It has been over ten years since seven year-old Kyron Hormon was last seen. He disappeared on June 4, 2010, and was last seen at his school’s science fair. Kyron’s disappearance has been the subject of journalistic investigations, talk shows, and the largest criminal investigation in the history of the state of Oregon. His face is one of the most recognizable on the growing list of missing children who have still not been found.
At the time of his disappearance, Kryon’s parents, Kaine and Desiree Horman had been divorced for almost ten years. They had shared equal custody until Desiree was diagnosed with kidney failure that prompted medical intervention from the state, giving Kaine full custody. Despite having full custody, Kaine still heavily included Desiree in Kryon’s life.
In 2007, Kaine married Kryon’s stepmother, Terri Moulton. Moulton was reportedly the last person to see Kryon on the day he disappeared. Moulton took Kyron to school that day for his school’s science fair and attended the science fair with him. When it was time for school to start, Moulton left the school and reported that she saw Kryon walking towards his first class. One of the most curious inconsistencies in the case was that despite Moulton reported she saw him headed to class, Kryon was marked absent for that day of school. Law enforcement can confirm that Kryon was at the science fair that morning, because Moulton took a picture of Kyron in front of his project—the famous photo seen around the country when the search for Kyron was launched.
Moulton was able to account for her movements for most of the day, reportedly doing errands and caring for her daughter who had an earache. It wasn’t until Kryon’s father, Kaine, and Moulton walked to the bus stop to get Kyron when he got off the bus that afternoon. When Kryon did not get off the bus, the worried parents contacted his school to ask about his whereabouts. When they could not confirm that Kyron had been in that school that day, the authorities were contacted.
The extensive search for Kyron spanned over ten days and included a thorough ground search of the area surrounding Kryon’s school. By July of 2010, the reward posted for information leading to Kyorn’s safe return was up to $50,000. Despite the large reward, no arrest has ever been made in Kyron’s disappearance. The investigation did however yield several interesting pieces of evidence. Law enforcement was told by Kyron’s father that Moulton had offered their landscaper money to kill him, and subsequently conspired with him to kidnap and kill Kyron. However, police were never able to gather enough evidence to charge Moulton with Kryon’s disappearance.
Kyron would be 18 years old in 2020. When he was last seen, he had brown hair, blue eyes, and wore eyeglasses. If you have any information concerning this case, please contact the local tip line at (503) 261-2847, or your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland School Superintendent Carol Smith spoke publicly for the first time since the disappearance of a Skyline Elementary School student at a scheduled 3:30 p.m. press conference Sunday.
“The reported disappearance from one of our schools is unprecedented,” she said, “and deeply troubling.”
As such, changes are being made in how the school treats visitors.
Beginning Monday, everyone entering Skyline Elementary School will be asked to sign in. A team composed of school security services, members of the teacher’s association and other related parties also will look into safety procedures for releasing children as they leave school.
As for Kyron Horman, missing since some time Friday morning, “we’re hoping for his safe return,” said Superintendent Smith.
Authority interviews
Interviews with those who were at Friday’s science fair at Skyline Elementary School – where a 7-year-old student is believed to have disappeared – may have turned up at least one new piece of information.
In a press conference Sunday afternoon, a Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office spokesman now says Kyron Horman was last seen at “a late hour in the morning.” This raises questions about the 8:45 a.m. time released by the Sheriff’s Office in its press release about this case. We are looking for further clarification into this statement.
The press release reported the boy’s stepmother walked through a number of classrooms with Kyron and last saw him around 8:45 a.m. Friday, walking down the hallway toward his Skyline second-grade classroom. The investigation has turned up that Kyron’s teacher marked him absent when he never showed up.
Even in Sunday’s rain students came by the car load to answer questions from authorities. Andrew Delzell was one of the students interviewed; he and Kyron are in the same math class.
“He doesn’t seem like the person that would want to run away,” Delzell told KATU Reporter Adam Ghassemi. “He’s a nice kid. He plays with his friends a lot. I’m not sure if he’d ever run away.”
Delzell’s mother, Kris Delzell, also was at Friday’s crowded science fair.
“It’s horrifying. It’s absolutely horrifying,” she said. “…The dogs and the rescue people are coming through my yard, because we live close to where they’re searching. FBI people are interviewing us and [there are] police cars. We’re very shaken up.”
Classes as usual on Monday
Investigators are hoping to paint a very accurate picture of what happened Friday, knowing Monday this campus will be full of people struggling to come to terms with Kyron’s disappearance. Classes at Skyline Elementary School are scheduled as normal for Monday.
“We’re asking them to really save their energy and focus on Monday,” said Portland Public Schools spokesman Matt Shelby, “because when those students come back tomorrow we’re going to need … their full energy to support those students.”
Those at this rural Northwest Portland school are ready for any clue as to what happened to a kid everyone says is “nice” and “always smiling.”
A school has set up a “Special Education Hot Line” to answer calls for those who need insight. That number is (503)-916-3931.
