Cries For Help Go Unanswered
On May 27, 2021, Samuel Olson was reported missing, but that is not really where the story begins. Samuel’s death was a perfect storm of total system failures from the family courts, the criminal courts, bail reform, and the district attorney’s office. Samuel was almost saved several times before his death. Still, every time Sarah Olson, Samuel’s mother, tried to get Samuel back from his father, Dalton Olson, she could not. Either it was Covid, or they could not get in front of the judge.
This case was not on my radar when I initially saw the first post on the Texas EquuSearch Facebook page repeating the claims made to police by Dalton Olson and his fiancé, Theresa Balboa. The post stated that Sarah had arrived at the home of Theresa Balboa’s mother in the 8800 block of McAvoy Dr. with a “Fake Cop” and took Samuel at approximately 7:30 am on May 27, 2021; however, they didn’t report Samuel missing until around 6:00 pm that same day. I immediately thought it was a simple child custody matter and not a missing child, and I certainly never let myself believe this child was dead. Sarah asked me to help her find her son, and I could not say no. I currently work as an advocate, and before working on these cases, I was a legal assistant for many years and then transitioned into contract legal investigations. That experience allowed me to competently access and understand the very messy situation that Sarah and Dalton’s Divorce had become. Samuel was used as a weapon to punish Sarah. From court documents and speaking with Sarah, I also knew that it was likely that the judge was going to order that Samuel be returned to Sarah very soon. On May 28, 2021, when I first spoke with Sarah, she told me that she did not have Samuel, and she did not know who did. I asked her a series of questions about the people in Samuel’s life and about the court orders currently in place. After Sarah explained her story from the beginning, I felt this would become more a fight for justice than a return of Samuel to his mother.
The First System Failure:
On January 18, 2020, Sarah’s mom dropped Samuel off with Dalton’s mom for a weekend visit. Dalton refused to return Samuel on January 20, 2020. On January 24, 2020, Sarah went to Dalton’s current address in Katy, escorted by a Precinct 5 Constable. While there, the deputy called the Harris County District Attorney’s office to ask if they would accept charges against Dalton for interfering with child custody. The District Attorney’s office declined, and Samuel remained with Dalton. That same day, Sarah filed a Habeas motion to have the court return Samuel to her, and that is when Dalton began moving Samuel from place to place.
The Second System Failure:
Then approximately six weeks later, the entire world stopped because of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic, and no one knew how or what to do when the courts shut down. Over the next year, Sarah’s cases would see minimal movement through the respective court systems due to covid. On May 31, 2020, Sarah was finally allowed to see Samuel again at his fifth (and sadly now final) birthday party. According to Sarah’s mother, Sarah asked the process server to be there as well to serve Dalton, but again she was told no, due to covid concerns.
The Third System Failure:
Sarah and her mother attended Samuel’s birthday party. When Samuel saw Sarah after so many months of being kept apart, he said, “I knew you would come for me,” and it was at that moment Sarah decided to try to sneak out the side door of Dalton’s mother’s home and take Samuel home where he belonged. As she was attempting to leave with Samuel, Dalton came out of his mother’s house, jumped in front of Sarah’s car near the street, and claimed Sarah “ran over him.” Sarah remained at the home until police arrived, and when she tried to explain the situation, police arrested her for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Once again, Samuel was not saved and remained with Dalton. The Galveston County DA issued a protective order and a no-contact order for Dalton against Sarah. It specifically excluded Samuel, so communicating with Dalton and his family concerning Samuel was granted. That day two other very telling things also happened. Theresa said to Sarah’s mother while cursing at her, “I wish I had my bat so I could beat Sarah with it,” and Dalton told Sarah, “You will never see or speak to Samuel ever again.” That was how Samuel’s very last birthday party unfolded. He did not get to go home with his mom and instead watched her go to jail. On June 4, 2021, after many story changes by Dalton, the admission that one of the witnesses did not see what happened, and Samuel’s murder, the Galveston County DA dismissed the case against Sarah, citing the cause as being “In the Interest of Justice.”
The Fourth System Failure:
Through our conversation, I asked Sarah about Dalton and his fiancé, and she stated that all she knew about her was that her name was Theresa Balboa. I immediately searched for criminal records and found a protective order and no-contact order for a domestic violence incident on November 29, 2020, where Balboa allegedly choked Dalton. I sent it to Sarah and asked if she was aware of the protective order extended to every Dalton family member, including Samuel. She stated it was the first time she had ever been made aware of it. It is important because Texas has a law that requires parents to notify each other and the court of protective orders that would affect the children. Through a further search on social media, I was able to find a Facebook post titled “She Said Yes,” announcing their engagement on January 2, 2021, in violation of the two court orders. Theresa was found in the Jasper motel room with Samuel’s body on June 1, 2021, and not yet arraigned in the domestic violence case.
The Fifth System Failure:
Dalton would drag Samuel around from place to place and from person to person for the next year, causing Samuel to change schools multiple times. The last day that Samuel attended school in person was April 30, 2021, and he did not switch to virtual school or unenroll; however, no one from the school ever reported anything to law enforcement. On May 24, 2021, Dalton and Sarah finally had a court date, but Dalton’s attorney withdrew, citing “Just Cause Exists,” causing the case to reset once again. At the time of this court date, Samuel had been dead for weeks, and his little body had been stuffed in a Rubbermaid plastic tote and hidden away in a storage unit in Webster.
EquuSearch and Tim Miller:
On May 31, 2021, Tim Miller of Texas EquuSearch, searched the field near the apartment where Theresa Balboa stayed with Samuel Olson and her ex-boyfriend, Benjamin Rivera. That is when things started to unravel for Balboa in this case. Tim Miller told Nancy Grace that he forced Theresa Balboa to give the news interviews. Miller stated he knew she was lying and said, “This is going to end today.” He also stated to Nancy Grace he saw Theresa Balboa, Dalton Olson, and Benjamin Rivera talking on the other side of the complex. He confronted them again and asked Dalton why he would leave his child with someone he did not even know (Rivera) and then told him Theresa was responsible. Miller stated that Dalton hit the ground crying and saying, “But you don’t understand–Sarah ALMOST ran me over,” to which Tim replied, “I don’t care what Sarah ALMOST did. Your son isn’t ALMOST missing.” Immediately following this conversation, Theresa went into the apartment to change clothes, came out, said she would pass out more flyers, and disappeared. According to court records, she met up with an acquaintance, Dylan Walker, in the parking lot of the Walmart in Cleveland, TX, had him bring her back to the storage unit in Webster, TX, where they loaded up the tote containing Samuel’s body. Walker rented a room at the Best Western in his name and, after a few hours, left Theresa and the tote containing Samuel’s body in Room 106. He drove back home and later called Crime Stoppers. In the early morning hours of June 1, 2021, authorities arrest Theresa Balboa in the room with Samuel’s body still in the tote. Authorities took her into custody on bonds totaling $600,000.00. Benjamin Rivera is arrested on June 23, 2021, for his part in helping conceal the body of Samuel Olson and released on a $100,000.00 bond. The district attorney’s office announced they believe they have found the murder weapon and are awaiting test results to confirm.
The Organization:
In February of last year, after about a year of working cases involving missing and exploited children, I started my organization called Runaway 2 Victim. The primary focus is working with other non-profits and law enforcement to locate and recover missing runaways and trafficking victims. Once recovered safely, I advocate for the children by getting resources such as free counseling and rehab services, triad meetings, mental health meetings, access to amicus attorneys, and help to navigate the juvenile justice programs. I primarily work with missing teens and trafficking victims.
The Mission: We, as a society, need to work together to change laws that are putting children at risk. Samuel Olson was one of the many murdered in Harris County by a person arrested for a violent felony and let out on a Personal Bond (meaning they did not have to pay to be released). As if that is not alarming enough, approximately 46 children have lost their lives in Harris County in the last 24 months. My mission is to seek Justice in Samuel’s case and help other families affected by child murders connect with lawmakers about passing new legislation to protect children. No child should ever be injured or murdered by someone where there was a protective order. For more continued coverage, go to www.houstonintown.com.