly in tact, mummified, and no evident of any animal activity. Nothing had touched him. Dr. Angel said this was impossible and Don couldn't have

(please read from my first post up) been in the prairie for three years. He also said the small, tiny round hole through Don's skull was not caused by any animal, nor any instrument of which he was aware, he said he was totally mystified, and had never seen anything like it. I, (of course), dismissed all the calls we received from various UFO people when Don was first missing, totally crazy, but Dr. Angel's findings are, to use his words, mystifying. How did Washington know about Don's case?

(please read from my first post up) Where did they hear about Don and how did they know to contact me? ( I had moved to Chicago at the time) What was their interest and why? This is the gist of the story, there, of course are many, many other things, but this should give people an idea of our worry and confusion. No, my mother was not a "nut" as someone here said, but a mother, desperate for some answers. This is the first time I've told this story, people can make their own conclusions.

REAL curious to know everyone's thoughts. -J

[crystaldawn]

That was a great find Justin. Honestly though it just seems so out there to me. Possible UFO abduction and Lincoln assassination research retribution. I feel for his sister and trying to find out what happened to her brother as it is such a bizarre case, but don't you think she could be trying to read something into everything to try and find some answers? I did forward the info on to a friend of Don's I had communicated with a few times in the past so it will be interesting to see what his thoughts are on all of this seemingly new (to us anyway) information. I wonder if the person who is supposed to be writing a book on his death has spoken with her and will be putting any of these theories in there. Very interesting.

[justins5256]

That was a great find Justin. Honestly though it just seems so out there to me. Possible UFO abduction and Lincoln assassination research retribution. I feel for his sister and trying to find out what happened to her brother as it is such a bizarre case, but don't you think she could be trying to read something into everything to try and find some answers? I did forward the info on to a friend of Don's I had communicated with a few times in the past so it will be interesting to see what his thoughts are on all of this seemingly new (to us anyway) information. I wonder if the person who is supposed to be writing a book on his death has spoken with her and will be putting any of these theories in there. Very interesting.

While I feel a great deal of sympathy for Don Kemp and his family, I have a difficult time taking all of this seriously.

Over the years, we have been introduced to numerous families on UM who are desperately trying to ascertain the truth about a loved one's unusual death. In many of these cases, such as Norman Ladner and Tommy Burkett, the family presents plausible and logically sound theories that on the surface are difficult to discredit and many of us have actually come to believe to be true. I honestly can't say the same of this case, and this post really drives that point home. For some reason, the Kemp family seems fixated on finding a supernatural or conspiratorial explanation for Don's death and such theories, in my opinion, are the hardest to swallow.

That post aside, going back to the case as presented in 1987, we aren't given any plausible alternate explanations for the evidence that was found. Mary Kemp insists that her son wouldn't leave his car running in the middle of nowhere and march out into that prairie, dropping random possessions along as he went. Yet she also fails to explain who else would do so, and what the motive may have been.

The strongest evidence that something nefarious did happen to Don are those phone calls. However, that doesn't even really "fit" the murder theory if you think about it. Mary Kemp believes that Don was abducted from the area his Chevy Blazer was found in. Yet his abductors seemingly allowed him to live, presumably for several months in a trailer in Casper and make jovial phone calls to a friend in New York and even leave a call back number that was traceable to them. It doesn't add up. Also, re-reading her post, she concedes it possible that this man in Casper came upon Don's address book on Don's corpse in the prairie and made those calls. So, they did consider that a possibility at least, and I think that settles it.

Getting back to the post, what she has suggested sounds like something out of "National Treasure" or the "X Files". I just don't think the world works that way. Personally, as I have stated here before I'm a big fan of Occam's razor and try to let it guide me to a conclusion when one isn't readily available, and explanations about UFOs, cattle mutilations, and uncovered truths about the Lincoln assassination just don't fit.

[Gelatinous Goo]

I too tend to gravitate toward as simple a scenario as is possible in this case. Somebody presented a suicide theory in an earlier post. I would venture this to be the most plausible of all the explanations brought forth so far. Discounting the reasons why he chose to end his life, it makes such perfect sense that Don would "drop" his money belt at a Lincoln exhibit. He felt at home with the subject matter. In the pre-cell phone era, there was no way for Don's family to contact him. Perhaps he wanted to get the money to the family and felt he could trust his fellow historians to ensure that this would be taken care of properly. Then again, the segment made him out to be a man of means in his earlier life, so however much money was in the belt could very well have been a paltry sum compared to what was in his bank accounts.

[crystaldawn]

You also have to consider Don's mental state at the time he went missing. He just didn't appear to be acting normal. To leave your vehicle on and the door open at an intersection and just go. It makes me wonder if Don may have had some paranoia. Maybe he did think (possibly in his confused mind) that someone was after him which was why he gave his sister the book. Perhaps that would explain why he left his vehicle so abruptly and also why he may have been hiding from the rescue helicopters that were sent to search for him. It makes you wonder if his paranoia (if he indeed had any, just speculation on my part) may have contributed to his death since I do still believe he died of exposure in the blizzard that came a few days after he went missing.

[TheCars1986]

I took from his sister's comments that this change in Don's lifestyle was both radical and unexpected.

Sounds to me like either Kemp was depressed or suffering from some sort of mental illness. This case was always cut and dry to me, IMHO. Something biological happened to Kemp on his trip (stroke, mental illness, heart attack, not taking medication, etc.) that caused him to freak out and bail from his car. Shortly after abandoning his car I think he froze to death (just like the sheriff theorized), and his body was initially overlooked in the search for him. And those mysterious phone calls from Casper could have simply been a prank, plain and simple.

[DarkDante]

That was a great find Justin. Honestly though it just seems so out there to me. Possible UFO abduction and Lincoln assassination research retribution. I feel for his sister and trying to find out what happened to her brother as it is such a bizarre case, but don't you think she could be trying to read something into everything to try and find some answers? I did forward the info on to a friend of Don's I had communicated with a few times in the past so it will be interesting to see what his thoughts are on all of this seemingly new (to us anyway) information. I wonder if the person who is supposed to be writing a book on his death has spoken with her and will be putting any of these theories in there. Very interesting.

I personally stopped reading when I heard UFOs were being brought up. I still contend there is a far simpler explanation regarding Don's disappearance and death.

[justins5256]

The phone calls baffle me. Yes they could be a prank but I have a hard time writing off Don's friend recognizing his voice. To me voice recognition is a little more credible than a brief eyewitness sighting of a missing person (which we've seen on UM many times are off the mark). In the case of Kemp this was a woman who would've have been familiar with Don's voice, heard the man on her answering machine identify himself as Don and she obviously believed the man on the tape to be Don Kemp. One question about the woman and her ability to being able to recognize Kemp's voice is whether or not she immediately discarded the message after receiving it. It would be interesting to know whether or not she based her judgment on whether or not it was Don Kemp on her answering machine based on just a brief cursory listen or something more substantial than that.

While I lean toward the calls being a prank, the explanation is by no means problem free. For instance, Burr said there were six different messages allegedly left by Kemp. That seems kind of excessive.

Also, if the calls were a prank, I don't understand why the prankster would presumably leave a callback number that could be traced back to him.

I wonder if the woman saved the messages. I would also be curious to know the nature of them. Did Kemp sound distressed, for example.

The thought had occurred to me that since this woman was on a European vacation, she may have been gone for an extended period of time and the messages may have been old and actually left by Kemp BEFORE he went missing. I'm not sure if answer machines back then left a time and date stamp, but I doubt it. However, the segment alluded that the dates of the calls were firmly established by phone company records. Had they not been, then this whole issue might be moot.

Only scenario I can see then is Kemp staged his disappearance for an unknown reason, and perhaps did live with this man in Casper. Then this man or someone else murdered Kemp (or Kemp died for some reason) and returned his body to the prairie near the location Kemp's Chevy was abandoned. It seems far fetched to say the least.

Edit: There is also something else we need to consider in this case and that is the possibility that Don Kemp committed suicide. There are a few cases like Don's that have been profiled on UM and one of them involved a man named Daniel Wilson who I believe also may have committed suicide. Both Don and Daniel had suffered through traumatic events in their lives with Dan Wilson having gone through a divorce and Don Kemp his automobile accident. There are life changing events that many people do not deal with all that well. In Don's case it's possible that he may have told his family that he was going to head out west to write a book on Abraham Lincoln but that could've all have been an elaborate ruse to allow him to get away from his friends, family and familiar surroundings to a place where he could give up the ghost. In my opinion that in enough of itself wouldn't be that uncommon.

I also feel that if Kemp's death was a suicide that it was a suicide in which the victim wanted an audience of some type. He made sure to leave several markers (for lack of a better term) so that his body would eventually be identified. He abandoned his car in a way that it would look extremely conspicuous to law enforcement who would have happened upon it. He left his belongings strewn out on the highway and also discarded further items as he continued walking into the prairie. He made a phone call to the Abe Lincoln Museum which could be an indication that he wanted someone to know he was in the general area where he more or less intended on taking his life. I think it's possible that Don Kemp did commit suicide possibly via drug overdose. He could've made the phone call to the museum, wandered off into the prairie, left some clues to where his body would be found behind and then took a lethal amount of pills and collapsed where his body was found several years later.

While I don't think suicide can or should be written off, like my earlier "undiagnosed mental problem" theory, it's difficult to ascertain given the paucity of information on Kemp's mindset as presented in the segment.

There are some points that may suggest suicide; among the most obvious Kemp seemingly ridding himself of all of his possessions - behavior often seen in people who plan on ending their life. However, there could be alternate and equally logical explanations for this. For instance, Kemp may have needed to save up money for this trip.

One point not mentioned was the fact that searchers found evidence that Kemp tried to hide his trail. According to one member of the search party, Kemp had actually walked backwards in an attempt to hide his footprints in the snow. I find this behavior unlikely if suicide was his goal. That almost seems like paranoid behavior, which would bring us back into the realm of a mental problem or breakdown.

EDIT: Was Dan Wilson's death declared a suicide? I don't recall. I just remember the "aqua screen with white text" type update about his remains being recovered in 1997(?) Seems to me he may have had some mental problems brought on by carbon monoxide poisoning.

[DarkDante]

EDIT: Was Dan Wilson's death declared a suicide? I don't recall. I just remember the "aqua screen with white text" type update about his remains being recovered in 1997(?) Seems to me he may have had some mental problems brought on by carbon monoxide poisoning.

No Daniel's cause of death could not be determined upon the location of his remains. The carbon monoxide poisoning theory is also viable in my eyes just due to the evidence they found in the car.

[betterdayz2k12]

This is probably my favorite case from the entire Unsolved Mysteries series. I wish I could go out to Wyoming and solve it but it is probably too late...

[justins5256]

This is probably my favorite case from the entire Unsolved Mysteries series. I wish I could go out to Wyoming and solve it but it is probably too late...

I wouldn't say it's entirely out of the question. Someone is (or at least was) writing a book about the case.

[betterdayz2k12]

Wow really?

Do you have any more information on this? I have tried researching this case but haven't found anything at all on Google outside of the Unsolved site.

[betterdayz2k12]

Do you have any more information on the book to be written on this case? I can't find much on an Internet search

[StolenHail]

I hate to revive an old thread but somethings are just not adding up to me. First off how can a body lie in a prairie unnoticed for such an extended period of time. I understand the vastness of it but someone owns those fields and in a 3 year span had to of gone over his/her property. I guess it is possible that land is not owned or owned by the government but the land would still be checked on in a 3 year span. Another thing that puzzles me is how the body was so preserved. I'm pretty sure we can agree that the body was unmarked (I'm not going to go off of the sister's post sense it doesn't have much credibility in my eyes.) and unscathed for sitting in a a prairie for 3 years. The body would of been altered by the elements. Honestly that is what puts most of the holes in the theory that he wandered off on his own. On the note of suicide, that does make a lot of sense. There were indicated markers that just seemed set up by him so that way it would get noticed. Now here is my theory. Donald Kemp was abducted. Now this may seem improbable but hear me out. Donald Kemp was driving down the road and saw a car with warning lights flashing on the side of the road. He pulls over to see the issue and to help the man. The man (in my opinion) was the guy from the trailer. In my mind I want to believe it was battery trouble since Kemp's car was left on. Also it would explain the clothes on the ground. Kemp would have to look for the jumper cables inside the car but due to his belongings in the way he would haphazardly throw them on the ground. This is when the Man (i will refer to the trailer guys as the Man from now on.) either held him at gun point or with some other weapon. The Man then forced Kemp to walk in the prairie with his dufflebag. I'm not sure how they lose the dufflebag but either in a slight altercation he loses the dufflebag before removing 4 socks. You may remember during the UM episode that in the barn there were 3 socks, i mention 4 for some credibility to my theory but i'll touch on that soon. Now you maybe wondering how two people walk through the snow in one set of tracks. The simple is they walked single file with the Man pointing a gun at Kemp's back. The Man was careful to put his shoe in to Kemp's track. This maybe improbable but its the only explanation i can think of of how they got there and it would explain the walking backwards out of the barn theory presented by the police officer during the episode. Once they reach the barn they both enter and the Man tells Kemp to sit down. He then takes out the socks he retrieved from the dufflebag. He forces one into Kemp's mouth in order to silence him and then lays the other 3 on the ground. This kind of explains the socks found in the barn. Honestly i do not believe Kemp as smart as he was would only grab 3 socks. Now you may ask yourself where the fourth sock is but i will touch on that in a minute. The man attempts to start a fire out of sticks and fails. This explains the stick pile since it was cold. Kemp eventually falls asleep and this is when the Man removes his wallet (I'm not sure it was a wallet he had on his person or not, or if it was left at the museum pure speculation on my part) and the address book. I'm going to touch on the address book in a minute as you can kind of see where this is going. During the course of the night Kemp wakes up to see the Man either sleeping or distracted with trying to start the fire. I want to say he was sleeping since him not noticing his hostage leaving while awake seems implausible. It's at this moment that Kemp tries to escape the barn. This is where Kemp removes the sock from his mouth and backs out the door slowly. Now I know i eluded to the footprints to being two pairs in the same track however if Kemp walked back through the tracks to cover his trail his new foot prints would override the Man's giving the illusion that Kemp was the only one to enter the barn. This is merely speculation on my part. This is when Kemp passes away due to the elements. No foul play. I want to emphasize that. The Man wakes up freaks when he see's that Kemp is gone and sets out to find him. He leaves in hurry so he leaves the 3 socks behind but see's the 4th sock on the ground. He picks it up and stuffs it into his pocket. Seems kind of illogical but in theory it does make sense. Now here is where my theory hits a slight rut. I cannot decide if the Man ends up finding Kemp's body or not. As I previously stated i doubt his body was left out there for 3 years without being noticed or untouched so I'm leaning to the Man finding Kemp's dead body some distance away from the barn. MY theory is that The man picks up Kemp's body and brings to his car and drives off. Local authorities cannot locate the body since the Man has moved it. Everything fits into to place nicely. At least in my head. After the "kidnapping" everything gets hazy for me. For the body to be that preserved the Man would of had to of taken care of the body. Which could be possible. The man could of been sick in the head or been planning. He could of been planning to dump the body back in the prairie at some point so he was preserving the body until he felt enough time had passed. Five months pass. The Man is feeling guilty for what he has done. In essence he has murdered Kemp. Out of guilt, he picks a number in the address book he stole from Kemp and calls the number portraying Kemp. The woman in NY not being there is unable to pick up the phone. This causes the Man to call back multiple times in hope that she does pick up. This is when the Man realizes what he has done (calling the number wise) and waits for the inevitable call. The woman calls back and the man says Kemp isnt back yet hoping to draw away suspicion. Not the greatest theory but its better than a prank call. Honestly, if you're going to prank call someone you don't leave 5 voice mail then deny everything once they call back. A prank call as some humor in it for the person that is doing the pranking. In my eyes the way the calls were placed no humor was seen. Just my opinion. The calls are the oddest part of this whole case and despite my theory I cannot fully explain it. At some point the mother finds the Man and begins to question him along with local police. The Man begins to worry and panics. He grabs the body and shortly after flees town. He dumps the body a few miles in the prairie and drives off never to be heard from again. Some time later the body is found and the police right it off as death due to cold or whatever the official diagnosis was. The briefcase that was left at the museum by accident and doesn't have anything to do with the case at hand. There are some obvious holes in my theory but it seems logical to me.

[TheCars1986]

I wish we could know more about the traffic accident that left Kemp "severly disabled". Was it disabled to the point where he could no longer work, did it have an affect on his mental health , etc.? His sister said that as he recovered he became "disillusioned" with the NY scene and wanted to go out West. I think Kemp was obviously suffering from some sort of depression which may have been brought on by the fact that he was disabled, maybe not even being able to do the things he liked doing as a result. I believe that Don Kemp was not in the right state of mind as he traveled out West. I think that's the reason why his attache case was left at the museum. I think the Sheriff interviewed in the segment hit the nail on the head when he said that Kemp had mental problems and couldn't cope with them which is why he just up and out of the blue wandered off into the prairie, where he unfortunately died from exposure to the elements. There was no evidence of any other person on the trail or at the barn, and his autopsy revealed no signs of foul play. I think the sighting of Don in Wyoming 5 months after he was alleged to have died was either someone remembering the wrong date, or seeing someone who resembled Don who coincidentally also held an interest in Lincoln's assassination. As to the phone calls, I have no viable explanation for them. I don't think anyone can come up with one, unless it was an honest-to-God mistake by the phone company like the man from the trailer said. That really would be the only plausible explanation for them.

There simlpy is no evidence that there was any foul play involved. If Kemp was murdered, why were their only one set of prints in the snow leading from his car? Why would his killer/s target Kemp in the middle of such a desolate area? What are the odds that a killer would be waiting out in the middle of nowhere near the Wyoming prairie when a potential victim just so happens to drive by? What would the killers motive be in killing Kemp? Why not simply rob him and leave the area (since it was so desolate, an escape would have been easy)? To believe Kemp was murdered, we must also believe that his killers flagged him down on the side of the road, ordered him from his car (presumeably at gunpoint), marched him out into the snow, but the killer/s in an attempt to conceal their tracks walked where Don's tracks lay. Then, the killer/s marched Don to a barn, where a fire was started for some odd reason, and then killed Don in a way that fooled a coroner into concluding his death was from exposure. The killer/s then trudged back to Don's car and scattered Don's clothing around the area for another odd, unknown reason and then left. That's asking way too much to believe into the murder theory. It just makes absolutely no sense at all. The phone calls are the only thing that adds an heir of mystery to this case and actually hint (albeit slightly) that there was foul play involved. If you take away the calls you have an open and shut case.

On a side note about the calls to Don's friend, did she receive them while Don was supposed to still be alive, or was it the 5 months after he was supposed to have been dead? I don't remember if they specified in the UM segment.

[betterdayz2k12]

Great posts.

This remains my favorite segment from Unsolved Mysteries.

Justins5256, is there any more information on that book to be written about this case?

[kane7474]

I believe in the episode it was stated that Don had basically sold off everything and decided to move to write the book. I wonder if any money was recovered in his vehicle? Wonder if his bank account or credit cards where looked into. If Don was wandering around all this time then wouldnt he need money to live on? If foul play was involved then could it have been because he had a large sum of money on him??

It does seem odd that his body could sit in the middle of a prarie for three years without being seen but also there isnt much evidence of fair play besides the odd phone messages

[TheCars1986]

I believe in the episode it was stated that Don had basically sold off everything and decided to move to write the book. I wonder if any money was recovered in his vehicle? Wonder if his bank account or credit cards where looked into. If Don was wandering around all this time then wouldnt he need money to live on? If foul play was involved then could it have been because he had a large sum of money on him??

It does seem odd that his body could sit in the middle of a prarie for three years without being seen but also there isnt much evidence of fair play besides the odd phone messages

The segment made mention of an attache case that Don left behind at a museum. IIRC, it held several personal items including checks inside. He called the museum to say he'd be back to retrieve it, but never showed up. If he was on medication for something, maybe his meds were in the attache case which could have been the reason for his bizarre behavior. I can see him frantically searching for his medication (which is why his clothes were strewn all over the highway), and ultimately losing all control and just hiking into the priarie where he unfortunately died.

[kane7474]

The segment made mention of an attache case that Don left behind at a museum. IIRC, it held several personal items including checks inside. He called the museum to say he'd be back to retrieve it, but never showed up. If he was on medication for something, maybe his meds were in the attache case which could have been the reason for his bizarre behavior.

I can see him frantically searching for his medication (which is why his clothes were strewn all over the highway), and ultimately losing all control and just hiking into the priarie where he unfortunately died.
Well if thats what happened then this should be an open and shut case. But there is no mention of medication in the briefcase in the episode.

His mother is obvioulsy convinced that he was murdered. Surely if he had left medecine he needed behind she would know this and not be so dead set on foul play. Alteast I would think. I just wonder if he had a brain injury that simply caused him to go a little crazy and wonder out of his vehicle then die in the blizzard. Like I said before though its just crazy that his body sat out in that open prairie for so long without being seen.

[TheCars1986]

I just wonder if he had a brain injury that simply caused him to go a little crazy and wonder out of his vehicle then die in the blizzard. Like I said before though its just crazy that his body sat out in that open prairie for so long without being seen.

His mother's only real reason given as to why she thought Don was murdered was because her son would "never" wander off into the prairie and do the odd things that he did. That and the phone calls coming from that trailer. I really thought the mother came off as quite delusional in the segment. Especially when she confronted the man basically accusing him of murder.

[kane7474]

His mother's only real reason given as to why she thought Don was murdered was because her son would "never" wander off into the prairie and do the odd things that he did. That and the phone calls coming from that trailer. I really thought the mother came off as quite delusional in the segment. Especially when she confronted the man basically accusing him of murder.
How did she get ahold of his phone bill?? She said there was all kinds of calls to sex parlors. And I think the sightings of him or alleged sightings are also something she fed off of

[TheCars1986]

How did she get ahold of his phone bill?? She said there was all kinds of calls to sex parlors. And I think the sightings of him or alleged sightings are also something she fed off of

I believe she hired a PI who somehow gained access to the phone bills. But I could be wrong about that.

[Francium]

The segment made mention of an attache case that Don left behind at a museum. IIRC, it held several personal items including checks inside. He called the museum to say he'd be back to retrieve it, but never showed up. If he was on medication for something, maybe his meds were in the attache case which could have been the reason for his bizarre behavior. I can see him frantically searching for his medication (which is why his clothes were strewn all over the highway), and ultimately losing all control and just hiking into the priarie where he unfortunately died.

This makes the most sense. A few notes. . .

(i) Not finding a body in a prairie is not that unusual. We're talking about the wilderness of Wyoming. People don't frequent those lands often.

(ii) Police speculate he was off his medication, and I don't know why they are speculating such things if they had no reason to believe it. It's hard to say. Whatever the case was, evidence points that he had a paranoid personality. In the right environment or after a period of time, that paranoid personality will manifest into a serious episode. The circumstances that led to Kemp's body being found can best be described by a paranoid episode. So there you go. No one can say for sure if his medication was in the back, but no one can deny that evidence points to Kemp needing medication at the time of his death.

(iii) People have to realize that this Unsolved Mysteries segment is being told from the mother's point of view, so evidence that would point toward a more natural explanation won't be considered as much given time limitation. If she wasn't so fixated on the angle of murder, there is little evidence pointing to foul play.

(iii') Don Kemp's sister has no credibility whatsoever. Spooks don't kill non-historians for writing a history (probably a conspiratorial one) on the assassination of Abe Lincoln 120 years after the fact. Let's be serious. Add in UFOs, cattle mutilations, seances, psychics, and other nonsense, and she comes off as either a liar or as unintentionally misrepresenting what actually happened. If Kemp's mother is anything like his sister, she also would have no credibility.

Simply put, it seems certain that Kemp, for whatever reason, wandered off into the prairie, tried to hide from some x, and died in the process. Why did he wander off into the prairie is one question. That x was probably the helicopter. And that his body was discovered years later isn't that remarkable. Speculation past that requires grasping at straws. I mean, surely if a PI did an investigation, he would have found some tangible evidence that Kemp and that Casper guy knew each other. . .they would have lived in a trailer park after all.

[MegtheEgg86]

I wish we could know more about the traffic accident that left Kemp "severly disabled". Was it disabled to the point where he could no longer work, did it have an affect on his mental health , etc.? His sister said that as he recovered he became "disillusioned" with the NY scene and wanted to go out West. I think Kemp was obviously suffering from some sort of depression which may have been brought on by the fact that he was disabled, maybe not even being able to do the things he liked doing as a result.

What I think would be other useful things to know about the traffic accident are A) who was responsible for it, and B) did it leave anyone else disabled or even dead?

If Don was suffering from some sort of great guilt from the circumstances of the accident (in addition to the probable physical pain he had to cope with), I think there's definitely a strong likelihood he committed suicide.