Cold Case of Jaryd Atadero / Peculiar Occurrences

on October 2 1999  3 year old Jaryd Atadero, went on a hike up the Big South Trail in Podure Canyon, Colorado with a group of adults  and his 6 year old sister. The Child never returned.

The Case was rule death by mountain lion tho there where never any real evidence to this.

There was so many peculiar happens surrounding the Case  that David Pauladies dedicated a huge part of his book to this Case. As well Jaryd father Allyn Atadero wrote a book about everything that happened.

Lets discuss this peculiar differences an the Peculiar events that came later.

Welcome to Peculiar Occurrences I am your host Lilith Nova.

(Intro)

At the time of the disappearance, the Allyn Atadero’s owned the Poudre River Resort and was a teacher in Littleton. He had a strong Christian background and had actually placed cross on his resorts sign as a notification to travelers that this was a safe place to ask for assistance. He even offers free serves to hikers in distress.

One day a Allyn Was getting his resort ready for the winter season with a few volunteers he had given free cabins to they where a  group of regulars that came in with a Christian Singles Network group. They wanted to go just around the conner to a Fish Hatchery. It was about 1 mile away. Allyan's 6 year old daughter Josy wanted to go with them. Soon after 3 year old Jaryd ran up asking his father if he could also go. At first the father said  no 3 or 4 times to the boy then one of the hikers came to Allyen and  told him if he wanted to let him go that would be ok.

The children where put into a car and taken a mile up the road to the fish Hatchery.  The group was just suppose to look around at the trout then return back. for some reason they decided to hike about 20 miles further west an go hiking with these kids to a lake further in. No one went back asked permission and later on Allyn said he would have never allowed his children to go on such a hike.

While on the trail, the ten adults were split between two groups, and the kids were running between the groups. It is thought that, Jaryd most likely ran ahead to catch up to the lead group, and then ran past them to ‘surprise’ them on the trail. This was the last time he was spotted by his group. 

Back at the Lodge Allyn Atadero went to take a nap, and was woken up by the church group who informed Allyn that It's about Jaryd "he was fine, but we just can't find him" Then proceeded to tell him they had went about 20 miles up to the big south trail an lost him on the big south trail.

Allyn immediately jumped into his car an  drove about a haft hour up to the trail to look for his son as a employ of his called for search and rescue back at the resort. When Allen arrived he was met by a man who had been on the original hike who took him to the last spot his son had been seen. They ran up the trial yelling for the boy.  With no Luck. Allen went back to the parking lot to radio back to the resort an tell them he didn't find his son and a deputy that he knew quit well from talks over coffee was waiting for him. The officer told him not to worry Search and rescue was on it's way and they would find Jaryd.

Search and rescue arrived with in 30 minutes from Fort collens.

On arrival they told Allyn Atadero if he is up here we will find him.

 A five day search for Jaryd was held by Larimer Co Sheriff's office, but was thrown off  due a SAR helicopter crash on Oct 5th, and snow that rolled into the Rocky Mountains shortly after.

. 3 days after the disappearance of theirs on Allyn an his Twin where driving down the road when they heard on the radio that Jaryd was  spotted by two fisherman on the trail that day  , who he approached he started smacking the water with a stick and asked them if there were bears nearby. The fisherman confirmed that they were in bear country, They then asked the boy to quit hitting the water that he would scare the fish and Jaryd then left. Which a lot of people including my self found very peculiar. What is also Peculiar is this account was never reported to the Atadero family by police.

 Searchers found a set of 'prints' that were initially thought to be Jaryd's, but were later identified by wildlife experts as bear tracks that were interwoven as the bear went up and down the trail.

After Jaryd was reported missing and SAR started their work. Allyn’s twin brother, Arlyn came out from California to support his brother. Their mom and friends also rallied around the family and tried to continue to keep spirits upbeat. At one point the family asked the SAR team and sheriffs if they could go up the trail and view the place where Jaryd vanished? This is a reasonable and normal request. Remember, the singles group was the last people to see Jaryd. Allyn was at his resort when the group took Jaryd to the trail. Arlyn was in California. There was no way that Arlyn or Allyn were suspects and the sheriffs were telling the family there was no evidence that Jaryd had been abducted. When the family asked to go down the trail, there was a Peculiar response, “No.” When the family subtly pushed it, they were threatened with arrest if they stepped on the trail. Allyn said he and the family never understood the stiff response.  david Pauladies is also quoted saying " I never heard of a SAR team or sheriffs member making a statement like that."

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 During the point that searchers and canines were working the scene, Allyn was at the search headquarters at the trail head when two SAR workers came in and asked for a bag in a cupboard. One of the canines needed Jaryd’s scent to work the area and the bag supposedly had a piece of his clothing. Allyn grabbed the bag and looked inside and saw a pair of his own shorts. He was dumbfounded. He looked at the SAR leader and asked if this was the bag they were using for scent? He was told that it was. He asked how anyone could misinterpret a man’s pair of shorts for something a small three-year old boy would be wearing? The SAR leader got up towards Allyn’ and stated: “We can call off the search right now.” This statement infuriated Allyn

The response from the SAR leader is troublesome and confusing. First, they want to keep the Atadero’s off the trail and threaten them with arrest. It is then determined that SAR officials aren’t using a scent piece from Jaryd, then threaten to quit.

            It was about this time that Allyn was having a discussion with SAR and sheriffs about the trail and any opportunity an abductor would have about escaping the valley without being noticed. He was told by officials that there was only one way in and one way out of the river valley and that was via the Big South Trail head, days later, Allyn determined that this was entirely untrue. There are several ways to exit the valley other then via the trail head. Again, either the official was incompetent or lying.

Another Peculiar event around this disappearance. There where expert trackers with some of the best search and rescue dogs in the county that called and traveled 1,000's of miles to help find this boy an all of them where turned away by the sheriff.

Until a man named don Vandal called Allyn an said hey I got some of the best sniffer dogs in the country I also have horses that are good at finding people I wanna help find your son. So this time Allyn didn't ask police because he was always told no in the past. He told the guy to come on up.

The next day  Allyn went to the trail to meet don the media was there. Allyn told the Sheriff who don was an that he was there to help. The sheriff told him no he is not allowed on the trail. don grabed the sheriff by the arm an said  "Look we are ether here for the same reason to find this boy or we are not. and  if we are not then I am going to walk over there to all of the press tell them who I am an that I am here to help an that you wont let me on that trail.  At that point the Sheriff gave don a radio an told him he could go up the trail but he wanted him to stay in touch with the Sheriffs search and rescue team.

But the Peculiar part is he had to threaten him to go up the trail.

dozens of rescue groups later reported to allyen that they too where turned away.

At another point early in the search Allyn was at the search headquarters near the trailhead and engaged one of the sheriffs officials in a conversation. He was told that his son was in the river. The water was extremely cold and the body wouldn’t be found for four years. Where would anyone get the idea that this was a good idea to tell a parent an why would he assume it would take 4 years to find him?

At another point Allyn was at the search an rescue center when he met with a searcher that showed him a map an said I know this is where your son is I have tracked him to this spot I just cant find him and no one will listen to me about this will you take this map to the sheriff an ask him to search there. Jaryds mother called an was denied she was told they don't have the time or resources to go up to that spot.

Around the area this search an rescue personnel  tried to get the sheriff to search 4 years later as the official had predicted the 1st clues to the boys disappearance was found.

Partial remains were found on June 14th, 2003. The remains were parts of a skull cap and a tooth. There where also clothing an shoes found.

Both the remains and the clothing were found on a cliff above the trail, which was difficult to traverse. Investigators struggled to get up the cliff.

Jaryd went missing on a trail that is marked moderate to strenuous. There is a net gain of over 1000 feet, going to 9553 feet’, and the trail is 6.5 miles in one direction. This is not a trail for unprepared or inexperienced hikers, by any stretch. Weather conditions can never be dismissed either. Colorado is notorious for temperature shifts of 40 degrees in Denver. Trails can have even more significant shifts in weather in a very short time. 

After the remains where found the police made a statement that they believed the child was attacked by a mountain lion.

The  shirt was found tattered but not ripped as if torn off by a mountain lion. The pants where full of holes an missing a leg the shoes looked brand new. Not a spot of dirt or scratches on them. The colors where still vibrant an not worn or weathered.

Allyn showed the cloths to privet experts who told him there was no way this kid was attacked by a mountain lion an drug up the side of the mountain. The shirt was not ripped as it should be to be taken off him by a mountain lion, If he had been  dragged up the mountain by a lion there would be scratches on his shoes they would not be bran new looking. Also Allyn was taken to the spot where they found the shoes when the Paints where found. They where found inside a as if someone had removed the pants from the boy. The hole was from them being torn apart by animals to make nests an there where blue fibers from the pants all vear the area. Later when police presented the evidence to the public Alyen noticed the paints where no longer inside out he  demanded to know why an was asked how he even knew they where found that way. He stated he had been at the scene when they where found. He never got an answer an the officer refused to fix the paints back before they where presented to the public.  Also another strange thing is the tooth was found laying on top of pine needles. One would think that after for years it would have been buried by the pine needles.

When they sent the boys clothing to be analyzed there was not a speck of blood or tissue on them. If he where attacked by a mountain lion all 3 should have been present. Blood should have been all over them.

Allyn had the skull cap examined 3 times the 1st 2 came back 86% chance it was Jaryod. The the man who the dna test in the Koby Briant case took the case. He was able to 100% confirm that this was indeed Jaryd.

Allyen was also told that scratches found on the skull was from being rolled around in the river. At first privet experts thought perhaps the canyon flooded an the boys stuff was deposited where they where found. Then they where given the information that they where found at least 500 feet or more up the mountain away from the river. Which left the experts baffled.

The tooth was also tested the DNA obtained from the dental evidence recovered was contaminated with. DNA expert from Ohio told Allyn at a later date that the tooth was contaminated with more than one persons DNA. Which is peculiar because All DNA experts know that you cleanse the item prior to testing to eliminate any contamination. The tooth was destroyed by the analysis. 

There was also also strange hair that was not the boys found on the collar of Jaryds shirt.  The sheriff also sent the hair they collected off Jaryd’s collar to the lab. They told Allyn that the hairs were non-human and not Mountain lion and not to worry about it. They never gave Allyn the hair report and never told him what the hairs belonged to. Think this through clearly. You are the investigator and you are attempting to understand what killed a small boy. Wouldn’t you want to know what those hairs belonged to? Hair and fiber experts know what every animal hair looks like. They have a guide to every hair in the wilderness and it’s their job to match them. Why wasn’t this completed? Why wasn’t Allyn given a copy of the hair report? He was given the DNA report and every other imaginable report, but that one. He still doesn’t have it.

Another Peculiar Occurrence in this case is Ranger Craig Weston reported spotting a boy matching Jaryd’s description in Mesa Verde National Park with a man. The boy kept holding Ranger Weston’s hand during a tour, which struck Weston as odd. Mesa Verde is in South West Colorado, an 8 hour drive from where Jaryd was last seen. Nothing came of this lead or witness descriptions. Allyn Atadero says authorities never followed up on this lead, Allyn requested FBI involvement, and an Amber Alert to be issued. as he had become convinced the boy had been abducted. FBI declined, as they saw no evidence of a crime. Did Ranger Weston see Jaryd? Did the authorities investigate this lead? Is this a case of mistaken identity, or was Jaryd abducted?

There was also the involvement of a woman named Shelley Goff who was charged in 2001 after calling Allyn Atadero numerous times with false information regarding his son. She claimed that one of the women on the hike had Jaryd and wanted to return him, and later that he was in a Mexican Labor Camp. She wanted to ‘help’ because she claimed she had been abducted as a child herself. Did her false hope help add to the questions regarding this case?

Now that Allyens daughter Josy is grown up she got a degree in criminology to help her figure out this case. She found out that there where all these pictures and reports that where never offered to the family but that as a family they could request all of these reports. Allyen was able to request them an received them through the mail on a cd.

Although officials have marked this as a solved case, that Jaryd was most likely killed by a mountain lion, his father Allyn contends that an abduction leading to foul play was the cause of death.

But what do you think about this Peculiar Occurrence Let me know down in the comments  below