Timothy Brent Olsen, who pleaded guilty in 2011 to a reduced manslaughter charge in the 1995 disappearance and death of 15-year-old Kiplyn Davis, will be released from Utah State Prison on Feb. 10 after serving a 15-year state sentence. Olsen also served a separate 12-year federal sentence for perjury related to the case. He has refused to identify a second person he says was involved or to disclose where Davis’s remains are located, and her parents say they would support his release only if he leads them to their daughter's body.
Man Convicted in 1995 Death of Utah Teen Kiplyn Davis To Be Released After Serving 15 Years
Timothy Olsen in court; Kiplyn DavisAP Photo/Stuart Johnson,Pool; Utah Department of Public Safety
The man convicted in the death of 15-year-old Kiplyn Davis is scheduled to be released from Utah State Prison on Feb. 10 after completing a 15-year state sentence.
Timothy Brent Olsen pleaded guilty in 2011 to a reduced charge of manslaughter in connection with Davis’s disappearance and death. He was sentenced in state court to 1 to 15 years and completed the full 15-year term because he has refused to disclose the location of Davis’s remains.
Case Details
Investigators believe Davis left Spanish Fork High School at lunchtime on May 2, 1995, with Olsen and a second person Olsen has never identified. Davis reportedly left all of her belongings in her school locker. According to a Utah Department of Public Safety cold case report, the teen was "very self-conscious about her appearance."
Olsen told police he saw another individual strike Davis in the head with a rock and that he helped move her body, but he has declined to name the other person or reveal where the body was taken. He has repeatedly refused to lead authorities to her remains; the location has not been disclosed publicly.
Federal Perjury Case
In 2005, Olsen and four others — David Rucker Leifson, Scott Brunson, Garry Blackmore and Christopher Neal Jeppson — were federally indicted for perjury before a grand jury and lying to federal agents about moving a body and creating false alibis. Olsen was later sentenced in federal court to 12 years in prison for perjury in November 2006; the other men were convicted of perjury and received shorter terms.
Olsen was transferred from the federal system to Utah State Prison in 2016 to complete his state sentence.
Parole, Law And Family Response
Under Utah law, parole can be denied to people convicted in homicide cases if they refuse to disclose the location of a victim's remains. Because Olsen would not reveal where Davis's body is located, he served the full length of his state sentence rather than obtaining early release through parole. Davis’s parents have said they would support his release only if he leads them to their daughter's remains.
The Utah Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Note: The remains of Kiplyn Davis have not been publicly located. The case continues to draw attention in Utah and among cold-case advocates.
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