Kyron Horman Case: Boy's Mother Speaks Out on One-Year Anniversary of His Disappearance

June 4, 2011 — -- Kyron Horman's mother said today that one after her 7-year-old son disappeared from his Portland, Ore., elementary school, she believes that "the goodness in people" will bring the little boy home.

"This past year has been the most difficult and heartbreaking for us and everyone related to him," Kyron's mother, Desiree Young, said in a statement. "We feel honored to have Kyron in our lives, but our sense of loss and the senselessness of this act cannot be forgotten. While we think of this last year as a tragedy, we have also been witness to the incredible good in people that makes this burden easier."

In her statement, Young thanked everyone who provided support, thoughts and prayers.

"We would not be able to get through this without the support of law enforcement, volunteers, family, and the support of people everywhere that think about Kyron and care about bringing him home every day," she said. "My belief in the goodness in people and the strength of hearts everywhere has been restored. I believe that is what will bring Kyron home to us, the goodness in people."

Kyron disappeared the morning of June 4, after participating in an early morning science fair at his suburban Portland elementary school. Police said he was last seen walking down a hall at the school with his stepmother, Terri Horman.

Kyron's father, Kaine Horman, along with Young and the police, all pointed fingers at Terri Horman, but she has not been charged or even named a person of interest.

Kaine Horman filed for divorce, after being told that Terri Horman had allegedly tried to hire someone to kill him. Police have indicated that there are discrepancies in Terri Horman's account of what happened on the morning of June 4.

Terri Horman remained steadfastly silent through most of the investigation, only releasing brief statements through her attorney that she did not have anything to do with Kyron's disappearance.

In February, 2011, Young said she had begun to put new pressure on Terri Horman with a clear message: She will not stop until Terri Horman is "brought to justice."

Young spoke with "Good Morning America" from Roseburg, Ore., the town 200 miles from where Kyron was last seen and the new home of Kyron's stepmother, Terri Horman.

"Kyron's story is not one of a child that wandered away from his school or was abducted by a stranger," Young said Saturday at a news conference in Roseburg. "It was somebody who was brought into our family. ...There is one person that knows where he is: Terri Horman, where is Kyron?"

Young said she has gone to Roseburg to distribute flyers urging people in the small town to keep asking that question of Terri Horman, the last person known to see Kyron.

"I believe that it was important to raise awareness in Roseburg, [where] people are not aware of who I am, who Kyron is, let alone Terri, who lives here," Young said.

"It was concerning, because we have knowledge that she's handing out Halloween candy to children, she's going into bars, and enjoying the holidays with her family -- all while Kyron is not here. We thought it was time to step it up a notch," she said.

Young also said investigators presented her with new evidence that she said raises questions about Terri Horman's character.

"[The evidence] indicated that not only could Terri be capable of this, but it was clear that she hated Kyron, and blamed everything on Kyron -- and had expressed that on various occasions to friends and people that she knew," she said this morning.