On September 23, 2024, 13-year-old Stefanie Damron stepped out of her home and walked into the nearby woods in New Sweden, Maine. It was the last time anyone saw her. The next day, her parents filed a missing person report.
The FBI immediately responded to assist the Maine State Police. The FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment—or CARD team—went to work. Since then, investigators have conducted dozens of interviews and followed up on leads in Maine, across the country, and even in Canada.
But despite extensive investigative efforts, including a neighbourhood canvas and video search, along with an expansive grid search using canines from the Maine Warden Service and Maine State Police, Stefanie is still missing.
Stefanie is one of dozens of missing children the FBI is working to bring home. Each year on May 25—National Missing Children’s Day—we reaffirm our commitment to investigating these cases and finding children who have been reported kidnapped or missing, and we continue to encourage parents, caregivers, and others to make child safety a priority.
“Stefanie’s family desperately wants to know where she is, and we are fully committed to helping our law enforcement partners exhaust every investigative resource to find her and bring her home,” said FBI Boston Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kimberly Milka during a December 2024 press conference.
The FBI’s Kidnappings and Missing Persons list includes entries for Stefanie and other missing children. If you recognise Stefanie or any of these kids, or if you have any information about a case, please contact the FBI or local law enforcement or submit a tip online.
“We are confident someone has information about the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Stefanie Damron, and we’re hoping the $15,000 reward the FBI is offering will incentivise anyone with information to do the right thing and contact us,” said FBI Boston Special Agent Jose Rodriguez Aguilar. “No amount of information is too small. We’re not going to give up until we find her.”
The FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams are composed of experienced personnel with a proven track record in crimes against children investigations, especially cases where a child has been abducted by someone other than a family member.
CARD team members provide on-the-ground investigative, technical, and resource assistance to state and local law enforcement. The teams work closely with representatives from the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime coordinators, and child exploitation task force members.
The FBI’s Child Victim Services program within the Victim Services Division provides support to child victims, the families of child victims, and witnesses of federal crimes.
The team is focused on ensuring that any interactions with child victims or witnesses are tailored to the child’s stage of development and minimise any additional trauma to the child. In addition, they connect children and families to other resources to support their health and well-being through difficult times.
