Why no news? January 2011

[pdx]

Unless something breaks, the next news (or no-news,, <sigh>) will be on Feb 1 when Staton appears at the Mult Cty Commissioners Mtg to present his update on the Task Force.

I'm afraid this will not be a popular post.
The Sheriff will not be meeting with the board this week or next (according to correspondence I have had).

Their agenda: http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/cc/agenda.shtml

I was told the Sheriff will make an announcement about the trucking company signage.

 

[pinktoes]

pdx: But the Commissioners will have his Task Force report, as promised, by Feb 1?

I heard that Jeff Cogen meets monthly with Staton and separately with someone from DA (Shrunk? Frink? IDK). So, Staton has regular review with them anyhow, I guess.

Any idea why not even briefing the Board on Tues Feb 1? Or, when Staton will be at one of the official Tue briefings or Thurs meetings?

TIA. Very much

 

[TxLady2]

The evidence you mention in your second paragraph is extremely circumstantial and will never hold up in court on its own. If LE found Kyron's body and it had forensic evidence linking Terri to the crime, although since Terri is his stepmom, her lawyer could argue that it's normal for her DNA to be on him, then they could use the emails, negative things she said on Kyron, and texting to show her true character. Remember, juries can only find Terri guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. I think it's very likely that Terri was involved but due to LE not having any forensic evidence, I'm not 100% "Terri did it"

Also, since you can't be put on trial 2x for the same crime, if LE goes ahead now and puts Terri on trial before finding Kyron, and she is acquitted and then, later Kyron's body is found, then they can't put her on trial again. Even if Terri did kill Kyron, she probably isn't a danger to the public so it's not like LE has to worry about her snatching a random child and killing again. I really think they should wait until they find Kyron before they put her on trial. You only get one chance.

You're exactly right! Unless they find Kyron, they can't charge her with anything because they don't know what the crime is. They have to be able to prove he's dead, otherwise they can't charge her with murder. To prove kidnapping they need a witness who saw her leave with them. All the circumstantial evidence we know so far just don't add up to her definitely being the one responsible.

She could have handed him off to someone, sold him to a child *advertiser censored* ring, or someone who desperately wanted a kid. However, that person would have to disguise him or take the chance he would be recognized. He could be in Canada or Mexico, for all we know.

They really need more evidence or this case is going nowhere.

 

[TxLady2]

They convicted Scott Peterson without ever knowing how Laci died, nor did they have a lot of physical evidence to show the jury. And as they were married and living together, his lawyers could even explain away the hair found in the pliers in his boat. And SP got the death penalty. I think of that case every time I wonder if Terri can be arrested and convicted without a 'smoking gun' so to speak. Sometimes telling a lot of lies and otherwise acting suspiciously inappropriately after a "loved one" goes missing does seal your fate. Not always, but it's not impossible.

Scott P. was convicted because her body and the baby's body turned up very close to where he tried to give his alibi of fishing. He thought she would never be found, and he was wrong. Also she was wearing different clothes than what he said she was wearing that morning.

People have been convicted without a body, and only circumstantial evidence, but in this case they have nothing to indicate he was killed, much less murdered. No crime scene, torn or bloody clothes, shoes, etc. They do have to have some evidence of a crime before they can charge anyone with that crime. With no more than what they have now... a good defense lawyer could tear their case apart.

 

[pdx]

pdx: But the Commissioners will have his Task Force report, as promised, by Feb 1?

I heard that Jeff Cogen meets monthly with Staton and separately with someone from DA (Shrunk? Frink? IDK). So, Staton has regular review with them anyhow, I guess.

Any idea why not even briefing the Board on Tues Feb 1? Or, when Staton will be at one of the official Tue briefings or Thurs meetings?

TIA. Very much

I'm sorry I've closed all the tabs that had the back story to this (oregonlive, two articles from December) but it wasn't quite a promised Task Force report.

Cogan does meet monthly with Staton, agenda unknown (you can watch Chair Cogan's schedule online) and I felt like the DA meeting (Frink) was about the Kyron case, but Cogan's staffer told me definitively that yesterday's meeting (for ex) was not about the Horman case.
The new commissioner has been briefed on the case internally (as the others were in the fall).
No indications given as to why no briefing this week or next and no indication given that a presentation is forthcoming. Only that Staton would announce the truck signage partnership (ok it's nice, but please).

My best suggestion is to watch this page and the Chair's weekly schedule (linked from this page) http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/cc/agenda.shtml

I'm afraid a lot of people in the online community have been waiting for Feb 1 like a magic date (self included) and this will be very disappointing.

 

[cluciano63]

I'm not of one of those who thought February was going to produce anything in particular. I just figured Staton mentioned Feb. as that was the next time he might be required to make a report.

 

[pinktoes]

Pdx: thanks. I'm not in Portland, but if I were I'd be in close contact with Mult County commissioners. For one, I'd want more clarification about the possibility that there's a non-family member predator involved here. For two, now that big rigs on far-ranging routes are carrying Ky's picture, the implication will be that MCSO thinks Ky was transported out of state.

I've been in touch with the public info officer at MCSO suggesting that they beat the mainstream media to the story about the Feb 1 report. If I were MCSO I'd try to do a little containment here. My sense is that the community is getting a bit antsy.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

Pdx: thanks. I'm not in Portland, but if I were I'd be in close contact with Mult County commissioners. For one, I'd want more clarification about the possibility that there's a non-family member predator involved here. For two, now that big rigs on far-ranging routes are carrying Ky's picture, the implication will be that MCSO thinks Ky was transported out of state.

I've been in touch with the public info officer at MCSO suggesting that they beat the mainstream media to the story about the Feb 1 report. If I were MCSO I'd try to do a little containment here. My sense is that the community is getting a bit antsy.

I've been reading comments from locals on Portland news websites. It seems like the general consensus among people is that Terri was involved. A lot of people believe that this is something that just concerns the Hormans and the Youngs because of all the comments Desiree and Kaine have made to the media about Terri. From the news comments, I've gathered that most Portlanders aren't really worried for their own children because of some predator out there.

 

[pinktoes]

I've been reading comments from locals on Portland news websites. It seems like the general consensus among people is that Terri was involved. A lot of people believe that this is something that just concerns the Hormans and the Youngs because of all the comments Desiree and Kaine have made to the media about Terri. From the news comments, I've gathered that most Portlanders aren't really worried for their own children because of some predator out there.

So, they must all be convinced that Terri took Kyron from school herself? That's odd since Desiree and Kaine have indicated they believe she had help. And I thought they were basing that on what LE has told them. If so, I would think people would be uneasy about someone being on the loose who would be willing to assist in an abduction and/or murder. That's my personal fear.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

So, they must all be convinced that Terri took Kyron from school herself? That's odd since Desiree and Kaine have indicated they believe she had help. And I thought they were basing that on what LE has told them. If so, I would think people would be uneasy about someone being on the loose who would be willing to assist in an abduction and/or murder. That's my personal fear.

It seems that most locals, based on comments I've read, believe that Desiree and Kaine doing constant press conferences to say bad stuff about Terri is very trashy and Jerry Springer-like. Everyone wants Kyron to be found but they feel like the family is airing all their dirty laundry to the whole city. For example, people don't like that Terri gets all the blame for breaking up Kaine and Desiree's marriage when it takes two to tangle and how Baby K would be up with a drunk Terri, etc etc. I really don't see any fear among locals, at least the ones who comment on the story. Most of them seem to think this is something that just involves the Hormans and the Youngs, and there doesn't seem to be more support for people who lost their child. :/ (BTW, I'm not speaking for all locals, I'm just talking about the comments on the local news websites).

 

[freefallzzzz]

I think there was going to be news, and then the divorce hearing got postponed until March, so no news. Just more sitting and waiting for us, at least.

I do think LE has been doing a lot of things quietly. They're not going tell us every move they make or give away anything for Terri's benefit or for her lawyer to make an issue out of. They are doing their job everyday. I don't think the silence means that nothing is going on, it's just that LE is quietly doing what they need to do.

I do also think there has been more a strain between Desiree and Kaine, and they just spent a first Christimas without Kyron. I don't blame them for not doing a press conference every Friday. They are worn out from Kyron being missing, there's sore feelings between them, and they just need to take care of themselves, not worry about the press and the public.

So with LE, Kaine, and Desiree quiet, there's no news for MSM to report on. We just need to be patient. Some cases go on for ten, twenty, fifty years before someone is brought to justice. This one hasn't even hit a year yet. There's no need to rush to justice here. Terri can stay right where she is, not saying a word for as long as it takes to bring her justice. I have faith that LE knows what they are doing and that justice will someday come for Kyron.

I do wish that they would find him, though. It hurts the most that he's still out there, somewhere, in the cold, waiting to be found...

I agree w/all the above but bolded the parts I feel are totally spot on.

Also, if LE has been doing searches on Sauvie's for example.. MSM cannot report unless they either get info from LE or verify it from a source that saw them out there, and sometimes the sources may not want to be interviewed =)... just sayin =)

 

[pdx]

Pdx: thanks. I'm not in Portland, but if I were I'd be in close contact with Mult County commissioners. For one, I'd want more clarification about the possibility that there's a non-family member predator involved here. For two, now that big rigs on far-ranging routes are carrying Ky's picture, the implication will be that MCSO thinks Ky was transported out of state.

I've been in touch with the public info officer at MCSO suggesting that they beat the mainstream media to the story about the Feb 1 report. If I were MCSO I'd try to do a little containment here. My sense is that the community is getting a bit antsy.

Thank you SO much for staying in touch with the Sheriff's office.
And, our thinking is similar; that is the point I made in my communications with the Board (the Mult Co commissioners), that this is a public safety issue as credible 'rumors' around town point to this not being just a family issue but perhaps something that all parents & citizens need to be concerned about. I'm hoping to see one of the DAs tonight and will press that angle with him as well.
However, pressuring the Board is something of a non-starter. I was reminded that the Sheriff is an elected official himself and he does not 'answer' (report directly) to the Board. The only angle with them is budgetary.

When you word the 'implication' that way, you're right. It's pretty stark. Coupled with the written replies I've had (still parsing) it does not sound like there is any earth-shaking news on the way and that in fact, they're using True Nelson's version of "cold case".

Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton confident Kyron Horman investigation won't end up in the cold case files

The sheriff is pushing for something to shake loose by Feb. 1, the end of a 120-day deadline he set for the task force and when he reports to county commissioners about the status of an investigation that has cost nearly $1.4 million as of Nov. 29.

"The scope is narrowing. My belief is we should be relatively close to something by then; that's why I set the time frame I did," Staton said. "While we may not be at an arrest or an indictment phase, we're going to have it narrowed down to a point where we may be calling out a suspect, identifying certain people or things."

Yet prosecutors and task force members aren't about to set any deadlines.

The only thing I have learned is to watch that schedule. Staton is not scheduled to brief the board in one of their meetings this week or next (and is not scheduled to in the future as far as I can find out). He may brief the commissioners privately; the Chair's schedule is public.

I've been reading comments from locals on Portland news websites. It seems like the general consensus among people is that Terri was involved. A lot of people believe that this is something that just concerns the Hormans and the Youngs because of all the comments Desiree and Kaine have made to the media about Terri. From the news comments, I've gathered that most Portlanders aren't really worried for their own children because of some predator out there.

Well, the oregonlive crowd isn't very balanced.. there are a few diehard people posting there.
I have good reasons to believe it's more than just the Hormans & Youngs and if there is an unknown person out roaming around in my community, I think the public should know.


oops, I forgot to press 'submit reply' didn't I. tsk

 

[pinktoes]

Pdx: I'm very impressed, and good luck with the DA's office. I have a couple of hopes about the Commissioners. One is that "only budgetary" is important (takes funds, you know). Another is that 2 of the commissioners said they were getting tired of just doing budget items and wanted to become involved in the actual operation of some of the depts. (Whether or not that's appropriate is another question.) They might be looking for an opportunity to do some closer scrutiny.

Oh, and Kafoury is the only one who actually asked Staton a question back in the fall, to the effect of 'why all this money on this child'. I'm sure she thought that was a "tough" question. In these tight-money times, budget considerations might drive things more than they usually do. In short, I'm hoping they will do a little more questioning before they unleash the dollars.

I saw Cogen's weekly calendar. The skeptic in me thinks that one can always get around open records and open meeting laws. Having lunch with an unspecified companion, ex. IDK.

Glad to see someone's paying attention to this. If all Staton makes public around Feb. 1 is this pictures on a truck photo-op, then I'm gonna lose a lot of confidence. It's getting close to looking more like a P.R. move for an embarrassed sheriff than a matter of vital secrecy to protect a criminal investigation.

 

[kappy50]

I caught a glance last night on dateline about stranger danger and I thought I saw Kyron's face on it...Did anyone else see that, or was I dreaming?

 

[nonfictionrocks]

I caught a glance last night on dateline about stranger danger and I thought I saw Kyron's face on it...Did anyone else see that, or was I dreaming?

I saw it too - it looked like one of the pictures we have seen posted here. I will have to look back to see if I can find it but why would they have used Kyron's photo in a "stranger danger" piece?

 

[eileenhawkeye]

Was it a preview for Dateline? Or the actual episode? They just showed Kyron's picture or was there a segment about him? Or was just a quick mention? There could be a producer on the show who believes that Kyron was taken by a stranger. I know for JonBenet's case, we have shows that were done from the RDI perspective and from the IDI perspective. Or they might just be "marketing" the case to be a stranger danger case since they think that might get them higher ratings. I feel like if there was an episode of Dateline about Kyron coming up, or already aired, we would have heard about it already? Those things take a few months to film and edit so it's strange that there hasn't been any mention. We heard about Oprah contacting Kaine and Desiree weeks or even months before the interview aired.

 

[Billylee]

Yeah that was weird. Kyron's image was right up there with Amber Dubois, Jaycee Dugard and others who were abducted by strangers. Why would Dateline be including a picture of Kyron when airing a story about stranger danger? Do they know something we don't? Glad I'm not the only one who found it weird.

 

[Billylee]

Was it a preview for Dateline? Or the actual episode? They just showed Kyron's picture or was there a segment about him? Or was just a quick mention? There could be a producer on the show who believes that Kyron was taken by a stranger. I know for JonBenet's case, we have shows that were done from the RDI perspective and from the IDI perspective. Or they might just be "marketing" the case to be a stranger danger case since they think that might get them higher ratings. I feel like if there was an episode of Dateline about Kyron coming up, or already aired, we would have heard about it already? Those things take a few months to film and edit so it's strange that there hasn't been any mention. We heard about Oprah contacting Kaine and Desiree weeks or even months before the interview aired.

This was a segment on the Perils of Parenting which I now see was run in mid-September orginally, I guess, so last night was a re-run, but I hadn't seen it until last night. Anyway, yes Kyron's picture is included with the other abducted children. Here's the link, it's part 3, all about stranger abduction and how to help your child avoid it. (It's interestingly scary to see how many kids "fail" the test.)

Go down to the link where it says the full hour is available on dateline MSNBC and it will take you to the video.

http://insidedateline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/09/08/5069977-sept-13-inside-the-world-of-kids-

 

[kappy50]

This was a segment on the Perils of Parenting which I now see was run in mid-September orginally, I guess, so last night was a re-run, but I hadn't seen it until last night. Anyway, yes Kyron's picture is included with the other abducted children. Here's the link, it's part 3, all about stranger abduction and how to help your child avoid it. (It's interestingly scary to see how many kids "fail" the test.)

Go down to the link where it says the full hour is available on dateline MSNBC and it will take you to the video.

http://insidedateline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/09/08/5069977-sept-13-inside-the-world-of-kids-

Oh my, this was done in Sept. ???? Hummm..Interesting to say the least...

 

[pdx]

This was a segment on the Perils of Parenting which I now see was run in mid-September orginally, I guess, so last night was a re-run, but I hadn't seen it until last night. Anyway, yes Kyron's picture is included with the other abducted children. Here's the link, it's part 3, all about stranger abduction and how to help your child avoid it. (It's interestingly scary to see how many kids "fail" the test.)

Go down to the link where it says the full hour is available on dateline MSNBC and it will take you to the video.

http://insidedateline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/09/08/5069977-sept-13-inside-the-world-of-kids-

Thanks.. I didn't get to see the whole episode the other night. I do see Kyron's picture in part 3.. I wonder if it was included because Kate Snow is the reported from Dateline who's done the Kyron stories?

At any rate, today the Sheriff officially announced the trucking deal. Stories on all the usual local MSM. No word about an update or public report on the case.