MISSING PERSON
CASE #: 1986-36
Jeremy Doland Bright
Status:
Open
Date of Last Contact:
Date of Last Contact:
Jurisdiction:
Missing From:
Myrtle Point, Oregon
Summary:
Jeremy Doland Bright disappeared on August 14, 1986, at age 14, while attending the Coos County Fair in Myrtle Point, Oregon. He was visiting family in Myrtle Point with his younger sister, and the pair separated during the day but he failed to meet her at the ferris wheel as planned. As of 2026, his whereabouts remain unknown.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Disappearance:
On August 14, 1986, Jeremy attended the Coos County Fair with his younger sister. During the day, the pair separated, but Bright failed to meet her that afternoon, as arranged, at the carnival's ferris wheel. Bright's mother recalls him calling her from a payphone at the fair around 4:45 PM, just 15 minutes before he was supposed to meet his sister at the Ferris wheel. Several fairgoers, including his sister, later reported seeing Jeremy near the Ferris wheel between 1 and 1:30 p.m. appearing to be forcibly taken by a male. Several witnesses reported seeing Jeremy Bright with Terry Lee Steinhoff at the Coos County Fair on August 14, 1986, including observations of Bright sitting in the passenger seat of Steinhoff's truck near the fairgrounds exit. Family members also reported that Bright stopped by the local tavern they ran to get some money around 9:45 PM that night. This encounter is believed to be the last credible sighting of Bright. When his mother arrived the next day to pick up Jeremy and his sister, she found that his wallet, keys, and new watch had been left behind. He had taken no extra clothes.
Additional Details:
Initially, local law enforcement suspected foul play in Bright's case; however, within the week following his disappearance, several reported sightings of him in the area led detectives to reverse this decision, and he was temporarily classified as a runaway. Three months after Jeremy disappeared, the case was taken over by the Coos County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Zanni took over the case in the mid-1990s when he was the Detective Sergeant. Terry Lee Steinhoff is considered a person of interest in Jeremy's disappearance; he is Jeremy's former babysitter, and several witnesses reported seeing Jeremy sitting with him in a truck that night. He wasn't cooperative with the investigation into Jeremy's disappearance, and in January 1988, he stabbed a woman to death. He pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison. Steinhoff died in prison in 2007 from a drug overdose. In 2016, a tip led investigators to a pond along Oregon Highway 42 roughly twenty five miles from Myrtle Point. No remains were found. In August 2011, Bright's family stated that they presumed him dead and held a formal memorial service in his memory. The family maintains an active Facebook group, "Help Find Jeremy Doland Bright," managed by Diane Beatty, which continues to share updates and appeals as of 2025. Jeremy's best friend, Johnny Fish, was never the same after Jeremy vanished and died years later.
Case Last Updated:
Timeline of Events
When Diane arrived in Myrtle Point to pick up her children on August 15, Jeremy was missing. His wallet, keys, and new watch had been left behind. He had taken no extra clothes.
Family members reported that Bright stopped by the local tavern they ran to get some money around 9:45 PM that night. This encounter is believed to be the last credible sighting of Bright.
Jeremy failed to meet his sister at the Ferris wheel at 5 PM as planned. S'te waited for her brother at the Ferris wheel but reported him missing to a police officer.
Bright's mother recalls him calling her from a payphone at the fair around 4:45 PM, just 15 minutes before he was supposed to meet his sister at the Ferris wheel.
The two parted ways at approximately 2 p.m., with Bright planning to meet up with his sister again at 5 p.m. near the ferris wheel on the fairgrounds.
Jeremy and his best friend, Johnny Fish, spent the day at the Coos County Fair. That evening, Jeremy called his mother from a payphone, and later that night, he met his stepfather at a local tavern, where his grandmother worked, and received money to attend the fair the next day.
Associated Persons
Terry Lee S. (Person of Interest) - Deceased
Diane B. (Mother) - Living
Johnny F. (Friend) - Deceased
Orville "Ole" G. (Stepfather) - Living
S'te E. (Sibling) - Living
Family Tree
Why is this important?Missing person
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Maternal Grandfather's Father
Maternal Grandmother's Mother
Maternal Grandmother's Father
Paternal Grandfather
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Missing Person
Missing Person
Case Content Disclaimer: The details on this case page are sourced from numerous locations to include family, friends, news postings and government public releases. Solve the Case, Inc. does not guarantee the accuracy of any content as case pages are living documents that frequently update as case details expand.
