Vilate Kerreen Young
Also Known As:
Unidentified Person Notice: In English, unidentified women are generally known as “Jane Doe” and unidentified men as “John Doe.” This means the victim’s true name is not available at this time.
On July 4, 1956, 15-month-old Vilate Kerreen Young vanished from a large family picnic at her grandfather's ranch near Widtsoe, Utah. She wandered away while relatives churned ice cream; her teddy bear was found nearby.
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Details
🪪 Description
Date of Birth*: Estimated April 1955
Birthplace: Monteview, Idaho, United States
Age at the Time: 15 Months (1 Yr old)
Age Group: Infant
Biological Sex: Female
Hair: Strawberry Blonde, Curly Hair
Eyes:
Skin Complexion:
Shoe Size:
Ethnicity: Caucasian or White
Nationality: United States
Languages Spoken: English
*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.
💪Physical Build
Physical Build:
Height:
Feet and Inches (ft’ in”)
2’0″ – 2’6″
Centimeters (cm)
61 – 76 cm
Weight
Pounds (lbs)
20 – 25 lbs
Kilograms (kg)
9 –11 kg
👁️ Distinguishing Features
Distinguishing Marks:
Medical Condition:
Physical Abnormality:
Dental Condition:
Scars & Other Marks:
Piercings:
Tattoos:
Other Descriptors:
👕 Possessions
Clothing
- Either a light cotton dress or a red and white checkered nylon dress
- Sandals
Possessions:
- Teddy Bear (located)
The Facts
❓Disappearance
Date of the Disappearance*: July 4, 1956
Description: Vilate Kerreen Young, a 15-month-old toddler, disappeared on July 4, 1956, during a large family Fourth of July picnic and celebration at the Newel (or Newell) Steed Ranch near Widtsoe, Utah (close to Bryce Canyon in Garfield County). Her family had traveled from their home in Monteview, Idaho, to attend the gathering at the ranch owned by Vilate’s maternal grandfather.
While several family members were churning ice cream near one of the ranch’s outbuildings, Vilate wandered away. She was carrying a teddy bear, which was later found near the spot where she was last seen. A young cousin reportedly told others, “Vilate has gone up the hill and won’t come back.” An extensive search followed, involving hundreds of people on foot and horseback, bloodhounds, and airplanes over the rugged, remote terrain of the Escalante Mountains foothills. Despite 10 days of intensive efforts, no trace of Vilate was found, leading authorities to conclude she was likely abducted rather than lost or killed by wildlife. The sheriff stated they believed the child was no longer in the area. The case remains unsolved and is classified as a cold case, with kidnapping as the primary theory.
Multiple Victims?: No
Rumored or Actual Sightings:
*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.
🪦Recovery
Date the Body was Recovered:
Description: Unknown
Time of Death:
Cause of Death:
Recovered Remains (if partial):
Suspected Homicide?: No
Multiple Victims?: No
DNA Tested (No Match):
*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.
🚗 Vehicle
Description:
License Plate:
🧑🤝🧑 Key Person(s)
Description:
Location
Address: Newel (or Newell) Steed Ranch near Widtsoe, Utah (close to Bryce Canyon in Garfield County)
City: Widtsoe
Province or State: Utah
Country: United States of America
Postal Code: 84712
Latitude, Longitude: 37.8271834,-112.0222526
General Location: Rural, Wild Outdoors
More Details
Related Cases:
Map of Key Specific Locations:
N/A
Photos
Additional Resources
Contact Police
Contact Information — United States of America
Agency 🏢
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Phone Number 📞
Emergency Phone Number 🚨
Website 💻
Email Address 📧
IDD Prefix
011
Country Code
+1
Additional Contacts
- National Crime Information Center (NCIC) — Website
- Crime Stoppers USA — Locate a Program
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) — Website
- National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) — Website
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