PORTLAND -- The mother of missing Portland boy Kyron Horman, Desiree Young, filed a $10 million civil lawsuit Friday against Terri Horman, Kyron's stepmom, in connection with the boy's disappearance two years ago.
In a Friday news conference, Young's lawyer Eldon Rosenthal explained that the statute of limitations for filing a civil lawsuit in the case was two years. Monday, June 4 will be the two-year anniversary of Kyron Horman's disappearance from Skyline Elementary.
The lawsuit asks the court to compel Terri Horman to disclose Kyron's location. It also includes two claims, one for custodial interference and one for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Terri Horman's attorney Stephen Houze said he would not make any public statements regarding the suit until he has thoroughly reviewed the filing.
Rosenthal said the lawsuit would enable him to subpoena witnesses, acquire documents and evidence and peel away the mystery of what happened to Kyron.
Young fought through tears as she read a prepared statement Friday.
My family and I are living through a nightmare that most families cannot even imagine, said Young. My Kyron has always been my comfort and my joy. I will forever have a hole in my heart because he's not here.
I haven't been able to see my son, hug him, kiss him or tuck him into bed in nearly two years, she said. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him.
I pray for the phone call every day that he is coming home. I hope that I am wrong but I fear he is gone forever. I believe that Terri Horman knows where Kyron is.
This is a great development, Kyron s father Kaine Horman later said. Its another effort that can go out and bring out more information.
It s another avenue that applies pressure, he said. There are a lot of people out there, I think, that can contribute to the questions.
We re still standing up and active. We keep busy, Kaine said of how his family is doing.
Timeline: The Search for Kyron Horman
Young said she believes the criminal justice will do its part, but until then she is filing a lawsuit against Terri Horman.
Young said the $10 million in damages would be dedicated to parents of other missing children.
I don't want Terri's money. I want Terri to face justice, she said. Through this process, I hope to compel her to face responsibility for what she has done.
The lawsuit asserts that Horman kidnapped her stepson, Rosenthal said.
I believe we will be able to prove what happened in this case, he added.
Kyron disappeared two years ago from Skyline grade school, leading to the largest search effort ever conducted in Oregon.
Kyron's stepmother, Terri Horman, was the last person to see Kyron alive, investigators said.
Horman has retained a lawyer for nearly two years and has refused to talk with detectives since then.
Nobody has been named a person of interest or a suspect in the case, but Young and Kyron s father, Kaine Horman, have both said they believe Terri Horman had something to do with his disappearance.
Friday morning Multnomah County Chief Deputy Jason Gates said the case was still open, and tips were still coming in. He said detectives have not forgotten Kyron.
We are in this profession because we care about our community. We care about people, he said. If there's a case I'd love to solve; it'd be this one.
Kaine Horman continues to spread the word about his son s disappearance, nearly two years later. He planned to hold a series of running events, called Run for Kyron, Saturday at Tigard's Cook Park.
