Overview
- Court records show Lincoln County prosecutors charged Aaron Paulsen with second-degree child neglect tied to the March death of his son, Dane.
- A grand jury returned the indictment on Oct. 16, a judge issued an arrest warrant a week later, and bail was set at $20,000 with arraignment scheduled for Monday.
- The indictment alleges Paulsen had custody or control of the toddler on March 1 and left him unattended long enough to pose a danger.
- Dane was reported missing from the family’s home near the Siletz River on March 1, prompting an 11-day search across the river and surrounding rural areas.
- A volunteer diver found the child’s body on March 11 about three miles downstream, and investigators later determined he wandered to the river’s edge and drowned with no evidence of foul play reported.