Key facts
- Name: Kyron Richard Horman
- Born: September 9, 2002
- Age at disappearance: 7
- Last seen: June 4, 2010, morning
- Location: Skyline Elementary School, Portland, Oregon
- Height / build: 3’8″, 50 lbs at the time; brown hair, blue eyes; wore glasses
- Status: Still missing — Multnomah County case open; FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit reexamining (2026)
- Investigating agency: Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office / FBI
The science fair
On the morning of June 4, 2010, 7-year-old Kyron Horman arrived early at Skyline Elementary School in northwest Portland with his stepmother, Terri Moulton Horman, for the school’s science fair. His project — on tree frogs — was set up in his classroom. Terri took photos of Kyron posing with his project. Other parents saw them there.
Terri said she last saw Kyron at about 8:45 a.m., walking down the hall toward his classroom. She left the school. Kyron never made it to class. He was marked absent that day, but no one called home about it until 3:30 p.m.
By then, the largest missing-child search in Oregon history was hours from starting. It would involve the FBI, the National Guard, hundreds of searchers, and 15 years — so far — without an answer.
Who Kyron was
Kyron Richard Horman was a second-grader — a small, bespectacled 7-year-old who loved science. He lived with his father, Kaine Horman, his stepmother Terri, and his baby half-sister Kiara. His biological mother, Desiree Young, lived in Medford and shared custody.
The case fractured the family almost immediately. Within weeks, Kaine filed for divorce and obtained a restraining order against Terri. Investigators revealed that Terri had twice failed polygraph examinations. A landscaper told police Terri had solicited him to kill Kaine — an alleged murder-for-hire plot she was never charged with. In June 2012, Desiree Young filed a civil lawsuit against Terri, alleging she was responsible for Kyron’s disappearance; Young later dropped the lawsuit.
Terri has never been charged with any crime in connection with Kyron’s disappearance, and the presumption of innocence applies to her. She has maintained she had nothing to do with it. But law enforcement has never named another suspect, and investigators have said privately and publicly that she remains the focus.
The investigation, 15 years on
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office has never closed the case. In 2025, the county digitized some 5,300 documents from the investigation — a sign of an agency preparing for the long haul and for fresh eyes. In June 2026, KGW reported that the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit was reexamining the case — criminal profilers taking a new pass at 16 years of evidence.
The 15th anniversary, June 4, 2025, brought renewed coverage and the same plea from Kyron’s parents: someone knows something.
Desiree Young has never stopped. “I will never stop looking for my son,” she has said, in various forms, for a decade and a half.
Theories: what might have happened
Abduction by someone he knew. Kyron vanished from inside his school during a busy, chaotic science fair morning — visitors coming and going, no sign-in system for the event. Whoever took him likely knew the school’s rhythms. Investigators’ long focus on Terri reflects this. But focus is not proof, and no charges have ever been filed.
Abduction by a stranger. A school with an open-door event is vulnerable. Yet no stranger was ever identified, no witness described one, and no similar attempt was reported. It remains possible but unsupported.
He wandered off. The school sits near Forest Park — vast, wooded, easy to get lost in. Extensive searches covered the area. A 7-year-old wandering miles into the woods without being seen stretches belief, and the searches found nothing.
Have information?
Contact the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office tip line or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- September 9, 2002 — Kyron Richard Horman is born.
- June 4, 2010, morning — Science fair at Skyline Elementary; Terri photographs Kyron with his tree-frog project; last confirmed sighting ~8:45 a.m.
- June 4, 2010, 3:30 p.m. — School notifies family Kyron was marked absent; search begins.
- June 2010 — FBI, National Guard join; largest missing-child search in Oregon history.
- June–July 2010 — Kaine files for divorce and restraining order; Terri fails two polygraphs; landscaper alleges murder-for-hire solicitation.
- 2010–2024 — Case remains open; no charges; family advocacy continues.
- 2025 — Multnomah County digitizes 5,300 case documents; 15th anniversary.
- June 2026 — KGW reports FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit is reexamining the case.
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is Kyron Horman still missing?
Yes. Kyron Horman has been missing since June 4, 2010 — more than 16 years. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office case remains open, and the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit began reexamining it in 2026.
What happened to Kyron Horman?
Nobody knows. The 7-year-old vanished from his elementary school during a science fair. His stepmother, Terri Horman, was the last person confirmed to see him and has remained law enforcement’s focus, but she has never been charged with any crime.
Was Kyron Horman’s stepmother charged?
No. Terri Horman failed two polygraphs and was accused by a landscaper of soliciting murder, but she has never been charged in connection with Kyron’s disappearance. The presumption of innocence applies.
Was Kyron Horman ever found?
No. Despite one of the largest searches in Oregon history, no trace of Kyron has ever been found.
How old would Kyron Horman be today?
Kyron was born September 9, 2002 — he turned 24 in September 2026.
How can I help?
Share this case file. Anyone with information should contact the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office or NCMEC at 1-800-843-5678.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office; FBI; NCMEC.
- News: KGW (June 2026, BAU reexamination); The Oregonian (2010–2025 coverage); KATU; People.
- Reference: Wikipedia, “Disappearance of Kyron Horman” (retrieved Oct 2026).
- Media: Dateline NBC; Investigation Discovery coverage.
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Verification corrections (October 2026):
– BEFORE: “Kaine and Desiree later filed a civil lawsuit against Terri; it was eventually dismissed” → AFTER: “In June 2012, Desiree Young filed a civil lawsuit against Terri, alleging she was responsible for Kyron’s disappearance; Young later dropped the lawsuit.” (Kaine was not a party to the suit.)
– The 5,300-document digitization figure and the $50,000 reward were confirmed (Portland Tribune, via Primetimer; ThatOregonLife, Sept 2026).
– Slug and URL unchanged.
Last verified October 2026.