In a quiet corner of Lincoln County, Oregon, an unsettling tragedy has left more questions than answers. Two-year-old Dane Paulsen disappeared from his yard on March 1, 2025. Eleven days later, his body was recovered about three miles downstream in the Siletz River. The coroner ruled the cause of death as drowning, with no signs of additional trauma.
Now his father, Aaron Paulsen, has been indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on a charge of second-degree child neglect. He pleaded not guilty during a court appearance earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Dane’s mother, Chamet Jackson, says she is still living through a nightmare—unsettled by lingering mysteries, strange details, and an investigation she believes never fully added up. And frankly, after reading through everything, I can’t make full sense of it either.
According to law enforcement and local reports from outlets including KPTV and KOIN 6 News, Dane walked out of the family’s home near milepost 21 on the Siletz River Highway. The search for him spanned roughly 10 to 11 days before his body was found in the river on March 11.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said the medical examiner confirmed Dane’s cause of death as drowning, with no additional trauma to his body. Prosecutors allege that Aaron Paulsen allowed the toddler to leave the home, knowing there were no adults outside to supervise him, and failed to follow after him.
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At his arraignment, Paulsen was released under conditions that include no unsupervised contact with minors under age 5.
The Mother’s View
Jackson spoke with KOIN 6 News on November 6, sharing her side of the story. She described hearing Dane giggling moments before realizing he was gone.
“Worst day of my life,” she said. “Dane giggled like somebody was tickling him… and then went silent. I went around the trailer, and he was gone.”
Jackson says she remembers seeing a man near two vehicles on the property moments before Dane vanished. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office later released a vehicle description to the public, calling it a vehicle of interest, but once the car was located, deputies ruled out any connection to Dane’s disappearance. Jackson still believes that decision doesn’t make sense.
Another detail that disturbs her: when Dane was found, he was wearing a zipped jacket and hood. Jackson says he hated wearing hoods and couldn’t have dressed himself. “He didn’t leave the house with his jacket zipped up,” she said. “Dane cannot dress himself. He was found with his jacket completely zipped and his hood on.”
“I just want answers,” Jackson told KOIN 6. “I feel like I deserve some answers for Dane. I don’t think any parent should have to go through what we’re doing.”
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, working with the Major Crime Team and the FBI, said the investigation was “extraordinary and exhaustive,” exploring every plausible lead and community tip. District Attorney Jenna Wallace said investigators thoroughly pursued alternative explanations before concluding that Dane likely wandered to the river’s edge and drowned.
In a statement to KOIN, Wallace said:
“The number of investigative resources devoted to Dane Paulsen’s disappearance and death, including the exploration of other possible explanations, was extraordinary and exhaustive. At the conclusion of this lengthy investigation, verifiable evidence pointed to Dane being at the river’s edge before falling in.”
She explained that the grand jury’s review of evidence — including possible alternative theories — did not dissuade them from indicting Aaron Paulsen for neglect.
Paulsen’s attorney, Rich Cohen, issued a statement reaffirming his client’s innocence, saying his not guilty plea should be viewed as “a public assertion of innocence.”
Why This Case Still Doesn’t Make Sense
To me, there’s something about this case that just doesn’t line up. On the surface, it sounds like a tragic accident — a toddler wanders off and drowns — but the details don’t quite fit neatly together.
How does a child who hates hoods end up zipped and covered? Why was the stranger near the property so quickly dismissed as unrelated? And if the evidence truly pointed to an accident, why did prosecutors feel compelled to indict the father eight months later?
Even the simplest reading of the timeline feels contradictory. The mother says she saw a man nearby moments before Dane vanished, and the sheriff’s office initially agreed the car was suspicious — yet after finding it, they said it was no longer relevant. If that doesn’t strike you as bizarre, I don’t know what would.
Jackson herself admits she’s been labeled “a hysterical mother who won’t quit.” Her response: “What parent would quit?”
I have to agree — what parent could stop asking questions when so much still feels unresolved?
The case against Aaron Paulsen will move forward in Lincoln County Circuit Court. For now, he remains out on conditional release. Jackson continues to demand more transparency, saying she will keep being the voice for her son.
More than six months after his death, Dane’s room remains untouched. His mother says she can’t bear to change anything.
“Life will never be the same without Dane,” she said.
This story has haunted me from the start. It’s not just another Oregon tragedy — it’s a tangle of conflicting details, a devastated mother, and a child who deserved so much more time. The official version might be tidy on paper, but something about it just doesn’t feel complete.
Whether it was an accident, neglect, or something that still hasn’t come to light, the one truth everyone can agree on is this: Dane’s story isn’t finished yet.
