$196,000 approved in missing Ore. boy case
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A prosecutor and a county sheriff investigating the disappearance of a 7-year-old boy went to county commissioners Thursday to discuss funding for the probe, but dodged questions about whether they are close to making an arrest.
Multnomah County commissioners approved District Attorney Michael Schrunk's request for an extra $196,000 for his office's investigation into Kyron Horman's disappearance. But, in an unexpected move, Sheriff Dan Staton tabled a separate request for about $240,000 in additional funding for his office until October.
Staton said the sheriff's office will return $500,000 in contingency funding approved last month and another $400,000 from the last budget after his agency was able to hold down costs.
Staton and Schrunk went to commissioners to talk about funding in their effort to find Kyron, last seen at Skyline School on June 4, when his stepmother took him to a science fair. Though the case has gripped the community, the cost of finding Kyron is an issue for the cash-strapped government.
Commissioner Deborah Kafoury asked why this particular case is getting so much attention from law enforcement when there are other missing children: "Is this really that unusual?"
"Yes, it is an unusual case," Schrunk said. "I think you have a lot of different dynamics. You have a school. You have a science fair. You have a lot of people involved. And you have seemingly no explanation for why the child is missing."
Staton, who said the case has so far cost $365,000, said investigators have seized 200 sets for records and are sifting through the 3,000 leads that have been generated.
"We currently have 38 full, 4-inch binders on this investigation, and we're not even halfway through at this particular point," he said.
Staton later told reporters not to take Thursday's action - in which the prosecutors needed money and his office didn't - as a sign that an arrest was near.
Staton said investigators have not found any items that belong to Kyron, and again declined to name the stepmother, Terri Moulton Horman, as a person of interest in the investigation.
Terri Horman, who has raised Kyron since he was an infant, is the last known person to have seen the boy. She contacted the elementary school when Kyron didn't come home from school on the day of the science fair.
The sheriff's office conducted a massive search of the area before declaring the case a criminal investigation on June 14.
The boy's father, Kaine Horman, left Terri Horman about two weeks later. He also filed a restraining order in which he said he believes Terri Horman was involved in the disappearance.
Kaine Horman and Kyron's biological mother, Desiree Young, have since publicly urged Terri Horman to fully cooperate with investigators.
The sheriff said the stepmother, who has moved 175 miles away, has "not refused" any requests from his detectives.
Multnomah County commissioners approved District Attorney Michael Schrunk's request for an extra $196,000 for his office's investigation into Kyron Horman's disappearance. But, in an unexpected move, Sheriff Dan Staton tabled a separate request for about $240,000 in additional funding for his office until October.
Staton said the sheriff's office will return $500,000 in contingency funding approved last month and another $400,000 from the last budget after his agency was able to hold down costs.
Staton and Schrunk went to commissioners to talk about funding in their effort to find Kyron, last seen at Skyline School on June 4, when his stepmother took him to a science fair. Though the case has gripped the community, the cost of finding Kyron is an issue for the cash-strapped government.
Commissioner Deborah Kafoury asked why this particular case is getting so much attention from law enforcement when there are other missing children: "Is this really that unusual?"
"Yes, it is an unusual case," Schrunk said. "I think you have a lot of different dynamics. You have a school. You have a science fair. You have a lot of people involved. And you have seemingly no explanation for why the child is missing."
Staton, who said the case has so far cost $365,000, said investigators have seized 200 sets for records and are sifting through the 3,000 leads that have been generated.
"We currently have 38 full, 4-inch binders on this investigation, and we're not even halfway through at this particular point," he said.
Staton later told reporters not to take Thursday's action - in which the prosecutors needed money and his office didn't - as a sign that an arrest was near.
Staton said investigators have not found any items that belong to Kyron, and again declined to name the stepmother, Terri Moulton Horman, as a person of interest in the investigation.
Terri Horman, who has raised Kyron since he was an infant, is the last known person to have seen the boy. She contacted the elementary school when Kyron didn't come home from school on the day of the science fair.
The sheriff's office conducted a massive search of the area before declaring the case a criminal investigation on June 14.
The boy's father, Kaine Horman, left Terri Horman about two weeks later. He also filed a restraining order in which he said he believes Terri Horman was involved in the disappearance.
Kaine Horman and Kyron's biological mother, Desiree Young, have since publicly urged Terri Horman to fully cooperate with investigators.
The sheriff said the stepmother, who has moved 175 miles away, has "not refused" any requests from his detectives.
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