NEW SWEDEN, Maine — A group of concerned citizens are combing through the woods of New Sweden for anything that might lead them to Stefanie Damron.
Damron was last seen entering the woods near her home on the West Road in New Sweden Sept. 23. She was 13 at the time but has since turned 14.
Her family reported her missing the following day. Maine State Police have been investigating since then, and are now following leads in the U.S. and Canada along with the FBI Child Abduction Rapid Response Team.
More than a month later, Damron’s whereabouts are still unknown.
“Detectives continue to follow up on any and all leads,” Maine State Police spokesperson Shannon Moss said Monday.
Damron’s disappearance has inspired people within and around the small town of New Sweden to come together and search for her, much like the group that formed after Washburn man Erik Foote went missing earlier this year. Searchers say even though the Damron family has declined to become involved, their group wants to do what they can to bring the missing girl home safely.
“We’re not going to stop until we find her,” said Whittni Nichols of Caribou, who has helped to lead the citizen search parties.
The FBI is assisting state police in the search and encourages members of the public to report anything they see or hear, even if it seems insignificant, said Kristen Setera, spokesperson for the FBI’s Boston Division, which covers Maine.
Police have described Damron as 5 feet tall and 130 pounds, with green eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a long-sleeved blue shirt and black Harley Davidson hiking boots.
Twenty-eight people walked for 10 ½ hours on Oct. 26 in the area near the home of Damron’s family. Most were local residents but a few traveled from southern Maine because they have Aroostook connections.
Nichols said that the groups encountered several leads that they turned over to state and federal investigators. They plan to conduct more searches in the weeks ahead after narrowing their focus area. She said that so far the Damron family has not been involved with the search group.
Nichols said that the FBI has advised her not to reveal the specifics of the leads due to the pending investigation.
Efforts to reach family members for comment have been unsuccessful, but several have spoken about Stefanie online.
While interviewed on Brooklyn Squad, a TikTok podcast featuring the stories of missing people, Stefanie’s great-aunt Jerri Harms of Illinois said that Stefanie moved with her parents, Christopher “Dale” and Lisa Marie Damron, grandfather and four siblings from Texas to New Sweden, a town whose population was 577 as of 2020, four years ago. Christopher Damron is Harms’ nephew.
Harms said Stefanie had tried to run away several times recently but family members always found her in the woods, Harms said.
While appearing on Brooklyn Squad, Christopher Damron said he and the family suspect that Stefanie used an old cell phone belonging to her grandfather to connect with people on social media.
“We had bought an old, simple phone. We didn’t even know it could connect to the internet. Turns out, this $20 flip phone was how she connected,” Christopher Damron said. “We didn’t know. Our kids are raised off the grid, no social media. We honestly believe someone could have picked her up.”
State and federal investigators declined to reveal specific details on the case but said that anyone with potential leads and tips should call the Maine State Police Houlton barracks at 1-800-824-2261 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
Staff writer Kathleen Phalen Tomaselli contributed to this report.
