Kyron Horman’s Step-Mother Terri Moulton Horman / Proposed Name Change to: Claire Stella Sullivan

In a recent Oregonian article (byline Maxine Bernstein), August 15th, it was reported that Terri Horman, Kyron’s Step-Mother, an unofficial person of interest in Kyron’s disappearance, had requested a Douglas County Court to change her name.  Terri Horman testified that she wanted to remove the “stigma” associated with the Horman name.  Reportedly, four women witnesses testified against the name change.  The four women were not identified.

As most of us recall, seven-year-old Kyron disappeared from a Portland public grade school four years ago.  There has been no trace of the child since that day.

It is interesting that the Douglas County Judge refused to grant Terri the name change.  Name changes are normally not a big deal.  With the possible exception as follows:

Although standards vary from place to place, generally speaking, ‘a petition for a name change can be denied if a judge believes that you are making the change to avoid judgments, legal actions, debts or other obligations.’

Terri Horman reportedly described her current name, Horman, as a “stigma.”  This may have been a contributing factor in the Court denying her request.  The word ‘stigma’ is defined as:  ‘A sign of social unacceptability – or the shame or disgrace attached to something regarded as socially unacceptable.’

This might not have been the type of reasoning a judge wanted to hear from a supposedly grieving parent of a missing child.

True Nelson