Search for Missing Ore. Boy Shifts to Criminal Inquiry

Oregon cops trying to track down missing 7-year-old Kyron Horman are reclassifying the case as a criminal investigation, scaling back the largest search operation the state has seen, reports ABC News. "We will keep a contingent of local search and rescue crews on call to respond to any tip," says a police spokesman, but "it's a natural progression to move the overall focus to a criminal case."

Investigators didn't explain the shift, but cited progress in the massive search: "We know where he's not," said one. "That means we're getting closer to where he is." Kyron's family, meanwhile, appealed to the public to keep the tips coming in and to their little boy to keep the faith: "We want to say how much we appreciate the outpouring of love and support as we wait for you," said the boy's stepdad. "Until you come home we are not a family." (More Kyron Horman stories.)