Frustrations running high in Kiplyn case

PROVO — The father of Kiplyn Davis is tired of the legal system "goofing off" and failing to tackle his daughter's 14-year-old murder case.

"It's a crying shame that the justice system is like it is," said a frustrated Richard Davis outside the courtroom. "It's not right for victims to have to go through this."

The usually calm Davis was understandably agitated Tuesday as he left 4th District Court with another review date in November, rather than a hoped-for decision from the Utah Supreme Court.

"It's just a waiting game for us," he said. "Another summer has gone by without finding Kiplyn."

Fifteen-year-old Kiplyn disappeared in May 1995 from Spanish Fork High School and has been presumed dead. Two of her former classmates, Timmy Brent Olsen and Christopher Neal Jeppson, were charged with murder based on statements they allegedly made to others about her death.

Jeppson pleaded no contest in May to obstruction of justice and signed a document in open court again asserting that he knew nothing about her disappearance or death.

Prosecutors dropped the charge of murder against him, but he's still in custody serving a federal sentence for perjury, for lying to investigators about the case.

Olsen still faces the first-degree felony murder charge, but he won't be going before a jury anytime soon.

"Everyone on the case is frustrated," said defense attorney Carolyn Howard. "Timmy is also frustrated. He's sitting, waiting to tell his story, to get this going."

Olsen didn't expect much from Tuesday's hearing, she said, because he realizes his request for a "speedy" trial has been slightly derailed by his appeal.

He and his attorneys have asked for a review of Judge Lynn Davis' ruling on a motion to change venue. Davis ruled that Olsen could get a fair trial in Utah County, despite the defense's multi-pronged arguments that the jury pool, which would include Spanish Fork, is too biased by the years of news coverage of Kiplyn's disappearance and presumed death.

The Utah Supreme Court has not yet set a briefing on the case and even if they had, it's likely they would still need additional time after that for oral arguments, said prosecutor Mariane O'Bryant.

However, Howard said she is hopeful that by Olsen's next appearance on Nov. 18, that their motion will be addressed and a new venue granted.

e-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com