The FBI and Maine State Police provided an update on the disappearance of a 14-year-old girl who vanished after walking into the woods near her Maine home in late September.
The FBI said Monday they are offering a reward of up to US$15,000 for information leading to the safe return of Stefanie Damron, and/or the arrest and prosecution of anyone involved in her disappearance.
Damron was reported missing on Tuesday, Sept. 24, one day after she “was last seen walking out of her house and into the woods located on the West Road in New Sweden,” according to Maine State Police (MSP).
Her parents, Christopher and Lisa Marie Damron, previously said their daughter “got into an argument with her sister” on Sept. 23 and “walked off” into the woods, according to WGAM-TV.
Stefanie Damron was last seen by her family on Sept. 23, 2024.
Maine State Police / Facebook
“We live a half mile back in the woods and our kids are very comfortable in their surroundings so there was nothing to raise flags the first few hours,” the parents wrote in a statement in late October.
Get daily National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
On Monday, despite “expansive” search efforts, MSP said the teen was still missing. They said they had followed leads from the public in Maine and other states, as well as into Canada, but have turned up nothing, so far. They also said they had conducted “hundreds” of hours of interviews and had conducted a thorough ground search on the area around her home.
They asked the public to continue their “vigilance,” and asked for any tips or information. They also asked the people continue to share Damron’s missing person poster on social media, adding that they don’t believe she has access to electronics and limited access to social media.
The FBI said the monetary reward will hopefully incentivize anyone with information to come forward.
The Bangor Daily News previously reported that Jerri Harms, Darmon’s great-aunt, told the Brooklyn Squad podcast that the family moved from Texas to New Sweden in 2020.
Harms said the girl has attempted to run away a few times before, but was always located in the woods shortly after by family members.
Stefanie Damron is seen in a recent photo, taken in the summer of 2024.
Maine State Police / Facebook
She is described as five feet tall and weighing about 130 pounds, with green eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. She was last seen wearing a blue shirt with long sleeves, blue jeans and black Harley-Davidson boots.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
