The Disappearance of Stefanie Damron

On the afternoon of September 23, 2024, Stefanie Damron got into an argument with her sister and walked into the woods behind the family's home on West Road in New Sweden. This was not unusual behavior — her father Dale said she was known to walk up to a couple of miles at a time and sometimes disappear for a few hours before coming back. The family's property sits in a remote stretch of Aroostook County, surrounded by miles of dense forest and farm fields, northwest of Caribou and about 20 miles from the Canadian border. The children were familiar with those woods. The trail the kids used most often led down to a mudhole where they would catch tadpoles. That is what everyone assumed Stefanie had done.

Dale and Lisa had left earlier that afternoon to fill out a job application. Four of their six children, including Stefanie, stayed behind with Grandpa Richard. When the parents returned, Stefanie wasn't there. Dale released their dogs to look for her in the woods, as he had done before when the kids stayed out too long. When morning came — about 12 hours after she was last seen — and Stefanie still had not come home, Dale called the Aroostook County Sheriff, followed by Maine State Police. She was reported missing on September 24, 2024.

Stefanie had no phone and no social media access. There has been no contact of any kind with her since the afternoon of September 23. The only physical trace found in the year-plus of searching was a single footprint near the roadside thought to be hers. There have been no confirmed sightings. State police said everything remains on the table: from an accident in the woods, to a runaway, to the worst scenario. "We believe anything is still possible," Lt. Darrin Crane said.

The investigation is led by Maine State Police, with significant involvement from the FBI Boston Field Office and the Maine Warden Service. The FBI deployed its Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team — a specialized unit activated in the most serious child disappearance cases — within days of Stefanie being reported missing. Since then, authorities have covered more than 4,500 acres of dense northern Maine wilderness using every method available: searchers on horseback, packs of trailing dogs, six helicopters, drones, ATVs, and canoe teams covering nearby waterways. The only physical evidence recovered was a single footprint near the roadside believed to be Stefanie's.

Investigators have conducted dozens of interviews and followed up on leads across Maine, the United States, and Canada. Maine State Police confirmed that Stefanie had no electronic devices and limited access to social media, meaning there is no digital trail to trace. Lt. Crane has been consistent in saying that all scenarios remain under investigation — from an accidental death in the woods to a runaway to foul play. No direction has been ruled out and no person of interest has been publicly named. In the absence of public updates, speculation and rumors have circulated online, targeting the Damron family. Authorities have not publicly corroborated any of those claims.

Stefanie's case is part of a pattern of young women disappearing from northern Maine. Her father has noted that Attiin Shaw went missing from Washburn in 2021, just 10 miles away, and Tomis Hoyt vanished from Mars Hill in 2025. That proximity, and the lack of resolution in any of these cases, has added to the urgency felt by the family and the community. As of early 2026, no new information has been released by authorities.

The FBI and Maine State Police are jointly offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to Stefanie's safe return or the arrest and prosecution of anyone involved in her disappearance. No tip is too small. Anonymous tips are accepted.

Stefanie Damron was 13 years old. She had read books with her sister, done puzzles from the library, wandered the woods behind her home enough times that everyone who knew her assumed she would come back. She always had before. She was a child who knew how to find her way — and then one afternoon, she didn't come back, and no one has been able to explain why.

Her mother Lisa said the last thing Stefanie did before she left that day was come up and hug her, tell her she loved her, and kiss her on the cheek. "I just wanna know where my baby's at," Lisa said. "I just want my baby home." Her father Dale has replayed years of memories looking for a clue. He went through old photos trying to find a moment where Stefanie looked unhappy. He couldn't find one. "You can't change the pain when you don't know," he said. "That's what kills us. We need to know."

Stefanie turned 15 on October 6, 2025. She missed it. Her family did not. If you have seen Stefanie, or if you have any information at all about what happened on September 23, 2024, please come forward. The $15,000 reward is still active. Anonymous tips are accepted. Stefanie Damron is not forgotten.