diff --git a/docs/LEGACY-INGEST.md b/docs/LEGACY-INGEST.md
index 143e6f0..a81801e 100644
--- a/docs/LEGACY-INGEST.md
+++ b/docs/LEGACY-INGEST.md
@@ -95,10 +95,11 @@ Current evidence:
 - 2026-06-17 refresh: `tools/validate_cto_child.py` hard-codes the target path and admission record fields.
 - 2026-06-17 refresh: `.case/tasks/active/*.task.json` contains six active task records; two have `agents.implementer.status` set to `running` and no `completed` timestamp.
 - 2026-06-17 refresh: the target task records still use active or implementing states, so they are not archive-stable closure evidence.
+- 2026-06-17 stale-state declaration: `docs/STAGE5-TARGET-SANDBOX-STALE-CASE-STATE.md` records that target tests and the target validator pass, no live Case or `ca` process is present, and the six target-local Case records are stale residue rather than current work authority.
 
 Movement gate:
 
-Move or archive only after CTO replaces the absolute live path with archive-stable evidence or a new admitted target fixture, closes or declares stale the active Case task state, reruns `python3 tools/validate_cto_child.py`, reruns `python3 tools/validate_cto_stage5_target_sandbox_child.py`, and records that target ownership remains outside CTO and Core.
+Move or archive only after CTO replaces the absolute live path with archive-stable evidence or a new admitted target fixture, reruns `python3 tools/validate_cto_child.py`, reruns `python3 tools/validate_cto_stage5_target_sandbox_child.py`, and records that target ownership remains outside CTO and Core. The target-local Case task residue is now declared stale, but the absolute path dependency remains open.
 
 Rejected now: raw move, hard delete, validator path rewrites for cleanup optics, Case rerun, Harness rerun, provider mutation, target source mutation, Core mutation, Seed mutation, readiness claim, release claim.
 
diff --git a/docs/STAGE5-TARGET-SANDBOX-STALE-CASE-STATE.md b/docs/STAGE5-TARGET-SANDBOX-STALE-CASE-STATE.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef01b96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/STAGE5-TARGET-SANDBOX-STALE-CASE-STATE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+# CTO Stage 5 Target Sandbox Stale Case State
+
+Local planning evidence only. Not Core authority. Not Runtime authority.
+
+Source: CTO-WORK-097.
+
+## Result
+
+Status: stale-state-declared.
+
+The target sandbox remains present at:
+
+```text
+/home/svrnty/workspaces/cortex-os/cto-stage5-target-sandbox
+```
+
+The target sandbox is still not move-ready, but the old target-local Case task
+state is no longer treated as active work.
+
+## Current Evidence
+
+Read-only checks on 2026-06-17:
+
+- `python3 -m pytest -q` in the target sandbox: `11 passed`.
+- `python3 tools/validate_cto_stage5_target_sandbox_child.py` in the target
+  sandbox: `ok: true`.
+- `python3 tools/validate_cto_child.py` in CTO: `ok: true`.
+- No live process matched the target path, `ca run`, or `ca session` outside
+  the read-only process scan.
+- The target path is not currently a Git repository, so there is no local Git
+  worktree custody proof to preserve from that path.
+
+The target-local `.case/tasks/active/*.task.json` set contains six stale records
+from 2026-06-01 and 2026-06-02:
+
+- four records with `status=active`;
+- two records with `status=implementing`;
+- the two implementing records have `agents.implementer.status=running` with no
+  completed timestamp;
+- all six records have `tested=false`, `manualTested=false`, and no PR URL or
+  PR number.
+
+These records are stale Case-local task residue. They are not current execution
+authority, not active WIP, and not archive-stable completion evidence.
+
+## Decision
+
+Do not restart, continue, or mutate the stale Case tasks during umbrella
+purification.
+
+Do not edit the target sandbox only to make cleanup look cleaner.
+
+The useful intention remains the Stage 5 proof pattern: admitted owned
+noncritical target, explicit task contract, JP approval, Harness evidence, and
+no default Runtime activation.
+
+## Remaining Movement Gate
+
+Movement remains deferred until CTO replaces the absolute live path dependency
+with archive-stable evidence or a new admitted target fixture, then reruns:
+
+- `python3 tools/validate_cto_child.py`
+- `python3 tools/validate_cto_stage5_target_sandbox_child.py`
+
+The future move must preserve the target path outside the umbrella with a
+manifest. No hard delete, Core mutation, Harness rerun, Case rerun, provider
+call, branch mutation, readiness claim, or release claim is allowed by this
+record.