FBI offers reward in case of missing northern Maine girl
PORTLAND, Maine — The FBI said Monday that it was a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the return of a Northern Maine teen whose disappearance earlier in the fall attracted international attention.
Stefanie Damron, 14, of New Sweden, Maine, was reported missing by her family on September 24, when she was last seen leaving her home and walking into the nearby woods. Stefanie, who is homeschooled and has limited access to social media, has not been found despite extensive searches and interviews, authorities said.
The FBI is working with the Maine State Police and hopes the reward will encourage anyone with information about Stefanie’s disappearance, said Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston division. The reward is available to anyone with information leading to the safe return of Stefanie or the arrest and prosecution of anyone involved in her disappearance, the FBI said in a statement.
“Stefanie’s family desperately wants to know where she is, and we are fully committed to helping our law enforcement partners exhaust all investigative resources to find her and bring her home,” Cohen said.
New Sweden is a rural community of approximately 575 people located 310 miles (498.90 kilometers) north of Portland. Stefanie had no electronic devices on her when she was last seen, and was known to sometimes leave the house to go into the woods behind her house, but not for that long, said state police Maj. Scott Gosselin Maine Monday.
“We are looking for the public’s help to remain vigilant for Stefanie and to report any tips or leads that may be helpful to our investigation,” Gosselin said.
Stefanie’s disappearance has attracted media attention from as far away as Europe. Tips have been received about the case from other states and Canada and authorities are following them up, police said. However, police have not yet received any concrete leads, they said.
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services has been notified, which is standard procedure when a minor goes missing or there could be a problem in the home, police said.