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Vest, Darwin 06/03/99; Idaho Falls Idaho
Topic Started: Jul 24 2006, 12:13 AM (741 Views)
monkalup
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The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
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http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/i...4880.xml&coll=7

Spider expert's disappearance a web of disjointed clues
Idaho Falls - Family members hope for answers seven years after Darwin Vest went missing
Sunday, July 23, 2006
REBECCA BOONE
BOISE -- Every summer, thousands of hobo spiders crawl underneath doors and through crawlspaces into Idaho homes -- little reminders of a man who took on nature's most venomous creatures, only to disappear without a trace seven years ago.

Darwin Vest was among the first toxicologists to link the rising number of venomous spider bites in the Northwest to the newly arrived European hobo spider. He became a renowned hobo spider expert, helping to educate doctors and residents about the arachnids.

And on June 3, 1999 -- just before the start of hobo spider mating season -- he vanished, becoming one of Idaho's unsolved mysteries.


"It was Darwin's favorite time of the year," said his sister, Rebecca Vest. "He loved the heat and when all the critters came out."

Though his missing person case is still open, the Idaho Falls Police Department's investigation is considered inactive, and detectives at the department believe Vest died after falling into the rushing Snake River that cuts through town.

"We're stuck until somebody comes forward or we find some remains," said Lt. Joe Cawley, the department's spokesman. "That's why we're not positive he's deceased -- we just don't have any indications. We don't have any signs of foul play or notes of suicide, nothing as far as him packing up his clothes and leaving."


Day of his disappearance


A few things are known about Vest's actions that day. He met Eric Seneff and another friend at a bar to play an interactive trivia game.

"He was good with science, and I was good with entertainment. And we made quite a team," Seneff said. "I left about 12 p.m., and he and another friend went to another bar. He was probably a little drunk -- one thing about Darwin was that he didn't hold his liquor very well, and that was his one Achilles' heel."

The 48-year-old Vest eventually decided to walk home in the rain, declining a taxi ride, said Idaho Falls police Sgt. Jim Hoffman. He loved to walk, especially at night, and his route may have taken him by the river where he often gathered data about spider habitat.

"Yes, Darwin would have had some reason to be down by the river, but he hated rain, like a cat," Rebecca Vest said. "I just have no doubt in my mind -- there just had to be foul play involved."

Darwin Vest had been assaulted and robbed a few years earlier, and some suspected that his attackers had returned. But Hoffman said police checked all those leads, and didn't find anything suggestive of a crime.

"Most of the leads we get are people overhearing someone saying that someone else talked about killing him, and none of those have turned out," Hoffman said. "When you have a small town, lots of rumors get started."


Vest was well-liked by most but did ruffle some feathers in the community, Seneff said.

"Most people just devote themselves to making money, getting married and having kids, but he listened to a different drummer," Seneff said. "A lot of people thought he was weird or gay, but I think he was truly an asexual guy. He was also an atheist, and this community is really Mormon."

A few hours after Vest's disappearance, a woman who lived several miles south of Idaho Falls called police to report she'd seen the body of a man floating on the river, Rebecca Vest said. Family members believe that man was likely Darwin Vest, and after several years of searching they had him legally declared dead in 2004.

A few years after Vest's disappearance, the family learned that a police officer had seen someone lying by the river bank that night, but assumed it was a transient, Rebecca Vest said.

"Shame, shame on them. They could have saved Darwin's life. But then, you try to follow up on a story like that and everything falls apart," she said. "I think that if he was down there, he may have been stabbed, drugged or beat up and he needed help."


"In a way, it never ends "


Either way, these days Vest's family and friends try to move on, but it's hard -- especially during hobo spider season, during holidays and when the anniversary of his disappearance rolls around, Rebecca Vest said.

"In a way, it never ends -- it feels almost as traumatic as when it first happened," she said. "Darwin was so fascinated by life itself, and by mysteries: If there was something unanswered, he would research it."

Rebecca Vest worked with Darwin before his disappearance, the two milking the fangs of hobo spiders to study their venom and researching the spiders' expanding western habitat.

"Since I was a little girl, he was teaching me about snakes and spiders and venomous fish and sea life. We always had these amazing specimens around," she said. "I thought he was invincible, having done all this research and handled venomous snakes that would kill you if they grazed you with a fang.

Even now, when she sees a spider, she's more likely to grab a digital camera than a fly swatter, and to silently wish for an end to Darwin's mystery.

"It's unimaginable that he's gone," she said. "If we could just know what happened, that's all I hope for."


Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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monkalup
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PIC: http://www.isp.state.id.us/mp_viewer/showM...n?id=M218168134

DARWIN KENNETH VEST
LAST DATE OF CONTACT : 06/02/1999

DOB : 04/22/1951 HEIGHT : 5'09"
GENDER : MALE WEIGHT : 160 lbs
HAIR COLOR : BROWN EYE COLOR : BLUE
RACE : WHITE


CASE INFORMATION :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject wears a black leather jacket, 501 Levis, shoulder length hair, beard, mustache.

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PERSON PLEASE CONTACT :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IDAHO FALLS PD 208 529-1200
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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monkalup
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http://charleyproject.org/cases/v/vest_darwin.html

Darwin Kenneth Vest


Above Images: Vest, circa 1999


Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: June 2, 1999 from Idaho Falls, Idaho
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: April 22, 1951
Age: 48 years old
Height and Weight: 5'9, 160 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Vest had a trimmed beard and moustache at the time of his 1999 disappearance. He has a scar on his forehead. Vest's nickname is Dar.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A black leather jacket, Levi's 501 jeans, a black belt, a distinctive brass belt buckle and a watch with a spider design on its face.


Details of Disappearance

Vest was last seen in Idaho Falls, Idaho during the early morning hours of June 2, 1999. He played a weekly trivia game at the Frosty Gator with friends, then walked to the Golden Crown Lounge on Shoup Avenue for a nightcap. Vest disappeared while walking back to the residence he shared with his mother. It was raining that night, but he declined a taxi ride. Vest has never been heard from again.
Vest is a toxicologist and an expert on spider, snake and plant poisons; he also named the hobo spider with his sister. He owned Eagle Rock Research in Idaho Falls in 1999, and also worked as a projectionist for Micro Moviehouse. He has no formal degree, but was self-taught intsead. Vest often testified about spider bites in court and occasionally worked with the Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He had also appeared on the Discovery Channel. His sister told authorities that a company was interested in purchasing a hobo spider trap kit Vest invented shortly before he vanished. The deal was reportedly quite lucrative, but it is not known if it was connected to Vest's disappearance.

Vest's family has said it is very uncharacteristic of him to leave without calling any of his loved ones. They suspect foul play was involved in his case. Vest's relatives stated that he had not been informed when a man who assaulted and robbed him in 1997 was enrolled in a work release program shortly before he disappeared in June 1999. According to his family, the individual has since been arrested again and released several times on drug charges. The person has never been charged in connection with Vest's case and it is not known if he or she was involved. Authorities stated that the individual was placed in a halfway house at the time of Vest's disappearance and could not have escaped undetected. Several of Vest's loved ones believe that the person was seeking retribution and may have harmed Vest the night he vanished. He is known for taking many late-night walks.

Investigators said that Vest had been drinking the night of his disappearance. He does not hold his liquor well and may have been intoxicated when he was last seen. Authorities theorize he may have stumbled into the Snake River while walking home. Vest's family members dispute that theory, saying that he was not a heavy drinker and the river was not along his usual route home. A witness reported seeing a body floating in the river the morning after Vest disappeared, but authorities were unable to locate the remains, if there were any. Investigators admitted that the Snake River was never thoroughly searched. Other relatives believe that an unidentified man seen at the bar with Vest prior to his disappearance was involved in his case. Authorities said that they located the individual and questioned him, but he is not a suspect.

Authorities do not believe that Vest chose to leave of his own accord or committed suicide. They said that their investigation led through eatern Idaho and into Utah, but did not provide specific details. There has been speculation that Vest chose to leave of his own accord and moved to Mexico, but no evidence has been located to support the theory. Vest's case remains unsolved. His family and friends held a memorial service for him on June 3, 2000, the first anniversary of his disappearance, and he was declared legally dead in March 2004.



Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Idaho Falls Police Department
208-529-1200



Source Information
Idaho Missing Person Clearinghouse
Hobo Spider Web Site
The Detroit Free Press
The Boston Globe
The Seattle Times
The Post Register
The Idaho Statesman
Moscow Memorial for Darwin Vest
Jeff Rense Program
North American Missing Persons Network


Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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monkalup
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Idaho Falls Police Department
208-529-1200

NCIC Number: M-218168134

Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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