3 Weeks Later, Why No Community Outcry?

[mauirain]

Nor do I feel criticized by anyone's opinion. Locals don't have the only right to state their opinions. I'm local too, BTW.

URGENCY - yes, that's what is missing here! We have supposedly hundreds of people working on this case exclusively, the FBI is in town (or working on this case remotely?), a child disappeared from a *public school*. Why do we not see any increased police presence anywhere? Why are there no apparent searches anymore? Why does no one interviewed in the media seem angry that this has happened? Why does *no one* say "look for Kyron!" With the release of all these pictures and videos, no one has come out and asked the public to help find him, look for him at kids' events, summer festivals, or anywhere. That's really disturbing to me. We have nothing to go on but cryptic non-statments by *crying* LE. Feels like there's a volcano right under my feet here in Portland. And I also feel our community is being bullied by LE right now, in that if any individual were to get that sense of urgency so sorely lacking right now, they'd swiftly be accused of "hampering the investigation". That's BS, misleading, and unfair, IMHO.

YES!YES!YES! you have hit in on the nose, I am feeling the same way. Thank you so much for saying that.

 

[PDXMom]

YES!YES!YES! you have hit in on the nose, I am feeling the same way. Thank you so much for saying that.

*huff* Now I'm all riled up. :headache:

 

[DMansMom]

Nor do I feel criticized by anyone's opinion. Locals don't have the only right to state their opinions. I'm local too, BTW.

URGENCY - yes, that's what is missing here! We have supposedly hundreds of people working on this case exclusively, the FBI is in town (or working on this case remotely?), a child disappeared from a *public school*. Why do we not see any increased police presence anywhere? Why are there no apparent searches anymore? Why does no one interviewed in the media seem angry that this has happened? Why does *no one* say "look for Kyron!" With the release of all these pictures and videos, no one has come out and asked the public to help find him, look for him at kids' events, summer festivals, or anywhere. That's really disturbing to me. We have nothing to go on but cryptic non-statments by *crying* LE. Feels like there's a volcano right under my feet here in Portland. And I also feel our community is being bullied by LE right now, in that if any individual were to get that sense of urgency so sorely lacking right now, they'd swiftly be accused of "hampering the investigation". That's BS, misleading, and unfair, IMHO.

I'm glad to hear you saying this. And I'm glad you are apart of the community and saying this!

 

[Mylou]

I have to say I admire the passion in this thread! If I had a child at that school, Id either be fundraising to have camera's installed at all entrances and exits. Or Id be home schooling, or moving.
I find it hard to believe in a school that size, no one seen anything. Surely people have seen one another for years at that school, in the mornings, afternoons, events. I don't buy that no one seen anything that day.
People have no problem scrutinizing others on the internet, I believe they do so in public as much if not more so. They may fear saying it in public, but have no problem with hiding behind a pc.
I believe someone seen something and they have not gone forward to the police in this case.
So I say who ever you are, please go forward and speak. It could very well be your child or your neighbours child next.

 

[Hephaestus]

@DMansMom,

Where do I start?

First, I'm here in Portland, Oregon, so local to this. My wife and I have two sons and two daughters. My boys are 6 and 9 so this hits home for us, even moreso since it is in our area.

Second, while my current field is digital marketing / internet marketing, I am prior service Army and have law enforcement experience.

That said, I cannot speak for anyone but myself when you ask why there has not been more community outcry. There are so many things that just make no sense about this case, I don't know where to start. So many unanswered questions.

I've not personally gotten involved with blaming the school staff because my gut tells me that there's no way a stranger abduction could happen as it's been described. We teach our kids from early on that if a stranger grabs you, to yell "This is not my Dad!" or "This is Not my Mom!".

While I don't personally have children at Skyline, I can tell you that there are enough adults around that had Kyron known something was wrong or yelled, we wouldn't be talking about this now.

That leads me to believe that either this is a non-stranger abduction (he knew the person - family or friend of family); or that he never made it to school that morning and the SM is fabricating this to cover something up.

Neither of the above scenarios lead me to be any more cautious or concerned with my kids than my wife and I have been all along. We've always taken common sense security precautions with them, regardless of this case.

Neither of the above scenarios lead me to want to shake the tree and blame the Skyline school or the school district. So, while I cannot speak for others here in Portland, I can tell you that as a parent of four children and a prior LE, I'm not outraged at the way this is being handled. Why?

Because it's blatantly obvious that LE is looking heavily at the SM but they just don't have a body (God forbid) yet or enough proof. And yes, while they are in evidence gathering mode, it is frustrating for average folks because the only thing you and I see is what the media publishes. Trust me. The SM is likely under surveilance. They still have many detectives working the case. But IMHO all signs point to this being a non-stranger abduction that may or may not have taken place on school grounds.

Questions I have had that remain unanswered:

The white Ford F250 looked late model in the photo. If it was NOT towed for evidence processing and if it WAS towed at the request of family to be fixed, is it back in operation yet? Has anyone verified that it went to a repair place?

Why are we just now seeing home videos of Kyron and additional photos being released by the family 3 weeks later?

What were the results of the two polygraphs that SM took?

Why did SM not call 911 herself that day? I can tell you that if my kid did not get off the bus, my first call would be to the school, but that once I heard that he had been marked absent that day, I would PERSONALLY call 911 to get information out. I would NOT rely on a school secretary to do this for me. I see no evidence that SM ever called 911 herself about this case and that SMELLS, bigtime.

This story has gotten national attention and continues to; but it's obvious that LE are focusing the investigation here in Portland. My guess is that they are doing that for a reason. It's NOT that they don't know what they are doing. Hell they are working with Federal, State and Local officers and detectives on this. One thing they don't have is a lack of talent and resources on it.

When I saw that LE was putting out a flyer with photos of the SM and her truck and asking people to fill out a questionnaire, I immediately saw that as LE putting pressure on the SM to see how she would react to it. Would she flee? How would she behave or react? "If" her phone conversations are being monitored, what would she say? I would be HIGHLY surprised if she were not under 24 hour surveillance by LE.

Too many questions unanswered. What was she doing over on Sauvie Island that day? Or did someone borrow her cell phone? Who knows?

There are too many people here in Portland who are watching this for it to go "cold". We're not making a huge stink about it because for all purposes we (I) believe that it is a family member abduction or that he never was at school that morning.

So no, we are not blaming the school. Although I agree 110% that all schools should have digital surveillance in place, even with good systems there is not 100% coverage. There's digital surveillance in the public school that our kids attend here and we STILL use common sense, walking them from the car to the classroom etc. There IS an automated phone system in our public school that calls us within an hour if our kid is absent. That's been in place for several years so I was really surprised to see it not at Skyline.

Skyline is in a fairly rural area. It's by no means desolate or isolated, but my point is simply that it's not urban. It's not downtown Portland. If there appeared to be a reason to be screaming at the school district, trust me, people would. All I can think is that many folks feel like I do that - look, we're already protecting our own children and this is not a stranger abduction from a public school during school hours.

One positive outcome from this locally is that it has increased awareness, which is great. I hope we have an outcome soon. I really do. But like other LE folks who are looking at this, the cards are not in our favor. Almost a 12 hour window before he gets reported missing? That's horrible in a missing kid case.

 

[cluciano63]

I think LE is humoring that community by asking for tips-if they really want tips, they should be telling the public what to be looking for. People near school that day, in neighborhood, people who have moved away, who passed through town, who quit a job at a local store this month, etc...not just, yeah, sure, call in tips and maybe we will get back to you.

They seem only to want to hear from the people who were at the school, that much seems clear to me. And it almost seems as though finding Kyron would be a plus, but no no one is going out of their way at this point, they already said they did not need a body to press charges against anyone.

I am a cynic, bigtime, but have really just about had it with the lack of urgency that seems to be surrounding this case. I am not usually a type to be frantic about anything, but is anyone frantic about this case, except for those who did not even know Kyron? Am not getting this at all and sad to say, I am beginning to lose interest, without anything but theories to go on. And that says a lot as I have been passionately interested from the start. And I still check in on poor Haleigh's threads every day...so I know I don't really mean it. But people not personally affected will lose interest soon...it is human nature.

 

[bdawk20]

Is the overwhelming sentiment locally that this was NOT a stranger abduction? That seems to be the only reason to me that people would not be up-in-arms that a child could just disappear from a school like this. I would imagine that if people believed a stranger came into the school and either lured or forceably took Kyron, they would be demanding answers and that steps be taken to ensure the safety of their children while attending that school.

 

[Angel4u2Whisper2]

Hephaestus,

:Welcome-12-june:

And thank you for your informative post and personal insight!

 

[PDXMom]

(snipped)

They seem only to want to hear from the people who were at the school, that much seems clear to me. And it almost seems as though finding Kyron would be a plus, but no no one is going out of their way at this point, they already said they did not need a body to press charges against anyone.

I am a cynic, bigtime, but have really just about had it with the lack of urgency that seems to be surrounding this case. I am not usually a type to be frantic about anything, but is anyone frantic about this case, except for those who did not even know Kyron?

Exactly. They don't seem frantic at all. They just seem resigned. There have been no unscripted comments directly by the parents or LE. I am frantic enough for the lot of them!

And right, what about the school community? What has LE said to them to scare them silent? I can't imagine 600 (well 599) parents in Portland just deciding on their own to keep it on the low down. As a parent, I would feel an obligation to let my fellow parents know whether there was a community risk, a neighborhood risk, or even a risk on one particular block. It's not like this is a gated community of savvy lawyers here. These are regular folks. WTH did LE say to them?? Why isn't someone screaming at the school for its lack of security and its miscommunication? I love my little local school, but if that school lost a kid (not even mine), I'd be talking to every media outlet I could find to get answers - feelings be danged. (tempered epithets)

 

[cluciano63]

Besides, LE assured the entire city of Portland, basically, in press conferences, not just parents at this one school, that no one was in danger. So everyone in Portland said, fine Ok, that's a relief, let's not worry about it, let's just let LE do thier thing in secret? I am getting a little beyond impatient, personally.

 

[PDXMom]

Is the overwhelming sentiment locally that this was NOT a stranger abduction? That seems to be the only reason to me that people would not be up-in-arms that a child could just disappear from a school like this. I would imagine that if people believed a stranger came into the school and either lured or forceably took Kyron, they would be demanding answers and that steps be taken to ensure the safety of their children while attending that school.

But if they (around the school) were told as much as we were, how would they be convinced that someone will not pick their child next. Seems like that would be a hard sell to a frightened parent. Maybe they were told more. Maybe the people closest to the school are more convinced, based on the questions they were asked and the places LE searched. I live several miles away and haven't heard anything to convince me it's as safe as ever.

 

[Mylou]

What concerns me the most, if family members were not involved, if strangers were not involved, then who? IIRC watching the interview today with the Mom and Dad, The Father said they had been teaching Kyron to listen and pay attention to adults at school, teachers and helpers.
We have heard he knew about stranger danger etc....
I remember reading not so long ago about parents having to reteach children about stranger danger because a high percentage of people they need to be protected from are people they already know, they are not strangers to them. How does one teach their child to listen to teachers and helpers yet at the same time teach them about stranger danger and people they know. How many cases where the perp pretended to be a police officer , etc... People that children feel they should trust. Police, teachers, helpers, their parents, parents of their friends, etc....
I do not believe this is a case of a stranger either, but someone Kyron knew and trusted.
I really hope they are investigating from the school outwards as well as from the family outwards.

 

[greenbean]

I live in Florida and when I hear mention of community outcry it calls to mind protesters with overheated dogs and kids getting their arms slammed in car doors (Anthony protesters.) I just don't think camping out in front of the police station or holding press conferences or showing up at community meetings to demand answers is going to accomplish much other than frustration. I don't think there are things that members of law enforcement hold back until someone gets in their faces about it. I also think that it's probably pretty standard when a child goes missing to tell the public they should not panic. I cannot fathom what the outcome would be if they said "Go ahead and panic!" People are going to watch their kids more closely when something like this happens, regardless of what the police say.

 

[Hephaestus]

"They don't seem frantic at all. They just seem resigned. There have been no unscripted comments directly by the parents or LE. I am frantic enough for the lot of them!"

See that's another thing to me that's odd behavior. Were this my kid, I'd be raising hell, I'd be getting in front of the media more than twice, and while I'd probably be reading a statement and taking no questions from the media, I'd damn sure be emotional about it.

I just don't see the immediate family reacting as I would if my child disappeared. I don't care what LE told them to do or not do. If I wasn't seeing results, as a parent I would take action on behalf of my child. I don't see the family doing that. To their credit, we all should understand that our window on this case is a fairly small one that is largely based on what the media reports.

I don't have kids at Skyline but I do live in Portland and have children in elementary school. There are some significant things that should have been done at Skyline - cameras, phone absence system etc. - but I still don't see this as a stranger abduction.

 

[greenbean]

But they have family that is a homicide detective. That kind of leads me to believe they would follow law enforcement's lead.

 

[eyes4crime]

But they have family that is a homicide detective. That kind of leads me to believe they would follow law enforcement's lead.

I agree! And I wonder how much input step-dad, homicide detective Tony has? I would be quite a bit. mhoo

 

[Hephaestus]

Is the overwhelming sentiment locally that this was NOT a stranger abduction?

Hard to tell. Impossible to tell. Somewhat irrelevant to want to find out I think. Speaking for myself, I believe it was NOT a stranger abduction. What do the rest of the locals thinK? I don't think it would be appropriate to poll them for sentiment. I don't think it would change anything. You still have a kid missing. You still don't have a lot of answers.

Frankly, I'm not doing anything different with my kids' security than I did the week before Kyron went missing - or last year for that matter. We know where they are. We teach siblings to buddy up and care for each other when possible (we have four kids) - example: Older daughter physically walks 5 year old from our car dropoff, the 20 feet to school entrance and inside directly to his teacher. Even inside the school we talk to them about safety and what to do and let them ask questions.

What ARE we doing differently with our kids? We're hugging them a bit more and praying for Kyron's safe return.

 

[ella971]

Hard to tell. Impossible to tell. Somewhat irrelevant to want to find out I think. Speaking for myself, I believe it was NOT a stranger abduction. What do the rest of the locals thinK? I don't think it would be appropriate to poll them for sentiment. I don't think it would change anything. You still have a kid missing. You still don't have a lot of answers.

Frankly, I'm not doing anything different with my kids' security than I did the week before Kyron went missing - or last year for that matter. We know where they are. We teach siblings to buddy up and care for each other when possible (we have four kids) - example: Older daughter physically walks 5 year old from our car dropoff, the 20 feet to school entrance and inside directly to his teacher. Even inside the school we talk to them about safety and what to do and let them ask questions.

What ARE we doing differently with our kids? We're hugging them a bit more and praying for Kyron's safe return.

Thank You very much for coming on and sharing with us.Welcome.

 

[bdawk20]

Hard to tell. Impossible to tell. Somewhat irrelevant to want to find out I think. Speaking for myself, I believe it was NOT a stranger abduction. What do the rest of the locals thinK? I don't think it would be appropriate to poll them for sentiment. I don't think it would change anything. You still have a kid missing. You still don't have a lot of answers.

Frankly, I'm not doing anything different with my kids' security than I did the week before Kyron went missing - or last year for that matter. We know where they are. We teach siblings to buddy up and care for each other when possible (we have four kids) - example: Older daughter physically walks 5 year old from our car dropoff, the 20 feet to school entrance and inside directly to his teacher. Even inside the school we talk to them about safety and what to do and let them ask questions.

What ARE we doing differently with our kids? We're hugging them a bit more and praying for Kyron's safe return.

I wasn't suggesting that the locals be polled about what they think happened. I was just supposing that if there has been no public outcry, that perhaps it is because people there feel that this was perpetrated by someone he knows - that he was specifically targeted.

 

[sofia76]

*respectfully snipped & BBM

I think getting your daughter pepper spray is an excellent idea. When I was a teen I had a best friend that was more like a big brother and very protective. As soon as I got my first car he bought me my first can of pepper spray to go on my key chain. It never hurts to be prepared, especially young women!

Just be sure to check the laws in your state first.