The Disappearance of Stefanie Damron

 

Stefanie Damron has been missing since September 23rd, 2024. The then-13-year-old was last seen at her family's home in New Sweden, Maine. According to the family, Stefanie walked away from the home and into the woods after an argument with her older sister. She never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again.

Stefanie is the Damron's middle child. She has five siblings; at the time of her disappearance, they ranged from the ages of 8 to 21. The Damron family lives an "off-grid" lifestyle - their New Sweden home is a yurt-like structure that does not have any indoor plumbing or running water. The home is also located on 26 acres of land and is surrounded by vast woods. 

Stefanie's parents, Lisa and Christopher 'Dale' Damron told police that they were not home at the time Stefanie vanished. They explained that they were in town to fill out a job application, and they brought two of their children with them. Four of the other children, including Stefanie, stayed behind. At some point, Stefanie and her older sister got into an argument over chores. The family stated that the argument prompted Stefanie to storm off into the woods.

Lisa Damron explained that her oldest daughter sent her a text message about Stefanie being missing around 3:00 PM. She said that it was not unusual for Stefanie to want to take time to herself when she was upset. The family said that they looked around the woods for her, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Stefanie's parents contacted police the following day to report their daughter missing. 

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What happened to Stefanie?

Source: NBC News

As noted above, Stefanie seemingly vanished into thin air after being seen walking into the woods near her family's New Sweden, Maine home. The family stated that she was familiar with the woods and had ventured through the area several times in the past. Stefanie also reportedly had run off before during times of frustration, but according to family, she was always found within a few hours. 

Most reports indicate that Stefanie did not have a cell phone at the time of her disappearance. The Damron family's "off-grid" lifestyle gave Stefanie and her siblings very little access to electronic devices and social media. While the oldest Damron sibling seemed to have a phone, it does not appear that the other children had regular access to such items. 

More about the Damron family.

Two years before Stefanie's disappearance, the Damron family moved from Rusk, Texas to New Sweden, Maine. The move occurred after an incident in Texas in which the parents - Lisa and Christopher 'Dale' Damron - were arrested after they were found to be intoxicated at a local McDonald's while two of their children were left in their car. Lisa Damron later pleaded guilty to a charge of deadly conduct and received a deferred sentence.

Some of the Damron children were temporarily removed from their parent's custody following this incident. Once custody was restored, the family moved to Maine. The family moved with a man named Richard, who the children refer to as their grandfather, but is actually a lifelong associate of Dale Damron. After moving to Maine, the family befriended a man named Andrew - who the children refer to as 'Uncle Andrew'. The yurt structure that the family moved into is on Andrew's property.

Stefanie and her siblings were reportedly homeschooled and "taught the basics". After Stefanie was reported missing, her parents told police that they planned to send their children to the government program Job Corp, which would help them gain qualifications to obtain GEDs. Reports state that Stefanie's older brother attended one of their classes, but there are no known records of any of the other Damron children doing so. 

Stefanie's access to a support system outside of her immediate family was very limited. She did not attend school and was not involved in any community activities such as sports or clubs. According to her family, she had "no friends" at the time of her disappearance.

More about Stefanie's disappearance.

As previously stated, Stefanie was reportedly home with a few of her siblings at the time of her disappearance. The Damron parents were not home, but the "grandfather", Richard was present. According to Richard, he was working at a maintenance project at the home when he saw Stefanie storm out of the house with tears in her eyes. 

It appears that Richard and possibly the older sister with whom Stefanie had argued witnessed Stefanie walking into the woods. Although the woods are vast, there is also reportedly a path through the area that leads to a main road. According to NBC News, "the family heard a vehicle pass by shortly after Stefanie ran off, although nobody saw it. They do not know if it was a vehicle, a four-wheeler, a motorcycle or something. By the time anybody got up there, the vehicle was already gone.”

The search for Stefanie.

The Damron family reportedly searched for Stefanie themselves around the area before contacting police. Stefanie was formally reported missing on September 24th, 2024. She turned 14 on October 6th, 2024 - about two weeks after she vanished.

Initial searches for Stefanie were extensive. Lt. Darrin Crane from the Maine State Police told Dateline, “Several K-9 teams went very early on. We’ve also gone back with cadaver dogs. We have talked to neighbors repeatedly — just seeing if they remember anything, or have heard anything, or saw anything suspicious that day or around that time frame.” A large-scale search of the dense wooded area took place for several days. Unfortunately, nothing was found.

Weeks stretched on without any updates in the case. Then, in December 2024, the FBI announced that they would be joining the Maine State Police on their investigation into Stefanie's disappearance. A $15,000 reward in exchange for information was announced as well. 

Meanwhile, as news about Stefanie's disappearance began to circulate around news outlets and social media, speculation began to build as well. Many people had questions about the Damron's family chosen off-grid lifestyle - especially as it seemingly kept their children isolated from the outside world. Many also questioned whether or not the children were receiving a suitable education.

There were also inevitable concerns about the arrest/CPS incident that had occurred just two years prior to Stefanie's disappearance in Texas. There has been speculation that the Damron parents chose to move the family to such a remote area in Maine to avoid further incidents involving CPS from occurring. Concerns about the parent's alcohol and possible drug use has been big topic as well. 

Despite all of this, police have publicly stated that they do not believe Lisa or Dale Damron are directly responsible for Stefanie's disappearance. However, they have not completely ruled out foul play as a factor in the case either. The fact that a vehicle was heard passing by shortly afterward Stefanie left her home makes it possible that she was picked up - but at this time, police have not been able to determine anything of the sort. 

It's also possible that Stefanie succumbed to an accidental death in the woods. However, there have not been any direct signs of that, either. In May 2025, another search took place for Stefanie that lasted over three days. The search included "personnel from the Maine State Police, Maine Warden Service, FBI, numerous volunteer search-and-rescue organizations and support teams using drones, K9s and horses." The search ended unsuccessfully; nothing of interest was found. 

Still missing.

At the time of her disappearance, Stefanie was approximately 5'0" and 130 pounds. She has brown hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a long-sleeved blue shirt, and black Harley Davidson hiking boots.

The MSP and FBI are continuing to investigate Stefanie's disappearance. If you have any information that could help solve the case, please contact the Maine State Police at 207-532-5400 or submit a tip online with the FBI.

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Sources:
ABC 8 Maine
FBI
NBC News
Team Stefanie

The Disappearance of Siphat Chau

 

Siphat Chau vanished during the early morning hours of December 24th, 2005. At the time, the 19-year-old was visiting his family in Portland, Maine for the holidays. Siphat was last sitting on the couch at his parent's house between 12:30 and 1:00 AM. Hours later, when his family woke up, they noticed Siphat was gone. He has never been seen or heard from again.

Siphat left many of his personal belongings behind, including his wallet, car, and keys. It's believed that he was wearing jeans, a red sweatshirt, and Timberland boots at the time he went missing. Other than that, there are very few details available about the events leading up to his disappearance.

Loved ones of Siphat noted that his sudden absence was incredibly uncharacteristic. Friends described Siphat as charming and smart. He graduated with honors from Portland High School and earned a partial scholarship to University of Maine in Orono. 

However, like many recent high school graduates, Siphat was unsure of his future. He reportedly waited until the last minute to decide to enroll at the university for the fall 2005 semester. Siphat majored in business and finished his first semester, but did not register for classes for the spring semester.

 

Several reports note that Siphat was having financial difficulties at the time due to online gambling. His family reportedly asked him to come back to Portland indefinitely to be closer to his support system. Siphat's friends and family also noted that he did not often talk to them about his personal issues. Despite this, they have never believed he would voluntarily stay out-of-touch. 

Both Portland Police and Bangor Police have investigative agency in Siphat's disappearance. If you have any information that could help solve Siphat's case, please contact the Portland Police Department at 207-874-8575 or the Bangor Police Department at 207-947-7384.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Portland Police
Tapatalk
Websleuths
WGME 1

The Disappearance and Murder of Amy Drake

Source: maine.gov

Amy Drake was found murdered in Norridgewock, Maine on November 24th, 2006. That day, hunters were scouring a wooded area near the Norridgewock - Skowhegan town line when they discovered human remains. It was immediately suspected that the remains belonged to Amy, who had been reported missing approximately two months earlier. 

Shortly thereafter, it was confirmed that the body was, in fact, that of Amy Drake. She was only 18 years-old at the time of her death. Detectives quickly classified her manner of death as a homicide, but her exact cause of death has never been revealed. 

Reports state that Amy was reported missing by her mother, Norma Drake, on September 20th, 2006. Norma told detectives that Amy often spent time in Skowhegan at the home of her boyfriend, Jason Forbus. Due to this, it was not unusual for Norma to go a day or two without seeing Amy - but they still spoke every day via phone or some other means of contact. 

After four days passed without any contact from Amy, Norma grew worried and reported her daughter's disappearance to police. Authorities called Amy's disappearance suspicious, especially since many of her personal items were left behind. Many people were questioned, including Jason Forbus and the father of Amy's then-2-year-old, but police were seemingly unable to find anything that led to her whereabouts. 

Detectives initially stated that they did not have any evidence that foul play caused Amy's disappearance. After her remains were found, detectives obviously changed their tune and classified her death as a homicide. At this point, several years have passed and many questions remain unanswered. Namely: What really happened to Amy? Will there ever be enough evidence to make an arrest?

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Before Amy's disappearance.

source: Facebook

Amy was only 18 years-old when she vanished. Her remains were found shortly after her 19th birthday. 

According to various friends and family members, Amy struggled with addiction before her disappearance. In December 2006, a friend told reporters that Amy "had descended into a life of drugs and hung out with the wrong crowd." However, as previously noted, Amy still kept in touch her with mother every single day. 

Additionally, various reports and online speculation indicate that Amy was in an abusive relationship at the time of her disappearance. In July 2006, Jason Forbus was arrested on domestic violence charges after reportedly assaulting Amy. He eventually pleaded guilty to the charges.

Forbus was given a six-month sentence in September 2006 - however he was not required to report to jail until October 9th, 2006. Therefore, he was still free at the time Amy vanished. 

Amy also had a young child who was only two years old at the time of Amy's disappearance. While some reports refer to Jason Forbus as the father of this child, people close to Amy have contradicted this and stated that the father is a different man who had custody of the child and lived with his parents. 

In 2023, a friend of Amy's posted about her murder on the Cold Cases subreddit. The friend wrote that Amy vanished after leaving her residence in September 2006. The friend also seemingly confirmed that Jason Forbus was due in court right around the time of Amy's disappearance.

Source: Reddit

Commenters on the post asked about the person with whom Amy left their friend's house. The friend replied, "that person just dropped her off at the end of the street so the cops eliminated him as a suspect pretty quickly."

The homicide investigation.

Amy's case was shifted to a homicide investigation after her remains were found. Unfortunately, the case grew cold case as years passed without any arrests. In 2018, it was reported that "police have interviewed a suspect in the past but stopped short of naming any persons of interests in the case."

The general consensus locally and online over the years is that Jason Forbus is responsible for Amy's murder. He has never been charged with anything related the homicide case. It's been speculated that police simply have not been able to collect enough evidence to make an arrest.

Where the case stands today.

Amy's murder remains unsolved. Her loved ones are still fighting to find justice.

If you have any information that could help solve Amy's murder, please contact investigators at the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit at (207) 624-7143.

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Sources:
13 WGME
Central Maine
Murder She Told
Reddit
Tapatalk
Uncovered

The Disappearance of Colin Arey

source: Facebook

Colin Arey has been missing since January 25th, 2017. The then-26-year-old man was last seen in Brewer, Maine. According to reports, Colin's stepfather dropped him off at the Brewer Civic Center on the day of his disappearance. He has never been seen by his loved ones again.

That same day, Colin reportedly spoke to a co-worker via Facebook Messenger. This is the last known reported contact from him; he has also never been heard from again. Since then, Colin's social media accounts, bank accounts, and credit cards have all been inactive. 

Prior to disappearing, Colin was an art student in New York City. He eventually moved to Bucksport, Maine, where his stepfather and siblings reside. For some time period, Colin reportedly worked as a substitute teacher and education technician at the G. Herbert Jewett School in Bucksport.

Colin was not reported missing until June 25th, 2018 - nearly a year and a half after his disappearance. An article about his disappearance from August 2018 states it took some time for his family to realize he was missing. The report states, "Colin Arey's family members were talking recently, and it was determined that the last confirmed sighting was in January of 2017, when a family member gave him a ride to the Brewer area. Family members told Bucksport Police, when they called recently to report him missing, that they're close, but that they don't have regular, daily contact with each other."

There has been very little media reporting on his case. However, there has been a bit of online speculation. Friends of Colin's have made various postings on different platforms to help spread awareness about his disappearance, which has sparked discussion about what might have happened to him. 

In 2021, a friend of Colin's made a post on Reddit about his disappearance. The friend commented, "He lived with his stepfather and siblings, his mother is deceased. He didn’t drive so his stepfather would drive him to work and wherever he needed to go. I’ve spoken with his relatives, and they seem to think that he is dead at the hands of his stepfather. The local police haven’t done a whole lot to bring attention to the case. He was also a gay man and was in the online dating scene in the area. This is all I really know about the case and as time goes on it bothers me more and more."

It is easy to see how some might suspect the stepfather. Reports state that he was the last known person to have seen Colin. It also appears that Colin lived with the stepfather at the time of his disappearance, yet the stepfather never reported him missing. It seems impossible that the stepfather/siblings would not notice that Colin was missing for over a year. 

Still, the stepfather has never been publicly named as a person of interest or suspect in the case - nor has anybody. Colin's disappearance has now become a cold case. The Bucksport Police are in charge of the investigation.

If you have any information that could lead to Colin's whereabouts, please contact Bucksport Police Department at 207-469-7951.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Fox Bangor

Q 106.5 FM
Reddit
Uncovered

The Murder of Samantha Folsom

Samantha Folsom (26) was found murdered inside her Lewiston, Maine apartment on November 9th, 2011. Her murder has baffled investigators, and it remains unsolved to this day.

Prior to her death, Samantha was making plans to turn her life around. After struggling with addiction for years, she wanted to finally get completely clean. Samantha had also recently broken up with her husband Jesse Folsom. The couple had gotten hooked on drugs years earlier, after they moved from Maine to California in 2005. Jesse was active duty in the Army at that time, and he had been stationed at Fort Irwin in Barstow. 

Samantha reportedly got hooked on heroin very quickly, but she began to turn things around after she learned she was pregnant with her son. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy in June 2008. According to Jesse, they were a happy family at that point in time.

Samantha with her ex-husband Jesse and their son

Things began to fall apart in 2009, when Jesse told Samantha that he wanted to move back to Maine. Samantha wanted to stay in California, but she eventually caved and ended up moving Jesse, her son, and herself back into her parents' home in Lewiston. Samantha began to abuse drugs again and her marriage with Jesse began to sour. According to Samantha’s parents, Jesse was abusive towards Samantha and had been for years. The two eventually split up, and Samantha’s parents gained custody of their son.

Samantha then moved into her own apartment near her parents' house. She began dating another man. Jesse was furious when he found out about Samantha’s new relationship. He eventually was arrested for assaulting Samantha’s new boyfriend during a confrontation. 

Much like Jesse, though, Samantha’s new boyfriend was unfortunately abusive as well. In fact, shortly before her death, Samantha’s new boyfriend was arrested for assaulting her. After the assault, Samantha decided she wanted to turn her life around—her plans were to get clean, and to eventually gain back custody of her son. 

On November 5th, 2011, Samantha asked her parents to drive her to a rehab facility the following morning. Despite this, her parents were unable to get ahold of her the next day. After days passed without hearing from their daughter, Samantha’s parents went to her apartment building and asked the manager if he would allow them to open Samantha’s apartment for a welfare check. 

A maintenance worker eventually let her parents into the apartment, and at first glance, it did not appear that Samantha was there. Samantha’s mother then began to look around for Samantha’s cat. Her mother went to the closet where she knew Samantha’s cat carrier was kept. When she opened the closet, she found a horrific sight: the body of her daughter. At that point it was clear that Samantha was dead—she had been killed and stuffed into the closet.

Samantha's apartment building in Lewiston, Maine (Portland Herald)

It took over a year for Samantha’s death to be classified as a homicide. It was initially classified as undetermined, but police later reclassified her death as a murder. Her exact cause of death has never been revealed. 

When the investigation into Samantha’s murder finally began, it seemed detectives had quite a few obvious suspects: Samantha’s new abusive boyfriend and her abusive ex-husband, Jesse. The only issue was, both men were in jail at the time Samantha was killed. Jesse was in jail for assaulting Samantha’s new boyfriend, and her new boyfriend was in jail for assaulting her. After both men were cleared, detectives stated that they had very few leads to chase. Samantha’s case eventually grew cold, and police have not released any information about a potential suspect to the public. 

However, a reporter for Maine’s Portland Herald was able to dig up some new details about the case when he interviewed the residents at Samantha’s apartment. Samantha’s next-door neighbor told the reporter that she was interviewed by the police, and she was shown a picture of a potential person-of-interest. 

The reporter stated that “detectives came to her door, and they showed her a picture of this person, and they asked her if she recognized this person”. Said person is described as a “man with a dark complexion who was wearing a shirt and tie, and some sort of badge.” It is unclear if this person is still being pursued by the police, and he has never been publicly identified. 

Years have passed, and no arrests have been made for Samantha’s murder. Maine State Police reportedly told journalists that they are still “closing in” on the investigation. However, they are also still asking for people to come forward with tips. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact Maine State Police at (207) 657-3030.
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Sources:
Portland Press Herald
True Crime Daily
True Crime New England