Stefanie Earleen-Jenn Damron was born on October 6, 2010, in Beckley, West Virginia. She grew up with her parents and five siblings, along with a non-related elderly male who is treated as a grandfather figure.

Stefanie and her family lived in West Virginia, Texas, and Illinois, before moving to New Sweden, Maine, their current residence and where Stefanie was living before she disappeared. In New Sweden, the family has over 20 acres of land. They have resided in a wooden yurt—there is no running water or indoor plumbing, but a generator provides some power. At times, the family has stayed with a family friend or "uncle" figure who lives up the road.

All of the Damron children have been home-schooled from a young age and appear to have had little interaction with other family and friends outside of their immediate circle. 

Sometime in the afternoon on September 23, 2024, Stefanie and one of her sisters reportedly got into an argument. Stefanie walked off and into the woods. Her parents were away at the time, and only some of Stefanie’s siblings and her grandfather were home. 

"When the parents came back, Stefanie was not there," said Aguilar. "Essentially, they tried to look for her but believed, as in previous cases when she went for walks in the woods, she would return home within a few hours. Unfortunately, that was not the case this time." 

Stefanie’s parents contacted the Maine State Police, and a few days later, the FBI arrived to assist. The FBI's Child Abduction Rapid Deployment—or CARD team—went to work. Investigators conducted a neighborhood canvas and video search, and since Stefanie’s disappearance, the FBI and Maine State Police, along with additional volunteers have covered thousands of acres searching for Stefanie. They have followed up on leads in Maine, across the country, and even in Canada.

Aguilar explained how Stefanie’s disappearance has taken a toll on her family, as well as the local community. 

"We spent an extensive amount of time with Stefanie’s family. As one can imagine, the disappearance of a child is traumatic. The reactions are going to vary depending on the person, and there's not a specific playbook as to how a parent is going to react to their child missing. In the interactions I've had with Stefanie’s family, it’s been very traumatic for them, and they want answers. 

In the local community, people were shaken by Stefanie’s disappearance and have been left feeling unsafe. They are wondering if they should let their kids go play with other kids in fear that their kid might not return for some reason."

If you have any information about Stefanie, please immediately call the Maine State Police Houlton Barracks at 1-800-824-2261 or 207-532-5400. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, your local FBI office, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. 

Stefanie was last seen wearing blue jeans, a long-sleeved blue shirt, and black Harley Davidson hiking boots. At the time of her disappearance, she was 5’0” and 130 pounds, with brown, shoulder-length hair. She would now be 14 years old.  

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the safe return of Stefanie and/or information leading to the arrest and prosecution of anyone involved in her disappearance. 

"The search continues. We have a job to do," said Aguilar. "And we're going to do that job with good conviction, working with every agency involved. I would urge the public to continue the search effort and to keep the case alive by pushing the story out to the media and social media and sharing the search for Stefanie with friends and family, even if they’re in other states. It's super important that the case doesn't just die off as another number, so to speak. We're hoping for the best outcome—to find Stefanie alive."