Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, May 1, 1995                   TAG: 9505020068
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SCHAUMBURG, ILL.                                LENGTH: Medium

ADOPTIVE PARENTS LOSE 4-YEAR-OLD

Birth parents Otakar and Daniela Kirchner picked up the 4-year-old boy, identified in court records only as Baby Richard, from the adoptive parents' home in suburban Chicago.

The boy cried, whimpered and reached out to his adoptive mother repeatedly as she turned him over to the Kirchners in front of the house where the boy had lived since he was 4 days old.

Many in a crowd of about 200 neighbors cried as the boy left. Some called out ``monster'' at the Kirchners, who met with the boy and his adoptive parents for about an hour before taking him away.

Kirchner said Sunday that he would allow the adoptive parents to see the boy. He did not elaborate.

The Illinois Supreme Court granted Kirchner custody in January. Kirchner said he wanted a gradual transfer of custody to make it easier on the child, but talks broke down with the adoptive parents, known in court as Jane and John Doe.

Kirchner had proposed taking custody with the help of a child psychologist, letting the Does continue to see the boy and getting counseling for everyone, in exchange for an end to litigation. The Does rejected the offer.

Loren Heinemann, the Kirchners' lawyer, said that she and Kirchner ``made every attempt to ease the transfer of Richard to his father.''

Kirchner was estranged from the boy's mother when he was born in March 1991. She put the baby up for adoption, and Kirchner was led to believe the child was dead.

When the boy was 57 days old, Kirchner learned the truth and began pursuing custody. Kirchner and the boy's mother are now married.