3 Weeks Later, Why No Community Outcry?

I understand that child abductions happen everyday, and that most children who go missing are not because of stranger abductions and that your child, statistically, has a better chance of getting killed in a car accident (yadda yadda yadda) but the thing with this case, the thing with Kyron, is that he wasn't just a little kid walking unaccompanied along a street, or playing in a park by himself (and I am in no way blaming or saying that a child that is deserves to be abducted), he was a little boy IN A SCHOOL. A school with lots of adults and other kids and people and here it is 3 weeks later, and frankly, we seem to know nothing more than we did on Friday, June 4.

If I were in that community, I'd be wanting some answers. LE said they wouldn't let this become a cold case, which, frankly, I thought was an absurd thing to say at all, because what police department and investigative unit sets out to have a cold case??? but it's been 3 weeks. I'm seriously surprised that there hasn't been more of an outcry from the parents of the kids at that school. If I were a parent there, I would be calling for the immediate resignation of the school superintendent, the principal of the school and the teacher. I would be holding press conferences outside the school myself saying that all the community knows right now is that a child went missing on these people's watch, and they need to be held accountable and lose their taxpayer paid for jobs.

And then I would be calling the DA's office and saying that I would be actively campaigning against him the next time he was up for re-election if this case wasn't solved. And that he would have to start looking for another career because I would keep on him so that he would never get another DA job in his life. And I would be calling the sheriff's office and telling him the same.

Sure, none of this would bring Kyron home but it might mean another child wouldn't go missing, too. 3 weeks is long enough, too long and I would, if I were in that community, start applying some pressure.

If it's not the SM, and I were in that community then they better start providing some clues or ideas otherwise, I would presume there is a child abductor waiting to strike again.

Seriously, I'm shocked (and getting appalled) at the complete silence from that community. Perhaps I'm the weirdo and in the minority, but after 3 weeks, I would definitely be out there speaking and asking questions of my elected officials who get their paychecks from my tax dollars. I would be holding my own press conferences as a "concerned citizen", even if no news crews actually showed up (LOL!).

What are other people's thoughts? Why does it feel like this community has circled the wagons? How does this help find Kyron, generate leads or protect other children in the vicinity?

I think it is partly because school is out. If this had happened in mid-year, there might well be much more of a fuss, especially after three weeks. I am sure people are still thinking about Kyron everyday but at the same time, probably involved more in their own lives now that it is summer vacation.

Also, they may be trusting in police in that this happened to Kyron and Kyron only for some reason. I hope LE knows that for sure, somehow.

You've put your finger on the big, inherent contradiction in this case, at least for the public on the outside looking in. I have never understood how (though I've speculated as to why) LE could virtually from the start reassure other parents that this was isolated, there was no serial kidnapper or SO in their midst, if they truly don't have the vaguest idea what happened. I guess that has pushed me more into the public camp that thinks they must have a POI or POIs or a strong theory even if they don't admit it. If they are just totally lost and floundering, with absolutely no idea what has happened, the public reassurances unavoidably seem irresponsible.

I don't think there is an outcry against the school because I think Kyron may have disappeared before he ever got back to his classroom. Therefore, it was not "on the school's watch" that he disappeared. The teacher saw him with his stepmom before school officially started, thought he had an appt. and marked him absent.

Also, many locals have stated that they are staying quiet because they trust LE, and LE has given them the impression that staying quiet will help solve the case.

I have a couple of theories.... Maybe out on a limb, but..

One, the LE has specifically asked the community to keep quite. We can only assume they have their reasons, but the community seems obliged. Why:

Two, this is a part of the country where, frankly, people don't shout from too much. I've been up to that area of the country many times when living in NYC and in TX, and I couldn't believe how calm everyone was and how supportive they are of eachother and the community. I think the community is small and they don't want to cause problems for the family or the investigation.

Third,
I'll post that when I have more information.

I believe the police are working their tails off to figure this thing out. Putting more pressure on them and the DA could possibly lead them to make mistakes or even blame the wrong person in order to hurry the process along. Maybe we are just more patient in this part of the woods. We are just going to sit tight a little longer and see what comes out of it. Don't think Portland has given up--we haven't.

Plus, judging by the comments I read locally and the people I talk to, most people around here do not think a stranger did this. We don't really think the community at large is in danger. As long as they can keep an eye on their unnamed POI, I think we are satisfied.

I dont know if it is apathy-but I think they believe LE when LE said that other children were not in danger.

It's a curious thing to me that the community does not seem to be more concerned, because LE indicated they can't rule out a stranger abduction, and that there is some need for alarm from the public.

"I can't say for certainty that it wasn't stranger to stranger. I can't," Gates said. "But I also can tell you that the need for the public to be alarmed is very low."

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/06/police_issue_questionnaire_ask.html

I can only speak for myself but I think LE is doing a fantastic job. They are releasing what they want us to know and keeping quiet on the details that might harm their investigation. Why would I be outraged? They are doing their job. Sometimes things aren't solved quickly in the real world...only on TV. My personal belief is they have someone in mind but need more to go forward.

I think perhaps they believed it was an inside-family/close-to-family issue. A "stranger" could mean someone was hired to take him. Low alarm for others.

cluciano63 said:

Also, they may be trusting in police in that this happened to Kyron and Kyron only for some reason. I hope LE knows that for sure, somehow.

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I think my trust would start to waiver after 21 days of a 7 year old little boy being missing. If Kyron was targeted, why haven't located him? Again, perhaps I'm in the minority of what people would do, but I would be the gadfly, the pest, in that community demanding some answers and telling people that their careers are about to be over and that they might want to start updating their resumes.

I don't know what to think about this case anymore. :banghead:If it is not the stepmom, why the questions about her truck and seeing her at the school on Friday morning? Didn't someone see something? Someone? If not her, did someone see Kyron with someone else? Who? What is the description of that person, if there is someone else? Would it not be helpful to put that information out there?

Kyron's parents have described him as timid and not adventurous and not one of go off by himself. That, to me, sounds like they have ruled out that he just wandered away from school by himself that day.

So, that leaves two other possible scenarios:
1) SM is lying about leaving him at school at 8:45 and she took him
2) Someone else took him that morning

So, if it is #2, did someone see Kyron with someone else? If they did, why have LE not put out more information around that, something like "we have a credible sighting of Kyron at 9:15 walking down the hall of the school with a man wearing a blue baseball hat?" or something like that? Then, they might be able to generate some solid, additional tips from other people who might have been at the school that day. Someone then might come forward and say "I remember that guy in the blue baseball hat. I had never seen him at the school before and I wondered who he was".

Getting a kid out of a school is hard to do without someone having seen you. Why would a child abductor pick a school to get a kid from (okay, yeah, lots of kids at a school but also lots of potential witnesses, too)? If you were a child abductor who was that brazen, what's stopping you from doing it again and with another child? How is every child in the Portland area not potentially at risk for being kidnapped? :waitasec:

At first, a couple of national TV shows were practically saying that SM did it. Now, the family is on talking about how they didn't think he'd be gone this long and it's as if he just walked into a time warp. I don't see how the public can get all outraged, because no one else is. They should though, at least to start demanding cameras in schools regardless of the cost.

Kyron was shown on the Eugene news stations again this morning. Thank goodness! I hadn't seen him mentioned in a few days and was surprised because the people that I know around here still discuss Kyron often.

amethyst221 said:

You've put your finger on the big, inherent contradiction in this case, at least for the public on the outside looking in. I have never understood how (though I've speculated as to why) LE could virtually from the start reassure other parents that this was isolated, there was no serial kidnapper or SO in their midst, if they truly don't have the vaguest idea what happened. I guess that has pushed me more into the public camp that thinks they must have a POI or POIs or a strong theory even if they don't admit it. If they are just totally lost and floundering, with absolutely no idea what has happened, the public reassurances unavoidably seem irresponsible.

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So, as a member of the community, how long is too long to wait for answers? How long do you sit on your hands and believe what LE is telling you; that this is an "isolated case" and that others need not worry about the safety of their children. How long until you start thinking "sheesh, I think they really bungled this one and have absolutely no idea what happened to Kyron"? 3 Week? A month? 6 Months? A Year?

Because I'm now in the "If they don't arrest the stepmom by this weekend, I think they have screwed up and don't have a clue" camp, personally. And sadly, if they don't arrest someone before we hit the one month mark, I really do think this will become a cold case.

Snail said:

Also, many locals have stated that they are staying quiet because they trust LE, and LE has given them the impression that staying quiet will help solve the case.

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Have they stated that they are being told to stay quiet? I know T's GM said she was told not to talk to the media, but that's the only one I remember. Otherwise, except for TMH's friend Jaymie and the parents of Kyron, it doesn't seem like any locales have said anything after those first few days of him going missing.

txsvicki said:

At first, a couple of national TV shows were practically saying that SM did it. Now, the family is on talking about how they didn't think he'd be gone this long and it's as if he just walked into a time warp. I don't see how the public can get all outraged, because no one else is. They should though, at least to start demanding cameras in schools regardless of the cost.

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There is some local movement towards raising money for cameras. A petition was started under the name "Kyron's Law" As it was pointed out many times before, it's a matter of funding. I heard something like $1million to get them in every school in the Portland School District alone. That's not even all the surrounding districts.

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/06/portland_woman_starts_petition.html

LPBwhy said:

I have a couple of theories.... Maybe out on a limb, but..

One, the LE has specifically asked the community to keep quite. We can only assume they have their reasons, but the community seems obliged. Why:

Two, this is a part of the country where, frankly, people don't shout from too much. I've been up to that area of the country many times when living in NYC and in TX, and I couldn't believe how calm everyone was and how supportive they are of eachother and the community. I think the community is small and they don't want to cause problems for the family or the investigation.

Third,
I'll post that when I have more information.

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I guess I could see that, but I would think that if the community were as tight knit as they say they are, then they would be horrified to see one of their own's children go missing and would be "out there" a bit more.

And I know this is only the impression of from the outside looking in, but the community circling the wagons approach has, IMO, given the impression that they don't care. There have been fliers distributed and there are signs up locally, but the search was called off weeks ago and there has been next to no information given out to the national media. Typical, standard issue stuff. Give it another week, and I imagine that there will be no interest from the national media at all, without something substantive to report, like another child going missing. And then, the collective, national conscious will forget all about this case. I know that sounds cold but I say it because that is my fear if they don't start giving out some more leads. Kyron will just become another kid on that long list of missing kids in Oregon.

Part of me thinks the LE is keeping quiet because they have an idea who is responsible or where Kyron is, but the other part of me thinks they are keeping quiet because they don't have a clue!

I don't know if my frustration is because I am nosey and want to know more details or because I feel like more details may help in finding Kyron.

This case frustrates me and sometimes I feel like it has already gone cold!

gwenabob said:

I believe the police are working their tails off to figure this thing out. Putting more pressure on them and the DA could possibly lead them to make mistakes or even blame the wrong person in order to hurry the process along. Maybe we are just more patient in this part of the woods. We are just going to sit tight a little longer and see what comes out of it. Don't think Portland has given up--we haven't.

Plus, judging by the comments I read locally and the people I talk to, most people around here do not think a stranger did this. We don't really think the community at large is in danger. As long as they can keep an eye on their unnamed POI, I think we are satisfied.

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Thanks for the insight, Gwenabob. I don't think my Type A personality would be able to make it up there for very long!

And yes, my opinion on this is probably based on my east coaster mentality, which is to have expected it resolved "yesterday". Although, I will say, regardless of where I was, it would be hard for me to sit on my hands and keep my mouth shut, no matter where I lived.

DMansMom said:

So, as a member of the community, how long is too long to wait for answers? How long do you sit on your hands and believe what LE is telling you; that this is an "isolated case" and that others need not worry about the safety of their children. How long until you start thinking "sheesh, I think they really bungled this one and have absolutely no idea what happened to Kyron"? 3 Week? A month? 6 Months? A Year?

Because I'm now in the "If they don't arrest the stepmom by this weekend, I think they have screwed up and don't have a clue" camp, personally. And sadly, if they don't arrest someone before we hit the one month mark, I really do think this will become a cold case.

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So you want someone arrested? Does it matter who? Would arresting SM make everyone happy? What if she is innocent? Not only will she lose her life; but, a kidnapper, possible killer would still be at large. To me that is not OK.

Another thing, if they arrest someone too soon, even if it is the right person, and before they have hard evidence then they will only have to release the person which could severely damage the case. How would that help?

I am w/ you on the frustration. At what point will LE start releasing information? If Kyron is not found will LE continue the media black out? To me, I believe that is sad for Kyron. I can already see interest in this case deminishing because LE is giving the public nothing!