Politics
Samuel Olson’s mom accuses boy’s dad and his fiancee of being ‘100% to blame’ for kid’s suspected death
THE biological mother of missing Samuel Olson has accused the boy’s father and his fiancee of being “100 percent” to blame for the six-year-old’s suspected death.
In a statement issued through her attorney on Wednesday night, Sarah Olson said she’s hoping Samuel’s dad, Dalton Olson, is imminently arrested by police after his partner Theresa Balboa was detained on Tuesday.
Read our Samuel Olson live blog for the very latest news and updates…
Sarah Olson accused Samuel’s dad of being involved in the boy’s believed death[/caption]
Balboa (left) was arrested on Tuesday night, but Dalton is not currently a suspect in the case[/caption]
Samuel was reported missing on May 27 but may have vanished several weeks ago[/caption]
Balboa, 29, was taken into custody at a motel in Jasper, Texas, on Tuesday night and booked on evidence tampering charges.
In her room, police allegedly found the corpse of a young boy they believe to be Samuel. The remains were found inside a plastic bin and had been covered with bags and duct tape, court documents state.
Police may file additional charges against Balboa as early as Thursday, The Daily Beast reports.
Dalton, meanwhile, is not considered a suspect at this time.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Assistant Houston Police Chief Heather Miller also said he isn’t even currently considered a person of interest but will continue to be questioned along with others who may have information.
Hours later, “heartbroken” Sarah Olson released a statement through her attorney saying that she feels both Dalton Olson and Balboa are “100 percent” responsible for her son’s believed death.
“She feels that if Samuel is deceased … [and] that this is her child after the identification process, she feels 100% of the blame is on both Dalton and Theresa,” attorney Marco Gonzalez said.
“Theresa is in custody, but she also strongly believes that the adults, you know, the child’s father, should also be in custody, because she feels 100 percent that they both have something to do with this.”
Gonzalez continued: “So, she’s hoping, you know, praying that he also will be taken into custody. So that justice can be done for Samuel.”
Balboa, 29, was taken into custody at a motel in Jasper, Texas, on Tuesday night and booked on evidence tampering charges[/caption]
In her room, police allegedly found the corpse of a young boy they believe to be Samuel[/caption]
On Thursday, Dalton Olsen’s attorney told the Houston Chronicle that the father is “shocked and devastated” at the turn of events that presumably left his son dead in a hotel room.
“It’s been a rollercoaster,” attorney Samuel Veenstra said. “He had no reason to suspect something was off with Theresa, assuming Theresa did this.”
Veenstra also vehemently denied Sarah Olson’s “absurd” allegations that his client had anything to do with Samuel’s disappearance.
“He’s been nothing but devastated through this whole situation,” he said. “To put blame on Dalton, as having responsibility for the death of his son, it’s just absurd.”
Veenstra also sought to shed led on the custody arrangement between Dalton and Sarah, who separated two years ago.
Earlier this week, Sarah’s attorney said that despite having primary custody, Dalton denied her from seeing Samuel for several months. The last time she saw him, Gonzales said, was in January 2020.
Sarah Olson and Datlon have been locked in a custody dispute for two years[/caption]
Dalton Olsen’s attorney told the Houston Chronicle that the father is ‘shocked and devastated’ at the turn of events that presumably left his son dead in a hotel room[/caption]
Samuel hadn’t seen his mother since January 2020[/caption]
Responding to those claims, Veenstra said Dalton and Sarah separated and entered a custody order in April 2019, splitting time with Samuel.
Concern over Sam’s wellbeing caused Dalton to file another order in January 2020 and hire an attorney, he told the Chronicle. Sarah filed for divorce days later.
After filing that order, Veenstra says Dalton believed he had sole custody of the boy and that Sarah should have little to no access to Samuel from January 2020.
That order, however, was never actually put in place, Veenstra said.
“The relationship between Sarah and Sam has been really rocky, to say the least,” he said.
“We’re not trying to throw Sarah under the bus by any stretch. It’s a young couple that had issues. They couldn’t get along.”
The estranged couple’s contentious relations led Dalton to believe Balboa when she told him that Sarah had been to her home to pick up Samuel on May 27 – a story that police now say is a lie.
Veenstra said the family had a good relationship with Balboa and never had any reason to suspect she’d harm Samuel[/caption]
Balboa and Dalton were engaged[/caption]
Balboa reported Samuel missing to police that day, but investigators believe he may actually have vanished several weeks ago.
The last time he was seen by anyone outside of his family was at school on April 30; his grandmother claims she last saw him at her home on May 2.
Veenstra said the family had a good relationship with Balboa and never had any reason to suspect she’d harm Samuel.
The attorney said she spent all weekend helping them search for the boy.
She then helped Dalton hand out flyers on Monday. The father headed in one direction and she went in the other.
At the time they were meant to meet up together, Balboa was reportedly nowhere to be found.
“That’s when the reality of the situation started being processed, ‘Hold on we may have been wrong about her,’” Veenstra said.
According to court documents released on Thursday, prosecutors claim Balboa went to a storage unit in Webster, Texas, with a male friend and loaded a large plastic container onto the back of a truck.
Balboa, 29, was arrested on Monday and booked on evidence tampering charges[/caption]
The following day, the friend picked her up from a storage unit and drove both her and the container to a Best Western motel some 135 miles away in Jasper.
According to investigators, the same man later called Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip to investigators about Balboa’s location and the “foul-smelling” container.
Police acted on the tip and arrived at the motel shortly after. Inside the container, they found what they believe to be Samuel’s remains, wrapped in plastic bags and duct tape.
Speaking to the media after Balboa’s arrest, Dalton Olson asked his fiancee “why did you do this?” and vowed to obtain “justice” for his son.
“Why? He loved you so much. I do not understand what happened,” Olson said. “Why did you, why did you do this?”
“I don’t know what’s going on. I found out what happened last night,” he continued. “I can barely breathe.”
More charges may soon be filed against Balboa[/caption]
Balboa previously lost custody of her own two young children in December 2019 after failing to show for a court hearing[/caption]
Police have not yet officially identifed the remains.
More charges could be filed against Balboa once a determination is made.
Police said others are also being investigated as potential suspects.
Balboa previously lost custody of her own two young children in December 2019 after failing to show for a court hearing.
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She was also arrested for assault in November 2020 for allegedly choking Dalton Olson.
She was hit with a restraining order and instructed to cease all contact with him and his family.
Balboa was still on bond for that offense when she was detained on Tuesday.
