By August 3, 2010, the media reported law enforcement had received approximately 3,500 tips from individuals in the first two months of the investigation. These tips may have contained information that Kyron was seen in many makes, models, and colors of vehicles. At various times. In various locations. With Terri and without Terri. Once in the possession of law enforcement, these tips are not shared with the family. Law enforcement only shares vetted information they believe is pertinent to the victim’s case. The victim's family has to sue to receive disclosure of the tips—Jennifer Kesse’s family did but settled out of court. I believe Tim Miller sued for his daughter’s case file and also Maura Murary’s family sued. Each family had varying degrees of success, if any. It is a tough, expensive battle.
Neither law enforcement nor Kaine would have seen “information” in Houze’s possession. Unfortunately, she hasn’t been charged to date. Discovery in Kyron’s case hasn’t changed hands. Considering the amount of Houze's retainer, I would not expect he would reveal his hand early. He did a little “grandstanding” in divorce court trying to win her visitation rights with her daughter but he was not successful.
Kaine may have been approached directly by people wanting to help who told him they believed they saw Kyron getting into a vehicle in the parking lot. All he could do was take their information and pass it on to law enforcement. This would be “firsthand” information to Kaine and he would have no idea if it was true. Kaine may also have been referring to information he received early on from Terri as “firsthand” information. Once she retained Houze on or about July 26, 2010, Houze would have advised her not to speak to Kaine, law enforcement, the media, or anyone else. Until the divorce was finalized, we heard a fair amount from Kaine. I didn’t get the impression he believed what “Kyron’s stepmother” had been telling him.
Alternatively, people may have approached Kaine with information they had received from someone else. This would be second-hand information. Law enforcement would handle any investigation into the information. Kaine would not be a party to the verification or outcome.
The article below contains an example of a tip that was well intended. Mr. McCain, who received the tip directly, might say he had firsthand knowledge of the tip.
Snipped Quote: [August 3rd, 2010] Investigators in the case of missing 7-year-old Kyron Horman say they’ve sorted through more than 3,500 tips in the nearly two-month investigation.
…
This morning around 9:00 am I received a telephone call from [MD], a [snipped by me] farmer [snipped by me]. … When I took his call he expressed relief in “finally talking to a human” after leaving unanswered calls to the MCSO tip line. I told him I no longer worked at MCSO and I am not part of the investigation at all. He understood that but asked me to pass this info along to the authorities.
…I told him I would pass his story on to someone I knew “high up” in the investigation. But I also told him that one reason why he might not have received a call back is that investigators knew where Terri and the pickup were around 12 noon on Wednesday, June 9.
UPDATE: Lt. Mary Lindstrand, spokeswoman for the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, says a detective from an outside agency followed up on the tip “some time ago” and determined it wasn’t relevant to the investigation.
Kyron Horman Update: One Tipster's Startling Suspicions, and Frustration (Updated with Comment from MCSO) | Willamette Week | Thursday, August 5th, 2010
Also, there is the “mystery man” aka “flannel shirt guy” spotted in the last image of Kyron in front of his science fair project on the day he disappeared. This man was ruled out by law enforcement very early on in the investigation but his identity was pursued by bloggers for years.
Snipped Quote: [Around 25th of June, 2010]
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s office said it knows who the mysterious man is in the background of the picture of Kyron Horman standing in front of his Tree Frog display.
He has been interviewed but is not a person of interest in the case.
His name will not be released and the Sheriff’s office will not say if he is a parent or teacher.
The picture and that man in the back of room became a hot topic of conversation after Portland Mayor Sam Adams sent out this alert to the public asking for help in identifying the man:
Do you recognize the man in this photo (2nd photo down in the story)?
Kyron's mom: 'He doesn't like to wander off'
