By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle
NEWPORT – The father of the two-year-old boy who drowned in the Siletz River last March pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor child neglect charges during his arraignment Monday.
Television reporters from Portland, family members and a handful of Siletz residents attended the court proceeding in another highly publicized event surrounding the disappearance and 11-day search for Dane Paulsen.
When the toddler disappeared March 1 from his family’s riverside property in Siletz, the search transfixed Oregon. Community members conducted searches in addition to law enforcement searches on the ground and water and the media widely reported the big news in the little town of Slietz.
A California diver with a nonprofit found Dane’s body 11 days after he went missing. An autopsy determined the toddler had drowned.
Seven months later, a seven-member grand jury Oct. 16 issued a secret indictment of Aaron Paulsen and an arrest warrant wasn’t issued until Oct. 23. News of the indictment didn’t break until last Wednesday when court documents became public. Paulsen was cited and released by the sheriff’s office.
It is unclear what details of the investigation led to Paulsen’s charges since there was no probable cause affidavit, a document made by investigating officers that lays out the details leading up to the charges. The sheriff’s office did not prepare an affidavit, Sheriff Adam Shanks told the Lincoln Chronicle on Monday, and its investigative reports were submitted to the district attorney’s office.
During Monday’s arraignment, Paulsen pleaded not guilty and was given a conditional release agreement.
District Attorney Jenna Wallace asked that the conditional release be amended to include that Paulsen be restricted from being present around unsupervised children under five years old. Paulsen and Dane’s mother, Chamet Jackson, have a 9-year-old daughter who is not included in the restriction.
A hint to why charged
In court Monday, statements by Wallace gave some indication why she took the investigation’s report to the grand jury.
“Dane Paulson, was two at the time that he went missing in March of 2025 was left in the care of his father and his father watched him walk out the door, knowing that there was no other adult outside,” Wallace said in court.
“The supervisor did not follow after him, and Dane was left unattended for about 15 minutes before parents noticed that he was missing. The investigation later revealed that Dane did end up down the river trail on the property which had not been blocked off by the parents and ultimately drowned in the river.”
Jackson has been very critical of the sheriff’s investigation into her son’s death and told KATU News last week that her husband had just gotten home when Dane went missing and denied he played a role in their son’s death. She told KPTV News that she was checking on her father in his backyard trailer when Dane disappeared that Saturday afternoon.
Those close to the family have also been critical of the district attorney’s decision to charge Paulsen with a misdemeanor. Juan Heredia, the diver who found Dane’s body, sent a heartfelt plea to officials not to further harm an already grieving mother.
“As Dane’s mother, my heart will always ache for the loss of my son. I continue to pray for truth, fairness, and accountability in the process,” Jackson said on her Facebook page.
“Out of respect for ongoing legal matters, I won’t be discussing specific details or ongoing cases publicly. My only focus is to remember Dane for the joy, love and light he brought to our lives and to keep asking for transparency and justice in a way that honors his memory.”
Paulsen’s lawyer, who appeared remotely for the 8-minute arraignment Monday, did not respond to a request for comment.
Judge Sheryl Bachart set Paulsen’s next court date for Dec. 15 for an early resolution conference.
- Shayla Escudero covers Lincoln County government, education, Newport, housing and social services for Lincoln Chronicle and can be reached at Shayla@LincolnChronicle.org
