LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Friends and family members of Kyron Horman plan to hold another search for the missing boy this summer as the fifth anniversary of his disappearance approaches.
Horman was 7 when he disappeared on June 4, 2010 after leaving Skyline Elementary School in Portland, leading to an extensive search and criminal investigation.
Kyron's mother, Desiree Young, told KGW this week that supporters are holding car washes this spring to help pay for a new search.
Below is the original story published on July 20, 2010. It is a recap of the immediate developments in the case and what happened in the weeks following the disappearance.
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Kaine Horman, whose 7-year-old son Kyron has been missing for more than four weeks, was told by investigators that his wife Terri had offered a landscaper a lot of money to kill him, according to more than one source.
Kyron's mother Desiree Young and stepfather Tony Young spoke to reporters from Medford on Tuesday. They reiterated pleas for Terri Horman to cooperate with investigators.
Reading from a statement, Mrs. Young called on little Kyron Horman's stepmother Terri Horman to do the right thing and cooperate.
The boy's father, mother and stepfather said in an e-mail to news organizations late Monday they still believe Terri Horman is not telling investigators everything she knows. Terri Horman's lawyer did not immediately return a call for comment Tuesday.
Police were prepared to arrest Terri Horman on June 26 for plotting to kill her husband, KGW has learned.
On June 26th, the landscaper, who is cooperating with authorities and was wearing a wire, met with Terri and an undercover officer. Police were prepared to arrest her if she implicated herself but Terri cut the conversation short.
Later that day, Kaine was told that she had plotted against him and took their 19-month-old daughter and moved out.
The source told KGW that Terri approached a landscaper who had been working on their property in Northwest Portland and asked him if he would kill her husband for a large sum of money.
Kaine Horman learned of the plot from investigators who said she may have tried to hire other people, too, according to sources familiar with the conversation. Terri said she was in a bad marriage and claimed that Kaine had hurt her, according to the sources. The Oregonian first reported the plot Sunday morning. KGW independently confirmed the report through a source close to the investigation.
Family members pass lie detector
Kyron's parents, Kaine and Desiree, released a statement Monday answering questions about the investigation. They indicated they've taken lie detector tests and a reliable source told KGW that Kaine, Desiree, and Tony all passed the test.
Kyron's parents also described their daily struggle living without Kyron. More: Life without Kyron
Investigation points to Terri
Terri has also been a focus of the investigation into Kyron's disappearance, because she was the last person with him before he vanished. But police have never called her a suspect in the case.
It really is kind of a high-tension chess match, criminal expert C.W. Jensen told KGW. Terri knows she's the suspect, the cops know she's the suspect. She knows they're coming after her, they know they're coming after her. It's just a lot of tension.
On Monday evening, the parents released a new statement about the investigation, but would not comment on the murder plot accusations and repeated their assertion that Terri was not cooperating with police.
Sources also told KGW Monday that police were pouring over Terri's cell phone records and e-mails to figure out who she's been in contact with in the months before and after Kyron's disappearance.
Sheriff hoping to find Kyron alive
Meantime, a vigil was planned for Kyron Friday at 8 p.m., at the Wall of Hope created outside Skyline Elementary School.
Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton said Friday that investigators were operating under the premise that Kyron is still alive. He said there have been 2,877 valid leads and about 60 percent of them have been covered.
Everyone is a person of interest, Staton said in response to questions about any specific individuals. Staton added that there were no serial patterns that indicated a threat to the community.
Source: Terri Horman lied to investigators
A reliable source told KGW Thursday that Terri Horman has lied to investigators and was uncooperative. This came on the same day that the boy's family pleaded with her to cooperate with investigators.
Staton said Friday that he could not comment on the report Terri Horman lied to investigators and said to his knowledge, she had been cooperative.
Kyron's biological parents made a brief statement Thursday.
"We implore Terri Horman to fully cooperate with the investigators, to bring Kyron home," Desiree Young said as she spoke before a room full of reporters Thursday, with Kyron's father and stepfather standing behind her in support.
Terri Moulton-Horman has told police since Kyron vanished on June 4 that she left him at school that morning and never saw him again.
"Kyron is still alive," Desiree said. "We would like all of you--everyone--to continue to get his face out there, to continue to look for him in your day-to-day activities. We pray each day for Kyron."
Several hours after the meeting with reporters, Desiree sent an e-mail to KGW with written responses to questions posed to them about the investigation and Kyron. The Q&A said that while the family cannot comment further on Terri, they wanted to tell people more about Kyron. It went on to describe personal details about the little boy including a V-shaped birthmark that appears on his forehead when he is upset.
More: Family Q&A on Kyron case
Later that same day, a reliable source told KGW Terri was not cooperating with authorities and had refused to answer questions. Neither Terri nor her attorney had yet responded to questions Thursday afternoon.
The source also said cell phone records showed Terri was not where had she said she was on the day Kyron disappeared.
Well-known attorney working for Terri
Meanwhile, Terri hired attorney Stephen Houze, a well-known Oregon lawyer often referred to as the top criminal defense attorney in the state. Houze has also taken on many other high-profile cases including former Trail Blazer Damon Stoudamire and Dr. Jayant Patel, dubbed "Dr. Death" by Australian media.
Police have not named Terri as a suspect in the case but they did print her photo on fliers distributed during the investigation and put her through at least two lie detector tests so far.
KGW also learned that a threat-related 911 call was made from Terri and Kaine's home Saturday night, two days before Kaine filed for divorce and obtained a restraining order against his wife.
Details: 911 call info
Kaine moved out of the family home on Saturday with 19-month-old Kiara, his daughter with Terri.
The restraining order was sealed by Multnomah County Circuit Judge Keith Meisenheimer, who handles family law. However, the abuse prevention petition showed that Terri was not granted any time with their daughter and restricted from accessing firearms. The no firearms clause was routine in such cases, a court clerk said.
More: Details of latest filing
On Monday, Kaine filed divorce papers and a restraining order in Multnomah County Circuit Court. The divorce papers listed irreconcilable differences and a breakdown of marriage as the reason he left her.
Early Monday, Terri denied that Kaine had moved out of the home they shared in Northwest Portland. She also said she knew nothing of a statement getting released by Kaine, along with his ex-wife Desiree Young and her husband, Tony Young.
The statement, released late Monday, read in part: "Any actions taken by the investigation, or by us, are based on the best interests of Kyron and Kiara and comply with the law. Beyond this, we have no comment on the matter." It was signed by Kyron's father, stepfather and mother, but not Terri, Kyron's stepmother.
The statement also said that the trio was in support of the investigation. So far, the investigation included several searches of the Horman home, at least two polygraph tests for Terri and many hours of police questioning, among other things.
Step-mom a focus of investigation
In addition to this update in the case, Kyron's photo was on the cover of 'People' for the second week in a row and the story that went with it focused on the attention that has been placed on Terri.
Terri's father, Larry Moulton, 72, told 'People' matter-of-factly that though the finger points at her, she's trying to be cooperative.
He also said she has had two polygraphs, that police have taken her truck twice and questioned her several times, for up to six hours. He also described his daughter as "really good with kids" and pointed to a Halloween outing to pumpkin patches with the family in costume.
Since Kyron vanished, police singled her out in a questionnaire sent to parents and staff of Skyline school. A lifelong friend described Terri's unhappiness with the second polygraph test.
Parents grant TV interview
The People magazine cover story comes right after Kyron's mother and father sat down with KGW and answered some of the most commonly-asked questions, including why investigators had focused on Sauvie Island. However, Kyron's parents would not answer questions about Terri being given lie detector tests, and they said she would not be speaking to the media.
Questionnaire singled out Terri Moulton
Police scoured scores of questionnaires turned in by parents of Skyline Elementary School children, staff members and even delivery drivers for new clues last week as they tried to untangle the mystery of Kyron's disappearance.
The questionnaires contained several questions that were intended to help trigger people's memories about the day that the seven-year-old disappeared.
TIP LINE: (503) 261-2847
Photos: Kyron Horman
Download: Print/Share POSTER of Kyron
Among the questions were: "Did your child see Kyron's stepmom, Terri on 6/4/10, at or near the school?" and "Did your child see a white Ford F-250 pickup truck on 6/4/10 at or near the school?" The questionnaire also showed photos of Terri and the truck, which she was driving that day.
Capt. Jason Gates said during a press conference that the photos and questions were an effort to jog people's memory in the case, since Terri was the last person who spent time with Kyron.
Gates added that the family was in full support of the decision to circulate the new questionnaire Friday. He read a family statement that said, "Any parent would understand the grief that this causes our family... please know that we fully support the release of this flier and we want Kyron home and we hope that this will do that."
A close friend of Terri's told KGW she is a wonderful mother who's known Kyron since he was three days old. She said the extra scrutiny has taken an emotional toll on her.
The other questions on the form were more generic in nature, including Did your child see Kyron on 6/4/10? and Where did your child see Kyron?
Case gets national attention
A Portland woman wants Kyron's case to spark changes across the nation as well. Emmelie Caterham was circulating a petition to get security cameras installed in all schools.
Police recently created and circulated photos of Kyron without his glasses. The hope was that it would help people see what Kyron would look like if he was no longer wearing them. They also previously shared photos of Kyron's glasses and replicas of the clothing he was wearing when he disappeared.
Photos: Kyron without glasses / Kyron's glasses / Kyron's outfit
While strangers continued to reach out in any way possible, police warned that scammers were targeting some people by asking for donations to a bogus support fund. Anyone approached in person or over the phone for donations should first check with police to determine if they're legitimate.
Investigators also intensified their search in the area of Sauvie Island. From KGW's Sky8 helicopter, searchers in wetsuits were seen moving through waist-high water while someone on shore provided directions. A dive team searched swamps and ponds around the rural NW Portland area, and crews also searched around the Multnomah Channel. Investigators would not say what led them to this area, but it was the fourth consecutive day that crews scoured Sauvie Island.
"This will not become a cold case for us," Capt. Jason Gates promised.
$25,000 reward offered
An emotional Sheriff Dan Staton announced a $25,000 reward for any information that leads to the location of Kyron.
Investigators also asked anyone with photos or videos created on June 3 or June 4 of roads around Skyline school to provide them to police. Video of specific locations was being sought.
Family talks about Kyron
Kyron's parents answered personal questions about him via Multnomah County Sheriff's Capt. Mike Shults during a previous media briefing and also explained some of their outings - to stores and a health club.
Shults said that the family was extremely stressed out, but understood that the public might have wanted to learn more about Kyron. To that end, they answered a set of prepared questions and described the boy's bubbly personality.
"The morning he disappeared, Kyron was in good spirits, excited about the tree frog diorama he had created for the science fair," Shults said.
Kyron's outfit on display
Just one hour earlier, police revealed a replica of the clothing Kyron Horman was wearing when he disappeared. Police hoped that this new information would help create more leads to assist them in their effort to locate the missing boy.
Police said Horman was wearing a black CSI T-shirt, dark cargo-style pants, Hanes athletic socks and well-worn Skechers sneakers.
The day he went missing
Kyron and his stepmother, Terri Moulton Horman, arrived at Skyline Elementary School around 8 a.m. Friday and attended a science fair at the school. Around 8:45 a.m. Terri said goodbye to Kyron and watched the second-grader walk down the hallway toward his classroom. Police say that the last time the boy was seen was about 9 a.m. Investigators have not revealed who saw Kyron last, or whether he attended his first class.
At 3:45 p.m., when the school bus arrived at Kyron's stop without him on board, his stepmom called the school. She was told he was marked absent by his teacher. She called 911 just before 4 p.m. and the search effort was launched.
Portland schools sent an automated message to parents in the school district that the boy was missing. Meanwhile, police walked the school grounds with K-9 tracking teams, searched every room and closet inside the school and even checked the roof.
Parent Gina Zimmerman said she last saw Kyron in the morning, when he posed in a classroom in front of his red-eyed tree frog science project. She said her daughter is one of Kyron s best friends and she knew him well.
Zimmerman said that Kyron was not the type of child to wander off. He knows 'stranger danger, she said. He's a really good kid.
Anyone who has seen Kyron or knows of his whereabouts was asked to call (503) 261-2847.
