Kyron Horman Re-Release

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2:20advised. My name is Sarah Turney, and this is Voices for Justice.

2:30Today, I'm discussing the case of Kyron Horman. From everything I can tell, Kyron's childhood in Portland was pretty idyllic. Of course, it wasn't perfect. His parents were separated, which I have to imagine wasn't always easy for him. But he'd go to pick your own strawberry farms with his parents, play soccer in the local league, and makes no angels in the snow and the sand while on trips with his family. He seemed to be a bright kid with his whole life ahead of him, but when Kyron was just 7 years old in June 2010, he disappeared from school on one of the busiest days of the year. Despite there being a ton of witnesses that day, he's been missing for almost 13 years now, and his parents are desperate for answers.

3:13This is the case of Kyron Horman. At just seven, Kyron is a special kid. He's a little timid, but he's confident. He does his own laundry, washes his dishes, and loves helping out around the house. He also seems sure about what he wants his future to look like. He's going to be a detective, just like his stepdad Tony. When he was only six, he got to see forensics up close, when a local museum hosted an exhibit in partnership with the show CSI. Basically, museum-goers were given cold cases and a short list of clues. They'd head from room to room, gathering more information about the case, learning about things like fiber analysis, fingerprint testing, and other forensic methods.

3:55Then, if they'd done their job correctly, they'd solve the case. And Kyron loves this, so much that he buys a shirt that day, a black t-shirt with the letters CSI on it. Kyron really loves the idea of becoming a detective one day. In his mind, he'll hunt down leads, interrogate suspects, and talk to everyone until he gets the full story. But Kyron's also kind of shy. He doesn't talk much, and he gets anxious anytime there's a big event or an opportunity to speak in front of people. He doesn't like being in the spotlight. This is why the science fair on June 4th, 2010, is such a big deal for him.

4:31The day prior, he'd presented his project on the red-eyed tree frog to his class, but today he had to present it to a lot of other students, and their parents, and maybe even their grandparents. So before he heads out for the day, Kyron's dad Kane sits him down for a pep talk. Kane explains that he's proud of how hard Kyron worked on a science project, and how much he believes in him. Kyron knows this project backwards and forwards, and he's a smart kid. He won't have any problems with his presentation. Kane also promises that when they both get home, they'll play video games together. Then Kane gives him a kiss on the forehead and sends him on his way.

5:09Now, Kyron usually takes the bus to school, but today his stepmom, Terry Horman, drives him. Kyron's 19-month-old sister is also in the Ford pickup truck with them. Once they arrive at Skyline Elementary, Terry takes a photo of Kyron in front of his exhibit. In it, he looks really proud. His smile takes up most of his face, so much so that you can barely see his blue eyes peeking out from behind his glasses. Though he may have had some hesitations going into the day, Kyron seems really happy now. He's with his friends and their parents, and everyone's excited. Not only that, they'll be on summer vacation in less than two weeks, and there's a talent show in the afternoon.

5:47I'm sure most of you remember school days like this. They were just kind of the best. Summer's approaching, you're not doing a lot in school that day, it was one of those fun days. Eventually, Terry leaves the school, waving goodbye to Kyren as she departs. When she gets home that afternoon, she posts the photo of Kyren at the science fair to her Facebook page. That afternoon, Cain leaves work early to meet Kyren at the bus stop, but when the bus arrives, Kyren isn't on it. Cain does pretty much immediately panic. He drives with Terry to the school, hoping that Kyren just missed the bus somehow.

6:20but when they arrive, they learn that no one has seen Kyron since that morning at the science fair. The school explains that when Kyron's teacher took attendance at 10am that morning, he was marked absent, but nothing came of this because Terry had emailed the day before to let his teacher know that Kyron had a doctor's appointment later in the day, and that she'd be taking him out of school for a couple of hours. So when he's marked absent at 10am, there's no call home, because it was considered an excused absence. But here's the thing. Kyron didn't have a doctor's appointment that day. Terry says his appointment was actually for next Friday, not this one, and that she'd been mistaken when she sent that email the day prior.

7:00This means that by the time anyone realizes Kyron's missing, he's been unaccounted for for almost seven hours. And as far as anyone can tell, Terry was the last person to see Kyron that morning. From here, the school calls 911, and authorities arrive on the scene in minutes. Right away, police contact Kyron's mom, Desiree, about the situation. Desiree lives a couple hours away, but she shares partial custody of Kyron, and when she learns that he's missing, she gets in the car for the long drive to Portland. By the time she arrives, it's after 9.30pm, and no one has seen Kyron in over 12 hours.

7:39In that time, Skyline Elementary has become a police command center. Desiree would later talk about how it felt like there was a city in the sky, Generators, stadium lights, and helicopters shining searchlights from the air illuminate the space. Media trucks and tons of reporters crowd the area. When Desiree finally arrives at Kane's house, it's almost as busy as the school. There's police and media along the driveway, and search teams scouring the land around the home. Inside, the kitchen is crammed with food from neighbors and friends who became aware of what happened. And as much as Desiree wants to jump right in and join the search efforts, she can't.

8:16She has to talk with police and with Kane and Terry first. Now, Desiree and Terry have, to put it lightly, a pretty terrible relationship with each other. While Desiree was pregnant with Kyren, Kane had an affair with Terry. I don't know how long their relationship went on, and it really doesn't matter for Kyren's case, but I do know that when Desiree was six months pregnant, she discovered letters from Terry to Kane describing why and how Kane should leave the marriage. Eventually, Desiree left, and Kane went on to marry Terry. Over the years, the two women figured out a way to co-parent, but it's always been challenging.

8:51And as you can imagine, things are very tense. Now, seven years after all that happened, Desiree is standing in Terry's kitchen, trying to make sense of how they got into this awful situation. And she can't stop thinking about Terry being the last person to see Kyren that day. Later that night, Terry hands Desiree a piece of paper with Kyren's photo on it, and a chill runs down Desiree's spine. It's a picture from the science fair earlier that day, and Kyron is wearing his CSI shirt, the one he got at the museum, the one he loved so much. And looking at this photo with Kyron smiling back at her in that shirt, Desiree is beside herself.

9:30But before she has a second to think, Terry chimes in and says, it's kind of interesting that he picked that shirt, right? Desiree's stomach churns. It's a moment that would always stick with her. This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by Chewy. When I think about the holidays, I think about tiny moments with my dogs. The ones that really make the season bright. And that's why I'm joining Chewy Claws, who's out here making pet wishes come true. It's a really cool program. From November 4th to December 24th, share your pet's wish at Chewy.com slash Chewy Claws. It could actually become real, but I think the best part is that it helps others too.

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11:04This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by Greenlight. I think one of the best gifts you can give your kids is the gift of financial literacy. I know, it might sound a little corny, but think about how much it helps in life. Not only as a kid just to kind of develop and polish those skills, but as you also enter adulthood. When you have that skill set of financial literacy, it makes life so much easier. Now, if you haven't heard of Greenlight, it's a debit card and money app for families. It helps you teach kids and teens about money before bad habits or costly mistakes can take hold. Parents can send money quickly, track every purchase with real-time notifications, and even assign chores for allowance.

11:45Greenlight really does help kids learn how to save, invest, and build confidence with money. This is truly a product that I wish I had growing up. Like I said, I think it would have given me a much better head start in life. Join millions of parents already using Greenlight, the number one family finance and safety app. Start your risk-free Greenlight trial today at greenlight.com slash justice. That's greenlight.com slash justice to get started. Greenlight.com slash justice. At some point on the first night, police approach Kane with a proposal. They want him to wear a wire and record all the conversations in the home.

12:24This is a huge step so early on in the investigation, and I don't know much more about it. But I do know that it didn't take much for Kane to get himself wired up. It seems like he's willing to do anything and everything that the police are advising if it means getting Kyron home. So Kane wears the wire around the house to record conversations with Terry, Desiree, and Desiree's husband Tony. But not much comes of this because Terry finds the wire soon after he starts wearing it. Desiree thinks that Terry is the police's prime suspect. Now, it's worth pointing out that Terry has never been named a person of interest in this case, but she was, and as far as we know, continues to be closely investigated.

13:05Police interrogate Terry a couple times over the weekend, and during that time, her story about that day changes, and changes, and changes. First, there are some discrepancies about when she left the school and how. She had originally said that she waved goodbye to Kyron from a stairwell, but when police point out that this would have been impossible given that a wall partially blocked the view, she changes her story. After leaving the school, Terry said that she'd gone to two local grocery stores. Police did find videos of her at the stores, but they were never able to find the item she says she bought that day.

13:42Then at some point in the interviews, Terry adds that she had also visited a Michaels Arts and Crafts store that morning, but she never went in because there was a long line. And when police went to verify this part of her alibi, they learned that virtually no one visited the store that morning, and there were no lines. There's also this issue about the gym. As Terry walks through her day, she explains that she went to the gym that morning around 11.40am, but police discover that she'd actually clocked into the gym at 12.20, and left 22 minutes later without working out. She did talk to a couple of people while she was there, though.

14:18One woman told police that Terry was complaining about an injury she said she got from dropping a weight on her leg earlier that day. Now, you would think that this would usually cause, like, a big bruise or some kind of lump. But when Terry raised her yoga pants to show the injury, there was a gash on her knee instead. The woman told police that there's really no reason to think that the cut could have come from working out. And then there's a full 2 hours and 40 minutes where Terry was unaccounted for that day. She tells police that she may have spent this time driving around trying to get the baby to sleep.

14:52But these errors and discrepancies in Terry's story lead the family to worry that she may have had something to do with Kyren's disappearance. Now, no one kicks her out and there's no huge fight or anything, but I think it's safe to say that everyone at Kane's house is on edge and tensions are running high. The next day, the family hands out flyers with Kyren's picture. At this point, there's a lot of discussion about what happened to Kyren that day. Many offer up the idea that maybe Kyren had wandered out of the classroom and got lost exploring the woods. But Desiree knows her son. He's a rule follower.

15:27He doesn't like being alone. And he's really not one for adventures like that. She doesn't think he would have just wandered off. Desiree is sure someone took him off campus that day. And later that week, a sheriff pulls Tony and Desiree aside, to tell them that another student and adult had reportedly seen Kyron leaving the school with Terry. But he soon backtracks this comment, leaving the two more confused than before. Now, as the search grows, Kyron's case gets a lot of media attention. From local magazines and newspapers to national cable TV outlets. And the Facebook page for Kyron gains thousands of followers.

16:05Then he takes over on blogs, which was a big thing in 2010. Of course, online sleuths make a lot of comments on the pages. Now, while their commentary isn't always helpful, their presence does help get the case out there, and onto people's screens so that everyone knows what Kyron looks like. Through all of this, the family is under almost constant police supervision, and they're advised to not speak to the media. Meanwhile, investigators interview the family members over and over again, and they all submit to polygraph examination. Terry fails her first test, though it's unclear what that means or how it plays out.

16:44We just know that she fails and is very angry about it. Really, in general, as the investigation takes its course, Terry appears to get agitated. She's reportedly upset that the police aren't telling the family a lot about the investigation. She's not happy that she seems to be a suspect, even though police never actually name her as a person of interest or a suspect. And she's reluctant to hand over her phone or social media profiles to police. But during this time, the search continues and widens to Savi Island. It's an area with thousands of acres of wetlands. Hundreds of volunteers are searching the area daily, and there are multiple detectives assigned to Kyron's case.

17:25All the while, the press is hounding police for more information about the family, and without access to the parents, media outlets begin interviewing friends of the family, who often give contradicting or just misinformation in general. Some say that Desiree and Terry were longtime friends, others say that Desiree was an absent mother, and others say that Kyron actually called Terry mom, not Desiree. Now, as far as I can find, none of these things are true, and we know that these false statements just don't get the family any closer to finding Kyron. But on June 11th, police finally give the green light for Desiree, Kane, Tony, and Terry to speak to the public.

18:05The family gathers at Brooks Hill Church, just across the street from Skyline Elementary. As Desiree enters the church, she starts to feel sick, like her knees are going to stop working and she'll collapse onto the ground. And when it's time for the family to speak, her husband Tony steps forward. Police had asked him earlier if he would be willing to speak to the group. Desiree, they said, was too emotional and wouldn't be able to get the point across. It's a heartbreaking image. You can hear the search helicopters as Tony starts speaking. And he speaks directly to Kyren. Quote, We miss you. We love you.

18:42We need you. We're doing everything we can to make sure you get back to us as soon as possible. End quote. After Tony, Kane speaks. He doesn't say much, but he does thank the media for circulating Kyron's photo far and wide. And he asks that they continue to do that. Get Kyron's face out there to every single person in the country. Help us find him. As the press conference wraps up, police ask Terry and Kane to come to the station for another interview. They want Terry to submit to another polygraph because she failed the first one. Terry does agree to the second test, but it doesn't last very long.

19:23I don't know why or how, but at some point, Terry stands up, refuses to continue the test, and walks out. Later that afternoon, both pairs of parents are asked to meet with detectives. It's now been a week since Kyron went missing. During the meeting, police explain that they're now looking at this as a criminal investigation, and that it's unlikely Kyron will return home alive. This news hits Desiree like a ton of bricks. Her husband Tony is a detective, so on a theoretical level, Desiree understood that sometimes missing children are not found alive. But on a personal level, she can't believe it.

20:02I imagine she doesn't want to believe it. I mean, who would? I'm sure in her mind, the idea that Kyron would return home alive was a given. He'd reappear. Maybe Desiree would get full custody, and then they could put this nightmare behind them. At this news, Desiree begins to sob. The entire event feels so unreal to her. But she tells herself that if police are viewing this as a strictly criminal investigation, that must mean that justice will be served to whoever took Kyron that day. Now, I don't know how Cain and Terry react to the news, since much of what we know about this case comes from interviews that author Rebecca Morris did with Desiree for her book Boy Missing.

20:44but I do know that Kane has been deeply engaged in every step of this investigation. Days pass, and leads build, but nothing seems to get police any closer to a break in the case. But then, finally, some good news. On June 15th, Clear Channel donates 30 billboards dedicated to Kyron, ten are in English, ten are in Spanish, and the last ten are in Russian. By June 18th, police seem to have really narrowed down their search. They hand out flyers at Kyron's elementary school with three photos. One of Kyron on the day of the science fair, one of the white truck he'd been driven to school in, and one of Terry Horman.

21:25Police say they want to distribute this flyer in hopes that it will jog the memory of students and families who were at the school that day. As far as I could find, it unfortunately doesn't, but the next day, Terry agrees to a third polygraph. She fails this one too, though it's not clear what happened during the session. As far as we know, this is the last time Terry speaks to police about Kyron's case. Over the next two weeks, there's little movement. Desiree and Tony go back to their house four hours away from Portland, but they do regularly drive back into the city for meetings with police and to aid in the search effort.

22:02Kane continues to live with Terry, but their relationship is tense. By now, Kane is a really big figure in the investigation. He's basically the police's way into Terry. Authorities hope that Terry might confide in Kane if she did something, and he'll be able to relay that information to them. Then on June 27th, Kane, Desiree, and Tony are called into a meeting with detectives. There's been a break in the case that's apparently so serious that Desiree and Tony need to drive to Portland right away. They're all instructed to meet with authorities at a local hotel, and no one is allowed to enter Kane's home until they talk with police.

22:40Once the group gets to the hotel, authorities finally share the news. While looking through Terry's email, they learn that she offered a landscaper a large sum of money to kill Kane. In other words, she hired a hitman. Now, this happened just weeks before Kyron went missing. And this landscaper apparently wasn't the only person Terry had approached about killing Kane. She'd actually reached out to another hitman about five months before that, in December 2009. In this meeting, the family also learns that, in the weeks leading up to Kyren's disappearance, Terry had been emailing a friend about how much she disliked her stepson.

23:19And then, police confirm a statement that they'd previously backtracked. They now have four witnesses who claim they saw Kyren leaving his school with Terry the day he disappeared. This episode of Voices for Justice is brought to you by Quince. I love giving gifts, and Quince really does make that so easy. They have something for everyone, from soft Mongolian cashmere sweaters for$50 that look and feel like designer pieces, silk tops and skirts for dressing up, perfectly cut denim for everyday wear, and outerwear that actually keeps you warm. And of course, what I love is that every piece is made with premium materials from ethical, trusted factories, and it's all priced far below what other luxury brands charge.

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