When is theft more than theft? Can it be? Let’s examine the case of against Doug and Valerie Herrman.

Doug Herrman received a nine-month sentence and Valerie Herrman a seven-month sentence — the maximum under the Kansas state sentencing grid and ordered that the couple be taken immediately into custody.

Their theft of $15,488 in state adoption subsidies for their adopted son was serious enough. But it isn’t just about the money. Almost forgotten in this case was Adam Herrman.

There is No Sentence Long Enough for These Two

Adam is the 11-year-old adopted son who disappeared from the Herrmans’ Towanda home in 1999. The Herrmans never reported him missing, yet they continued to accept state money for his care.

If the Herrmans had told authorities that their son was missing, a missing-child alert could have been issued. There could have been search parties.

The judge described the couple’s inaction and action as “callous and emotionally detached” and as the “calculated abandonment of a child.”

It is a case of a child whose interests were traded for money by his parents.

The Herrmans each pleaded guilty in June to one count of felony theft for taking $15,488 in adoption subsidies over about a two-year period.

They also will have to pay $15,488 in restitution and a fine of $2,500 each.

Adam Still Missing

Authorities still consider Adam’s disappearance an open homicide case. With this being in the news again, I hope it generates some leads to find this boy’s remains.

Valerie Herrman now claims that Adam ran away from their Towanda mobile home in early May 1999 after she spanked him with a belt. She said the couple didn't report him missing because they feared it would lead to him and their other children being taken from their custody.

Theft or Murder?

Relatives have said that Valerie Herrman told them over the years that Adam had gone back into state custody. His disappearance became known in 2008 when his older, adoptive sister came forward to authorities, raising concerns about his whereabouts.

Doug Herrman received two more months in prison than Valerie Herrman because he had a felony false-check case that made his so-called criminal history score higher. She had a misdemeanor harassment case.