JUNE 15, 2012 Article
“My husband was depressed about something at work,” said Thea Ivens, “but it was not about his actual job as an FBI agent,” adding, “He loved his job.” She declined to elaborate further.
Where Is Steven Ivens
By Stan Lynch
FBI Agent Stephen Ivens
Ivens was reported missing by his wife on May 11. A massive search in the days after the agent went missing, by several law enforcement agencies, including the Burbank Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, failed to find the 35 year-old Burbank resident.
On June 12, Ivens’ wife, Thea, accompanied by her husband’s uncle, James Ryan, held a press conference in front of the Nature Center. Several television station, radio stations, and the print media were in attendance. According to Thea Ivens, the trailhead at the Nature Center is where dogs used early on in the effort to find the agent, tracked his scent. However, the scent trail the dogs were tracking ended at the parking lot of the Nature Center.
“My husband and I haven’t been up here (at the fire road/trail that starts at the Nature Center) in about two years,” said Mrs. Ivens. She acknowledged that there wasn’t really any other evidence that her husband had vanished into the Verdugo Mountains.
According to the uncle, Ivens was more of a runner than a hiker, as previously reported to the media. “I talked to Stephen four days before he went missing,” said Ryan, “and he told me he had done a 3-mile run that day.” Ryan speculated that perhaps his nephew had run up to the Nature Center that day, which might explain why the dogs tracked his scent there.
Mrs. Ivens did shed some new light on her husband’s mental state. Previosly, the FBI had stated that the agent was depressed and possibly suicidal, but would not divulge why.
“My husband was depressed about something at work,” said Thea Ivens, “but it was not about his actual job as an FBI agent,” adding, “He loved his job.” She declined to elaborate further.
Ivens did leave a note for his family, but the contents have not been made public.
The FBI has been fairly circumspect about this case. Two days after Ivens disappeared, Steven Gomez, the Special Agent in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Office stated that Ivens was not involved in any criminal activity. Ivens has been an FBI agent for three years. Prior to that he was a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department for eight years. He and his wife were married in 2004, and have a 2 year-old son.
There is a web site www.LetsBringStevenHome.com, as well as a Facebook page “Lets Bring Steve Home,” that have been set up by the family to facilitate the search for the missing agent.
Although Burbank police officers are no longer combing the hills above Burbank, the search for Ivens is still an on-going investigation. Sgt.Darin Ryburn noted that the investigation is now “lead-driven.” “We are starting to look elsewhere,” said Sgt. Ryburn.
Neither the FBI or Burbank Police Department were in attendance at the family’s press conference.
Thea Ivens, (in blue shirt) wife of Stephen Ivens, is interviewed by the press in front of Stough Canyon Natue Center. Missing FBI Agent's uncle, is being interviewed for TV directly behind Mrs. Ivens. (Photo by Stan Lynch)
http://burbanknbeyond.com/06/sections/events/where-is-steven-ivens/
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Police: Body found in Burbank is that of missing FBI agent Stephen Ivens
"Ivens has been missing since early May. Ivens' uncle, Jim Ryan, said this morning he was 'in shock,' but declined to comment further." (note: this has been removed from the following article.)
http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_21199099/police-body-found-burbank-may-be-that-missing
Posted: 07/31/2012 10:34:49 AM PDT
Updated: 07/31/2012 07:40:39 PM PDT
Burbank police and Los Angeles County coroner's personnel work the crime scene in Burbank on July 31, 2012, where the decomposing body of missing FBI agent Stephen Ivens was found the night before. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
Two hikers walking in the foothills above the city smelled an odor about 8 p.m., then found badly decomposed human remains in an area of heavy brush, Burbank police Sgt. Darin Ryburn said.
A gun later confirmed to be Ivens' service weapon was found with the body, which was behind a Catholic school about a mile and a half from Ivens' home. Ryburn said he did not know whether the gun had been fired.
Investigators secured the scene overnight, and on Tuesday morning the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office and the FBI went to the scene. Ivens' family was notified, Ryburn said, and the body was removed by midday.
The Coroner's Office had no information late Tuesday on a cause of death.
Asked about the state of the body, Ryburn said, "How long has it been since he's been missing? Let's just leave it at that."
Ivens had been missing since early May. He left home with his FBI-issued weapon.
His family said the agent, who would have turned 36 last month, had been depressed and on the verge of a breakdown over events at work unrelated to his criminal caseload. His wife, Thea, had said he couldn't sleep and suffered anxiety attacks each morning before work.
The family sought media attention and set up a website, letsbringstevehome.com, on which Thea Ivens wrote frequently.
"She never gave up," said Kissette Kelly, a close friend of the family. "She was taking care of a 2-year-old, working full time - but at the same time she also needed to take the lead on searching for Steve and bringing him back home."
Thea Ivens' most recent post on the website, titled "80 Days" and written Sunday, recalled her husband's love of New England sports teams and how he used Skype so his mother, on the East Coast, could see her young grandson in California. "It's just strange doing a video chat with my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law without Steve around," she wrote. "One of my (hopes) is that if for some reason Steve couldn't get back to California, somehow he would reach out to his mom and sister, back in his hometown in Massachusetts."
The FBI deferred to the Burbank police and the coroner on details of the investigation.
FBI Agent Stephen Ivens of Burbank is seen in this file photo. He was last seen May 10, 2012. Hikers found his body near his home on July 30, 2012.
Ryburn said the body was found about three-quarters of a mile from where police dogs originally got a scent while searching for Ivens. The body was found on a different hillside in an area that had been searched only from the air.
Kelly said the lack of any clues in recent weeks had given Thea and other loved ones hope that perhaps Ivens "was just out there, alive, and wanting to have time to himself."
"I never imagined this to come to this end," Kelly said Tuesday. "I just never did."
eric.hartley@dailynews.com
818-514-5610
twitter.com/ethartley
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Stephen Ivens
(He was six feet tall, 160 lbs, brown hair, brown eyes & wore prescription glasses)
source: http://monrovia.patch.com/articles/update-body-found-is-missing-fbi-agent-police-say-1fc37d68#photo-10050257
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"Ivens’ uncle, Jim Ryan, said he was not certain the body was his nephew. 'Who told you it was Stephen?' Ryan asked City News Service."
Burbank: Missing FBI agent found dead
http://www.swrnn.com/2012/07/31/burbank-missing-fbi-agent-found-dead/
By City News Service, on July 31, 2012, at 11:38 am
The body of an FBI agent who has been missing for more than two months was found by hikers in a wooded area not far from his home,
Burbank police said on Tuesday July 31.
Stephen Ivens’ body was found Monday night by a two people who smelled a ”suspicious” odor while hiking in the 3600 block of Scott Road, according to Burbank police Sgt. Darin Ryburn.
Coroner’s investigators were on the scene, but a cause of death was not immediately released.
Ivens, 35, was last seen May 10 near his home in the 1700 block of Scott Road. His family conducted a series of public events in recent weeks to keep the search for Ivens active.
FBI Special Agent Steve Gomez said earlier that Ivens was “distraught” and possibly suicidal when he disappeared. Why he was thought to be distraught was not immediately clear.
Ryburn said Ivens’ weapon was found near his body, and his family had been notified.
Ivens’ uncle, Jim Ryan, said he was not certain the body was his nephew.
“Who told you it was Stephen?” Ryan asked City News Service.
Ryan said he planned to contact the Burbank Police Department himself to find out more information.
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FBI agent Stephen Ivens with wife, Thea
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Body of missing Burbank FBI agent believed to be found
"The cause of death had yet to be determined Tuesday by Los Angeles County coroner's officials, who were also working to officially confirm that the body is Ivens'. Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winters said that due to the state of decomposition, authorities would use dental records and other tests to verify the identity."
http://articles.burbankleader.com/2012-07-31/news/tn-blr-0801-body-of-missing-burbank-fbi-agent-stephen-ivens-believed-to-be-found_1_stephen-ivens-burbank-fbi-agent-dental-records
Authorities will use dental records to confirm belief that discovery is Stephen Ivens.
July 31, 2012|By Jason Wells and Veronica Rocha, Times Community News
Two hikers found a body in the foothills above Burbank on Monday night believed to be that of FBI Special Agent Stephen Ivens, reported missing more than two months ago.
The body was found in a wooded area near the 3600 block of Scott Road after the hikers noticed a foul smell, police said.
“Every indication is that he's been there from the first day,” Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn said. Ivens' gun was also recovered near his body, Ryburn added.
The cause of death had yet to be determined Tuesday by Los Angeles County coroner's officials, who were also working to officially confirm that the body is Ivens'. Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winters said that due to the state of decomposition, authorities would use dental records and other tests to verify the identity.
After Ivens was reported missing May 11, Burbank saw the most extensive search in its history. At the time, authorities warned he had his department-issued gun and may have been despondent.
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A 40-member search-and-rescue team from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department joined about a dozen Burbank police officers and 100 FBI agents.
Teams of searchers continued to use dogs and helicopters to comb the Verdugo hills for several more days, but to no avail. Since then, officials had been relying on leads from the public.
FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller called the discovery “a sad day, not only for the Ivens family, but for law enforcement as well.”
The area where the body was discovered is not far from Ivens' home in the 1700 block of Scott Road, where the 36-year-old agent was last seen. The body was near a cement path about 300 feet behind a small chapel in an upper parking lot of St. Francis Xavier School, Ryburn said.
By Tuesday afternoon, the only signs police or investigators had been in the area behind the school was a dangling piece of yellow crime scene tape attached to the parking lot fence.
Stephen Ivens' wife, Thea, declined to speak to reporters outside her home Tuesday afternoon.
She and family friends had been steadfast in their assertions that Stephen Ivens was alive. They had organized searches, set up a Facebook page and website, and staged events to keep the case in the public eye.
jason.wells@latimes.com
veronica.rocha@latimes.com
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UPDATE JULY 31, 2012
For Stephen Ivens' family, steadfast hopes of safe return are dashed
http://www.burbankleader.com/the818now/tn-818-0731-for-stephen-ivens-family-steadfast-hopes-of-safe-return-are-dashed,0,7250291.story
July 31, 2012 | 11:01 a.m.
The discovery of missing FBI agent Stephen Ivens' body in the foothills above Burbank marks a tragic end for his family, which had maintained an unrelenting hope that he would be found alive months after he was reported missing.
While Los Angeles County coroner officials continued to investigate the cause of death, Burbank police Sgt. Darin Ryburn said a weapon had been recovered near the body, which was found Monday night in the 3600 block of Scott Road.
After the massive on-the-ground search was called off in favor of following up on leads from the public, Stephen Ivens’ wife, Thea, organized family and friends for their own search efforts. They also recently held a candle light vigil to raise awareness about his case.
Throughout it all, Thea Ivens was adamant that her husband would be found alive.
“How can there be leads if there is no media awareness? How can we find him if no one is looking? That's why I'm doing this,” she said at a search organized by family and friends in June. “I can't just give up on him.”
In addition to the ground searches, Thea Ivens maintained an active presence online, posting regularly to a website called “Let’s Bring Steve Home,” which was devoted to generating new leads in the case.
She also opened up about her struggles in raising a young child without him.
She last wrote about her husband on Sunday, describing their family trips to visit his mother in Boston.
“One of my hopes is that if for some reason Steve couldn’t get back to California, somehow he would reach out to his mom and sister, back in his hometown in Massachusetts,” she wrote.
-- Jason Wells and Veronica Rocha, Times Community News
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UPDATE JUNE 14, 2011
From my local hometown paper, the Burbank Leader...
Family of missing Burbank FBI agent launches own search
Special Agent Stephen Ivens went missing May 11. Authorities say few leads have come in and have called off active searches.
Thea Ivens asks for volunteers to help search for her missing husband, Stephen Ivens, during a press conference near the Stough Canyon Trail in Burbank. (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Staff Photographer / June 13, 2012)
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The family of an FBI agent who disappeared from his Burbank home more than a month ago made an emotional plea on Wednesday for the public’s help in preventing the case from going cold.
It was the second time the family of Special Agent Stephen Ivens appealed for help in tracking down Ivens’ whereabouts since he went missing May 11, seemingly vanishing despite a massive manhunt by foot and air in the days after his disappearance.
The active, on-the-ground searches have long been called off, and authorities say few, if any, leads have come in.
The family has since launched its own search effort, aided in large part by social media websites and campaigns.
Standing at the base of a popular hiking trail at the Stough Nature Center in Burbank on Wednesday, Ivens’ wife, Thea, called for volunteers to assist with two searches organized by the family on June 16 and 23.
“We can’t do that alone,” she said, adding that the family was “still hoping” her husband would come home.
“My understanding is that if there are no leads, there are no searches,” Thea Ivens said. “Lately there have not been any tips or leads.”
Her appeal came one day before Stephen Ivens’ 36th birthday.
The agent, who specializes in national security, disappeared from his Burbank home in the 1700 block of Scott Road, prompting a massive search that involved about 100 FBI agents and 50 local law enforcement officials who initially focused on the nearby Verdugo Mountains.
The search took on added urgency because officials said Ivens likely had his department-issued gun and could be a danger to himself, although they declined to say why.
The family has been conducting their own search of the Verdugo Mountains, soup kitchens in Santa Monica and Venice Beach, and homeless shelters, Thea Ivens said.
The Burbank Police Department — the lead agency on the case — told the family detectives were reviewing tapes from the downtown Burbank Metrolink Station for possible leads, said Jim Ryan, Stephen Ivens’ uncle, who was also at the press conference Wednesday.
Thea Ivens recounted how she called 9-1-1 on May 11 to report Ivens missing after finding a letter addressed to her and their son.
It was a gratitude letter, Thea Ivens said, “telling me that our child and I are the greatest gift that God has given him. It was a message for Kyle to be honest, gracious and humble and that if you are that, you can sleep at night.”
She added that she felt “undertones” that her husband “would be gone for a while, but he didn’t exactly say goodbye — he didn’t say that.”
Since February 2011, Thea Ivens said her husband had not been able to sleep and began experiencing anxiety attacks.
She said the attacks had nothing to with his work, although she acknowledged that there were “some incidents at the workplace.”
FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller on Wednesday reiterated that the investigation was ongoing, and that it would continue “until Stephen Ivens is found.
“Many leads were generated based on the initial media coverage, as well as by fliers handed out to hikers and the FBI’s publicity efforts,” she added.
Burbank Police Capt. Denis Cremins said search efforts were being directed based on credible information, adding that all leads have been run down to their conclusion.
“We haven’t come up with anything, and certainly welcome any credible leads,” he said.
Stephen Ivens is described as 6 foot 1 inch tall, 140 to 150 pounds, with brown eyes, grayish-brown hair, and eyeglasses.
When asked if she could think of a reason why Ivens would leave her and her young son, Thea Ivens said, “No, none. He’s not leaving. I know he loves his child, our child.”
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To volunteer, visit the “Let’s Bring Steve Home” website or Facebook page.
Anyone with information on Stephen Ivens’ whereabouts should contact Burbank police at (818) 238-3000.
It was the second time the family of Special Agent Stephen Ivens appealed for help in tracking down Ivens’ whereabouts since he went missing May 11, seemingly vanishing despite a massive manhunt by foot and air in the days after his disappearance.
The active, on-the-ground searches have long been called off, and authorities say few, if any, leads have come in.
The family has since launched its own search effort, aided in large part by social media websites and campaigns.
Standing at the base of a popular hiking trail at the Stough Nature Center in Burbank on Wednesday, Ivens’ wife, Thea, called for volunteers to assist with two searches organized by the family on June 16 and 23.
“We can’t do that alone,” she said, adding that the family was “still hoping” her husband would come home.
“My understanding is that if there are no leads, there are no searches,” Thea Ivens said. “Lately there have not been any tips or leads.”
Her appeal came one day before Stephen Ivens’ 36th birthday.
The agent, who specializes in national security, disappeared from his Burbank home in the 1700 block of Scott Road, prompting a massive search that involved about 100 FBI agents and 50 local law enforcement officials who initially focused on the nearby Verdugo Mountains.
The search took on added urgency because officials said Ivens likely had his department-issued gun and could be a danger to himself, although they declined to say why.
The family has been conducting their own search of the Verdugo Mountains, soup kitchens in Santa Monica and Venice Beach, and homeless shelters, Thea Ivens said.
The Burbank Police Department — the lead agency on the case — told the family detectives were reviewing tapes from the downtown Burbank Metrolink Station for possible leads, said Jim Ryan, Stephen Ivens’ uncle, who was also at the press conference Wednesday.
Thea Ivens recounted how she called 9-1-1 on May 11 to report Ivens missing after finding a letter addressed to her and their son.
It was a gratitude letter, Thea Ivens said, “telling me that our child and I are the greatest gift that God has given him. It was a message for Kyle to be honest, gracious and humble and that if you are that, you can sleep at night.”
She added that she felt “undertones” that her husband “would be gone for a while, but he didn’t exactly say goodbye — he didn’t say that.”
Since February 2011, Thea Ivens said her husband had not been able to sleep and began experiencing anxiety attacks.
She said the attacks had nothing to with his work, although she acknowledged that there were “some incidents at the workplace.”
FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller on Wednesday reiterated that the investigation was ongoing, and that it would continue “until Stephen Ivens is found.
“Many leads were generated based on the initial media coverage, as well as by fliers handed out to hikers and the FBI’s publicity efforts,” she added.
Burbank Police Capt. Denis Cremins said search efforts were being directed based on credible information, adding that all leads have been run down to their conclusion.
“We haven’t come up with anything, and certainly welcome any credible leads,” he said.
Stephen Ivens is described as 6 foot 1 inch tall, 140 to 150 pounds, with brown eyes, grayish-brown hair, and eyeglasses.
When asked if she could think of a reason why Ivens would leave her and her young son, Thea Ivens said, “No, none. He’s not leaving. I know he loves his child, our child.”
----
To volunteer, visit the “Let’s Bring Steve Home” website or Facebook page.
Anyone with information on Stephen Ivens’ whereabouts should contact Burbank police at (818) 238-3000.
UPDATE MAY 23, 2012
Okay, it looks to me that the Facebook page is a front/fraud, so take that info with a grain of salt. Also, we know the mainstream news is controlled by a very few with big bucks, so no surprise that this bizarre story is out there. But why? Anyone's guess.
Let's face it, we are hardly ever told the truth by the 'news' and must read between the lines and watch with discernment.
UPDATE May 21, 2012
http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2012/05/missing-fbi-agent-stephen-ivens-has-grown-a-beard-family-facebook-post/
UPDATE May 18, 2012
http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2012/05/wife-of-missing-fbi-agent-stephen-ivens-my-husband-is-not-a-rogue-agent/UPDATE
While reading the comments on the Facebook page Let's Bring Steve Home recently created by Stephen's wife, Thea, found that Steve grew up in Braintree, MA.
Guess who else grew up in Braintree? Amy Bishop, the gal who shot and killed her fellow teachers in Huntsville, AL, in 2010. Click to read more about Amy.
ORIGINAL POST
I'm asking because his name is ALL OVER the internet and in much of the media across the globe.
The story we are told is that Stephen Ivens is an FBI agent who has been missing a couple of days, armed with his gun and may be suicidal.
Why is this such BIG news globally???
There's got to be more to this story.
I'm mean, really... so what if a man is missing a couple of days... maybe he went on a trip or simply wanted to get away.
Or maybe as an agent, he saw something that shook him up and maybe his superiors want to silence him before he talks?
One comment made here:
"Suicidal? How about possible coverup by his own employer, FBI---National Security. Could he have uncovered something of importance that put him on the run for his own safety? And what's with the uncontrollable blinking of the eyes by the FBI agent speaking to the news media? Get the public to believe he might be mentally unstable, distraught, possibly suicidal. "We want to make sure that we can find him". Then should he turn up dead the public will momentarily mourn the loss of Mr. Ivens due to whatever cause..."
The fact that Stephen Ivens has got SO MUCH coverage is a HUGE RED FLAG!
Family of Missing FBI Agent Pleads for Safe Return
Special agent Stephen Ivens was reported missing on Friday. His wife, child and mother reached out to him Tuesday through an open letter asking him to come home.
By Cassandra Morris and City News Service
5/16/2012 12:00 pm
The family of Stephen Ivens, the 35-year-old FBI agent who was reported missing on Friday morning, released an open letter Tuesday pleading with him to come home.
“Steve, if you are out there listening right now, your wife wants to let you know, 'Babe, we are in this together for better or for worse. I love you, no matter what happens.' Your child wants you to know, 'Daddy's work? Daddy home?'" the letter, which was released through the Burbank Police, read.
“Your mother wants you to know, 'I love you, I need you and come home, wherever that home is, because I need you back.' Please remember that we love you, we miss you and let us know that you are OK,” the letter continued.
“Steve is more than just a missing person,” his wife Thea Ivens wrote. “He is a father, a husband, a son, a brother, a nephew, a friend and a colleague in this community.”
“We implore the public to help with any information that may lead to bringing Steve back home safely. We ask for your prayers in getting Steve back home safely,” his wife wrote.
Ivens’ family has created the Facebook page “Let’s Bring Steve Home” to help spread the word.
Details on Ivens' Disappearance
Ivens was last seen by his family Thursday evening, and was reported missing from his Burbank home on Friday just after 7 a.m. He is a special agent with the FBI's Los Angeles division.
Ivens may have entered into the Verdugo mountains area above La Cañada-Flintridge on foot, and was described as despondent and suicidal by authorities. A handgun is missing from Ivens’ home. Officials are concerned about Ivens’ well-being and say there’s no indication that he has been involved in criminal activity.
The Verdugo mountains are known to be extremely rugged. Sierra Madre Search and Rescue, which includes members from Monrovia, along with Montrose Search and Rescue and Sheriff’s personnel from Altadena and Santa Clarita, reserve deputies, volunteer rescuers, Special Enforcement Bureau, Emergency Services Detail, paramedics, bloodhounds and a helicopter crew have aided in the search since Saturday morning.
Ivens is white, six feet tall, 160 lbs. with brown eyes and brown hair. He wears prescription glasses.
Anyone with information about Ivens’ whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Burbank Police Department at (818) 238-3000.
http://monrovia.patch.com/articles/family-of-missing-fbi-agent-pleads-for-safe-return-53889d87
