Naman Shrestha
HBO Max’s ‘Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth?’ focuses on Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins of Evansdale, Iowa, but it also explores other kidnappings that occurred during the 2010s. One of the cases that the docuseries covers is the May 2013 abduction and murder of Kathlynn Shepard of Dayton, Iowa. While investigating the case, the authorities found a potential connection with the case of Lyric and Elizabeth’s kidnapping and murder. The series also features the loved ones of Kathlynn and the officials involved in the investigation of the killing.
Kathlynn Shepard and Dezi Hughes Were Kidnapped After School in 2013
On October 1, 1997, Denise and Michael Shepard welcomed a little bundle of joy into the world in the form of Kathlynn D. Shepard. Showered with love and care while growing up, she was one of the four kids in the Shepard household, which consisted of her two sisters, Mikayla and Jessica, and a brother named Brady. Having a smile that could light up any room she walked into, Kathlynn was a compassionate girl and loved animals. Not only did she enjoy singing in the SWG choir, but she also liked doing Karaoke with her father.
She also used to follow sports, including American Football, as she cheered for the Vikings, despite her mother’s advice to support the Packers. She was a bright student with lots of things to look forward to. However, fate had other plans for her. On May 20, 2013, it was just another day in the small town of Dayton, Iowa, until 15-year-old Kathlynn Shepard and her best friend, Dezi Hughes, went missing. Their family and friends, along with the authorities, searched for any signs of them and found Kathlynn’s backpack the following day.
Kathlynn Turned Up Dead Several Miles Away From Her Home
On the day Kathlynn Shepard was abducted, she was with her best friend, Dezi Hughes, who was also kidnapped with her. Fortunately, she managed to break free from the clutches of the kidnapper, who had driven the two girls to a hog confinement building in his red pickup truck. Running into the woods, Dezi stumbled across a farm owner named Patrick Fairchild and called the police to inform them of the situation. However, when the authorities arrived at the scene, there was no trace of either the kidnapper or Kathlynn.
About 3 weeks later, on June 7, 2013, Kathlynn’s remains were discovered by a local fisherman in the Des Moines River. Upon the inspection of her body, it was determined that the cause of her death was multiple sharp and blunt force injuries. The Shepard family broke their silence on the case and opened up to the public through a post on the Dayton Leader Facebook page. Kathlynn’s father, Michael, wrote, “Today our family has lost part of its soul. Not just the Shepard family, but the families of Dayton and all of Iowa. An innocent, caring, fun-loving child was taken from this world long before her time. Kathlynn has been found and is now at peace beside her grandmother and grandfather. She is in a place where there is no pain or violence. She is safe from the predators of this world, where no one can prey on her innocence.”
Michael added, “We know in our hearts that Kathlynn would want us to be sure no child will have to endure what she went through. We will fight to change the current sexual assault policies so there are mandatory sentences for the first offense, to ensure that no offender can plea bargain to get a lesser sentence, no earned time for ‘good’ behavior, and parolees will adhere to strict monitoring guidelines. … The people of Iowa deserve no less.”
Michael Klunder Took His Own Life After Abducting Kathlynn and Dezi
On the day of the abduction, Dezi gave the police a detailed account of how the kidnapper offered them a ride home after they got off the school bus and how he zip-tied their hands and pulled up a gun on them. As they dived deep into the case, a 42-year-old registered sex offender named Michael Klunder got on their radar. Dezi confirmed that their suspicion was correct and admitted that he was the man who had kidnapped her and her friend on May 20, 2013. Michael had a history of kidnapping children and in 1992, he had been sentenced to 41 years in prison after being convicted for two counts of kidnappings and assaults in December 1991.
However, due to his good behavior and active participation in work and treatment programs in prison, he was released less than 20 years later, on February 25, 2011. Moreover, he wasn’t even under any supervision after getting out. As soon as the investigators closed in on Michael on the same night of the abduction, they found him hanging by the neck at his father’s farm. They declared that he took his own life just a few hours after he abducted the two girls.
Read More: Reesa Trexler Murder: What Happened to Curtis Edward Blair?
