Wyo4News staff, [email protected] [PRESS RELEASE]
December 2, 2023 — Zeke Gregory Best, the 10-month-old son of Jeremy Best and the subject of an Amber Alert issued Friday morning, was found dead by hunters Saturday morning in Bonneville County, Idaho.
Jeremy Albert Best, who is suspected of killing his pregnant wife — Zeke’s mom — and kidnapping the baby, was taken into custody, according to a news release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.
Bonneville County Dispatch received a call from a group of hunters at about 9:15 a.m. Saturday, according to the release, stating that they found a man in a sleeping bag on the side of the road. “The caller stated the man was naked and making odd statements,” officials stated.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area, which was on Kepps Crossing Road east of Idaho Falls. After making contact with the hunters, deputies identified the man as Best, who was “secured and placed in a patrol car until Idaho Falls Ambulance personnel arrived to treat him for any injuries,” officials stated.
The black Chevy SUV that Best had been driving was found nearby. Deputies also located Zeke Best; it was unclear from the authority’s report whether the baby was in the SUV or not. A cause of death for Zeke hasn’t been determined, according to Bonneville County Coroner Rick Taylor. His body will be taken to Boise for a forensic autopsy.
Saturday’s arrest of Best and the death of his son capped a tragic few days. On Thursday, Best walked into the Swan Valley General Store naked. Video of the incident shows him nude and slouching on the store’s counter next to the cash register, where he grabbed a cigarette before being escorted outside of the building by several people.
Bonneville County sheriff’s deputies responded, and Best was evaluated by EMS and then taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center by ambulance, according to a news release. A deputy followed the ambulance, and Best was turned over to hospital staff for further medical and mental health evaluations.
It’s unclear what happened at the hospital, but EIRMC spokesperson Coleen Neimann confirmed that Best was discharged Thursday afternoon at around 11:40 p.m. Thursday, the Teton County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from the Best home, according to a release from Teton officials. The dispatcher heard arguing on the line and sent deputies to the house.
Kali Jean Randall was found dead by deputies when they arrived, and police immediately turned their attention to Best. An Amber Alert was issued at about 4:00 a.m. on Friday because Best had taken Zeke and fled. After a medical clearance, Best was taken to the Bonneville County Jail on Saturday and booked on a warrant out of Teton County in Randall’s killing. He will remain there until his arraignment.
