New age-progressed photo released of Kyron Horman
PORTLAND, Ore. — The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released a new age-progressed photo of Kyron Horman, who has been missing for nearly seven years.
Kyron's mom Desiree Young hopes this photo will be the spark the investigation needs and reminds the public that Kyron is still missing.
"Some days, the hope that our child will come home is all that keeps us going," Young said Thursday at an event recognizing National Missing Kids Day. "It is our job as parents to keep our child's case in the public eye and keep hope alive."
Investigators say the case is still open and active.
"My son is a reason I get up every day and keep on fighting to bring him home," Young said. "I want to see his smile again, I want to hear his laugh and most of all I want to feel his hug. I will never give up."
Kyron was last seen on June 4, 2010 when his stepmom Terri Horman took him to a science fair at Skyline Elementary School in Northwest Portland.
He was 7 years old at the time.
Terri Horman (who now goes by Terri Lynn Moulton) sat down with People magazine for her first interview about her step-son, five years after Kyron went missing.
She says she toured Kyron's classmates' projects and then said "goodbye" to the boy. Later that afternoon, she recalls, Kyron was not on the school bus. She says she called the school, and they told her he wasn't there.
In the interview, she remembered taking a polygraph test. She says she was frustrated at her inability to hear the questions and with the results of the test.
"When that first polygraph was done, the polygrapher tells me that I failed. And my first reaction was 'how is that possible? I told the truth. How is that possible,'" said Horman.
Family members continue to search for Kyron, hosting community events and working with volunteers in the hopes that his case doesn't go cold.
The age progression photo of Kyron was released on May 25 -- National Missing Children's Day. The photo will be posted on digital billboards along the I-5 corridor through the week.
Safe Kids Oregon held an event Thursday at the State Capitol in honor of the day.
Project ALERT volunteer Becky Brunelle says there are more than 450 missing children in Oregon, and about 800,000 cases nationwide.
"In Kyron's case, to send your child off to school and he never comes home; Now, she has to watch Kyron grow up on a poster," Brunelle told KATU. "I couldn't imagine what it's like."
Brunelle has dedicated her life to finding missing children and reuniting them with their families.
"The longer a child is missing, the less of a chance we are going to find them alive, which is unfortunate but it is the facts," Brunelle said. "When you see a [missing child] poster, look at it, share it on social media."
Anyone with helpful information to call the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office tip line at (503) 261-2847.