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Real Name: Jeremy Doland Bright
Nicknames: No known nicknames
Location: Myrtle Point, Oregon
Date: August 14, 1986

Bio[]

Occupation: Student
Date of Birth: May 25, 1972
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 140 lbs
Marital Status: Single
Characteristics: Caucasian male with Brown hair and green eyes. He has scars on his forehead and nose and a mole on his chin. His index finger was broken at the time of his disappearance. He wore Men's size 13 shoes.

Case[]

Details: Fourteen-year-old Jeremy Bright was a popular, sports-loving teenager who looked forward to starting high school in the fall in Grants Pass, Oregon. In August 1986, the Coos County Fair came to Myrtle Point. Jeremy and his sister attended it, staying with their stepfather, Olie, while there. On Thursday, August 14th, Jeremy called his mother, Diane, telling her that he was heading to the fair at around 4:45pm. He supposedly went with his sister and a close friend named Johnny Fish (possible real name Gray). Several witnesses saw Johnny and Jeremy together at the fair. Five hours later, at 9:40pm, Jeremy went to a local tavern, owned by his grandmother, to meet Olie who had just finished work. Olie gave him a few dollars and he left. This was the last time he was ever seen.
Two days later, Diane arrived in Myrtle Point to pick up Jeremy and his sister. However, he was not at the house. He had left his wallet, keys, and new watch behind. When he did not return that night, Diane called the police. At first, authorities believed that he had run away to join the fair. However, no evidence was found to support this theory. His family and friends did not believe that he would run away.
On Sunday, August 17th, the fair left town, and ominous rumors began to swirl around about Jeremy's disappearance. During the week of the fair, several parties were held. According to a rumor, he attended one and was offered a beer that was laced with a powerful, illegal drug. One investigator was able to find witnesses that placed him at two parties that week, and it is possible that he died accidentally from an overdose at one. It was also possible that he had a heart murmur which caused his death.
An anonymous jail source told police an even more disturbing story. He claimed that three local teenagers showed up and harassed Jeremy and a few of his friends while they were swimming in a local lake. One apparently had a gun and began shooting at him for "target practice". According to the source, he was then shot and seriously wounded. The teenagers took him to a local cabin in an attempt to nurse him back to health. However, he allegedly later died from his wounds, according to the source. Then, the teenagers allegedly buried his body in the woods near the cabin. Authorities searched the surrounding area, but found nothing.
Then authorities talked to Johnny's sister, Cecilia. She said that on the day after Jeremy vanished, between midnight and 1am, she and a friend were leaving her sister's apartment when they ran into a neighborhood teen with blood all over his clothes. Shocked, they asked what happened, and he responded "This happened hours ago". He laughed and then went into another apartment.
A half hour later, Johnny arrived at his other sister's apartment; he was shaking and terrified of something, but refused to say what had happened.
After three months of inactivity, the Coos County Sheriff's Department was finally contacted and asked to assist in the search for Jeremy. However, to this day, he has not been found.
Suspects: No names have been revealed in this case, although three to four individuals from the Myrtle Point area have been considered suspects. Their names have reportedly come up in several rumors surrounding Jeremy's disappearance. The person on the top of the suspect list was later arrested and given a life sentence for an unrelated murder.
Extra Notes: This case first aired on the January 18, 1989 episode.
There are some discrepancies with the timeline for the week that Jeremy vanished. The broadcast stated that he was last seen on Friday, August 15th. Other sources state that he actually vanished on Thursday, August 14th.

Terry steinhoff1

Terry Steinhoff

Results: Unsolved. Several people who were believed to have information on Jeremy's fate have since died. His former babysitter, Terry Steinhoff, died of a drug overdose in prison in 2007 while serving time for the unrelated murder of a Coos Bay woman. Around 1988, four of his friends died together in a car accident, and his friend, Johnny, died in January 2011.
His stepfather, Olie, died in 2003 at age 66. His maternal grandmother died in December 1988. His father, Joe Flaherty, died in December 2008.
Police consider Terry Steinhoff and his cousin, David, persons of interest in this case. According to some accounts, Jeremy was last seen alive sitting in a vehicle with Terry. David was the man seen covered in blood shortly after Jeremy's disappearance. Before his death, police tried to interview Terry about this case, but he was not forthcoming. Investigators searched property owned by the Steinhoffs, but found no trace of Jeremy. Diane thinks his remains are located somewhere in Coos County.
Jeremy's family believes he's dead, and they held a memorial service for him in August 2011 on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his disappearance.
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