Shivangi Sinha
In 2003, the locals of Vernon, British Columbia, were left confused by the sudden appearance of two boys calling themselves Tom and Will Green in their hometown. They wanted answers, and the ones they were getting did not fully add up. It was not until April 2004 that Diana and Rodger Horn came forward and contacted authorities, revealing that the boys were their sons, whom they had been searching for. They provided a full account of their lives, helping explain what had transpired. In Paramount+’s ‘Wild Boys: Strangers in Town,’ they both come forward to share their side of the story and reflect on what the experience was like for them.
Diana and Rodger Horn Revealed the Boys’ Real Identities to the Authorities
Diana and Rodger Horn made their home in Roseville, California, and described themselves as a fairly normal, middle-class family with four children. For years, there seemed to be nothing amiss. It was only when their eldest son, Kyle Horn, was in high school that they noticed changes. He began spending a lot of time online and started believing in conspiracy theories. They also revealed that he had posted about blowing up police cars, which raised alarms with the FBI and required them to intervene and help de-escalate the situation. After finishing school, Kyle did not begin working, which concerned his parents.
Meanwhile, their other son, Roen Horn, adopted an extremely restrictive fruit-based diet. His health deteriorated significantly, and when they took him to the hospital, doctors struggled to help because he refused to eat. The hospital eventually suggested sending him home with Child Protective Services involved, a plan the parents said they did not support. In June 2003, when CPS arrived, Roen had already run away. They searched for him but did not know where he was. Soon after, they also set a boundary for Kyle, telling him to leave the house because he was not working. Though they did not see their sons, they said Kyle would occasionally call.
According to them, they suspected Roen was with him, even though Kyle never said so directly, only mentioning that he was in Canada and that his brother would be fine. Nearly 10 months later, in April 2004, Diana and Rodger received a call from a friend who had seen Kyle’s interview. They contacted authorities and identified specific details, including a scar from Roen’s past spleen rupture, which confirmed their identities. They flew to Vernon, British Columbia, at the beginning of that month and were reunited with Kyle at the airport. At the time, Roen was still in the hospital, and the family eventually brought both sons back to California.
Diana and Rodger Have a Supportive and Loving Family by Their Side
Diana and Rodger Horn were not the kind of people to spend much time in public. After the burst of interest when their sons were discovered and the attention that followed, including programs about the case, the spotlight soon faded. Their daughter later showed the house where Kyle and Roen had grown up on some news programs and also shared details about their life. Rodger and Diana returned to their normal lives in California, and it seems that is what they continue to do now as well. Diana, a graduate of West Valley College, and Rodger still live in Roseville, California. They remain close to their sons and have even become grandparents. They are family-oriented and deeply religious people who live by their own rules and values.
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