Hikers in Verdugos found body believed to be missing FBI agent

Hikers in Verdugos found body believed to be missing FBI agent

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Authorities said a body found in the Verdugo Mountain foothills above Burbank is "consistent with the physical description of the missing FBI Special Agent Stephen Ivens.

Hikers found "human remains" in a remote area near the 3600 block of Scott Road about 8 p.m. Monday and called Burbank police, authorities said.

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Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
After three days, still no sign of missing FBI agent. Anyone keeping an eye on this?

As some of you may recall, this FBI agent was last seen leaving his Burbank, California home on May 10th and was believed to be armed and suicidal. Not long after, news of his disappearance and search thereafter ceased.

Until now. Initially, back in May when he went missing, it was reported that a massive manhunt involving at least a hundred FBI agents searched for him, but it turns out that he never even left the Burbank area - Allegedly.

Also, NBC is reporting he was found "behind a church", and that "A weapon was recovered."

The church must not have been very active to not notice him over the course of two months of decomposition. I find it hard to believe that the FBI - In searching for one of their own - Were bested by a couple of hikers in eventually finding him so close to home.

Are they really that incompetent, or is there something more to this? Regardless, may he rest in peace. ETA: The coroner's department has yet to make an official confirmation as to the identity of the body found.


latimesblogs.latimes.c om
(visit the link for the full news article)

Search must have gone something like this:

Is it just me or do these alphabet agencies seem more bumbling than usual in recent years?

I hope it isn't, but can't shake this gut feeling he was offed and let to rot. This will get buried and covered up, the lack of continuous coverage proves that.

This should show everybody how the fed takes care of their own...

The usual suicidal story...Makes me wonder what he uncovered or was investigating. Agent went rogue and got killed.

reply to post by Sek82


I wouldn't call it being bested by hikers. Inevitably someone is going to stuble over the body, a lot of the time those somebodies are hikers.

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow
This is true about hikers often being the ones to find a body. But they knew where to look (the general area, anyway).

An avid hiker, Ivens was thought to have ventured into the nearby hills after leaving home distraught.

A missing Special Agent of the FBI - Who never left the region with at least a hundred personnel searching for him and not finding him is a pretty big fail, in my opinion.

I'd like to know more about this Church that NBC is reporting he was found behind. It had to have been abandoned, right?

ETA: After looking up the area he was reported to be found - Near the 3600 block of Scott Rd if indeed that is accurate - That area barely qualifies as remote. Hmm...

reply to post by Sek82


Explanation: S&F!

I just spent a whole hour looking for his remains on Google Earth [call that morbid curiosity ok ] ... and thankfully the images for that area are just outside and before the 2012 timeframe required to spot them ... AND I URGE Google Earth to censor that area when they become available for the sake of his 1yr old child and family + friends ... however I do believe that I may have found the spot where he choose to pass away [may he r.i.p.] and I feel confident in posting the screengrab I took without causing serious upset ...



The entire area is EXTREMELY rugged and rough ... and so I also feel that the use of the term 'remote' is not too far off base.

Personal Disclosure: If my fellow members and or the ATS mods feel this post is over the top ... please let me know and I will gladly edit it to redact it in full! No need to spank me without a warning 1st ok.

P.S. I am currently scanning a massive area for a MIA Australian policeman who went walkabout and that is why this thread grabbed my attention. I don't endorse the cops at all ... but sometimes it is good to try walk a mile in their shoes to get an understanding. My deepest condolences to this deceased agents family. I mean no disrespect ok.

Burbanks chapparal hillsides besides having a lot of loose dirt and rocks making scaling the sides of the hills rough are not considered extremely rough terrain. I've hiked them plenty of times. Good for dates with the outdoorsy types but not hard enough to make them resent you taking them hiking. Besides if she gets hungry there is always In-n-Out Burger down the street at the Burbank Media Center.

To me it seems like the FBI agent was off'ed by TPTB.

Originally posted by ADVISOR
I hope it isn't, but can't shake this gut feeling he was offed and let to rot. This will get buried and covered up, the lack of continuous coverage proves that.

This should show everybody how the fed takes care of their own...

Yes anytime an F.B.I.agent shows up dead and even before the body is found,they're claiming it's suicide is highly suspicious.Somehow he new something they didn't want him to know or speak of.
There are time like this that really make me sad,a person that gives his life to work for a country that he believes in are treated like disposable garbage.

reply to post by BASSPLYR


Explanation: Uhmmm?



Personal Disclosure: Ok Mr Hero! Whatever you say ok! :shk:

reply to post by OmegaLogos


What is that supposed to even be a picture of. Sure doesn't look to much like burbank. trust me Burbank is not rugged, rough terrain. Anybody can walk right through most of the terrain there. Thats why it's popular with hikers. Now if you were to say the guy was found up near mt. wilson at 7,000 feet altitude and was found dangling dead off the side of one of the cliffs in that region of Angeles Crest Forest/Park or in the San Bernadino Mtns then yes rough rugged terrain. But the San Gabriel Mnts? Naw. Especially not in the foothills a few hundred feet from a rural street.

reply to post by BASSPLYR


Explanation: It is exactly the same area looking due north ... note the road to the far left of the 3D picture and note the road in the original screengrab I provided which I found following the picture supplied by the OP'er sourced from the article the linked to.

I agree that where the body may have been found, as possibly indicated in my own screen grab, the terrain seems mostly benign as it is only a very short distance from the road... but don't tell me those hills aren't rough terrain. Do it carrying a weapon and a 40lb pack, or conversely ... carrying one of those lady dates you mention, and see how easy it is.

Persoanl Disclosure:

reply to post by OmegaLogos
I see that your screengrab appears to be the road running up the north side of the GE shot I posted... And looks to be the same road in the first photo of the main article showing the response team stationed on it. That spot is only a few hundred feet from the Church.

Let's not get too distracted by the terrain aspect of this, but rather why he wasn't found earlier, and why, in the first place, he was distraught and stumbling on a sidewalk before going missing, according to a neighbor of his. And how the FBI knew him to be possibly suicidal while not disclosing why... He was said to be working in Counterterrorism, but I can't confirm that claim.

On May 11th, the FBI released a FBI Missing Person Report that said,

Ivens may possibly be suicidal, and there is no indication that he intended to harm others.

Which contradicts the following quote made a few days later,

There is an “obvious sense of urgency to find him because of the missing weapon and scenarios associated with that that could pose a threat to public safety,” said Laura Eimiller of the FBI’s Los Angeles office.

Missing FBI agent seemed dazed, staggered, neighbor says

Obvious sense of urgency, enough so to have over a hundred and forty people involved in the search - Yet it wasn't urgent enough to keep the media informed beyond a few days.

doesn't seem that desolate,how does no one smell the decomp?? he was stumbling around and upset, but not a danger to anyone...but he took arms with him???? doesn't quite add up?

I agree lets keep this about the FBI agent and why he was missing for so long. The terrain is a mute point. Still not rough terrain. even in those hills. And yes I've carried a weapon over similar hills and in the burbank hills I've carried a date or two (keeps it romantic). I applaud you by the way for your efforts in google mapping the area and looking for the guy. Takes more initiative than most people can seem to string together. I didn't want you to think I was gaffing at that.

Anyways. It seems strange that the guy went missing and it turns out to be a "Suicide" I thought they did extensive background checks on the FBI employees including psychological tests too to make sure they aren't prone to doing this exact thing. So it strikes me as odd that the guy ended up committing "suicide"

Originally posted by BASSPLYR
I agree lets keep this about the FBI agent and why he was missing for so long. The terrain is a mute point. Still not rough terrain. even in those hills. And yes I've carried a weapon over similar hills and in the burbank hills I've carried a date or two (keeps it romantic). I applaud you by the way for your efforts in google mapping the area and looking for the guy. Takes more initiative than most people can seem to string together. I didn't want you to think I was gaffing at that.

Anyways. It seems strange that the guy went missing and it turns out to be a "Suicide" I thought they did extensive background checks on the FBI employees including psychological tests too to make sure they aren't prone to doing this exact thing. So it strikes me as odd that the guy ended up committing "suicide"

Can anyone really be sure if another person could commit suicide? Whatever test is in place will likely have a decent success rate because not everyone who passes will commit suicide and anyone who fails we don't hear about. Plus surely FBI guys can be expert liars too, not in a mean way but as part of the job.

Many things could trigger such a response, Death of a family member/friend/anyone, A medical condition like Cancer/HIV anything that could cause panic. I'm not saying it would have to be a psychotic break it could also be a build up things.

R.I.P! Reminds me of something I'd see in an X-Files episode. How I miss that show.

Every human must be accounted for. Doesn't that seem kind of creepy? I mean, it is nice that we make sure that we are all ok...but that you cannot choose to just disappear without people coming to look for you....isn't that a little unnerving?

I am curious about the OP...but the above thought put me off into a tangent.

Originally posted by Sek82

As some of you may recall, this FBI agent was last seen leaving his Burbank, California home on May 10th and was believed to be armed and suicidal. Not long after, news of his disappearance and search thereafter ceased.

Until now. Initially, back in May when he went missing, it was reported that a massive manhunt involving at least a hundred FBI agents searched for him, but it turns out that he never even left the Burbank area - Allegedly.

Also, NBC is reporting he was found "behind a church", and that "A weapon was recovered."

The church must not have been very active to not notice him over the course of two months of decomposition. I find it hard to believe that the FBI - In searching for one of their own - Were bested by a couple of hikers in eventually finding him so close to home.

Are they really that incompetent, or is there something more to this? Regardless, may he rest in peace. ETA: The coroner's department has yet to make an official confirmation as to the identity of the body found.

latimesblogs.latimes.c om
(visit the link for the full news article)

edit on 31-7-2012 by Sek82 because: related photos added

Let's not forget his "partner" was very very soon after the dissapearance brought up on child porn charges....

Things that make you go hmmmm.....