She vanished 24 years ago this week after bowling with friends. Where is Stephanie Crane?
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The following is a news release from the Custer County Sheriff’s Office.
CHALLIS — This upcoming October 11, 2017, is a very sad anniversary. Twenty four years ago on October 11, 1993, Stephanie Crane, who was nine-years-old, disappeared from Challis. Stephanie should have celebrated her 33rd birthday with her family and friends this past September 28.
Some people think that Stephanie was headed to the Challis High Scholl football field to watch soccer practice and some others believe she was headed home. Stephanie’s home was approximately five hundred yards away from the Challis Lanes Bowling Alley. Stephanie had bowled on a league that afternoon with her classmates.
Sadly, both of Stephanie’s parent passed way without ever knowing what happened to her. Her mother Sandi Crane passed away August 14, 1997. Her father Ben Crane passed away October 11, 2012. Both passed from natural causes.
Stephanie has sisters, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles that would like to know what happened her.
Stephanie’s mother, Sandi Crane, came into the Custer County Sheriff’s Office at approximately 8:15 p.m. to report that she could not find her nine-year-old daughter. Stephanie was 4’2”, 65 – 85 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes. She has a cowlick on the right side of her hairline and a scar near her right eye. Her face is freckled and she has a space between her two upper front teeth.
By 9:00 p.m. on Oct. 11 1993, the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, Search and Rescue and the Challis Volunteer Fire Department were all out searching for Stephanie. The search was suspended at 12:30 a.m. with plans to resume the search at 7:00 a.m.
On Oct. 12, 1993, 300 hundred searchers, two planes, hundreds of phone calls, FBI agents, Custer County Sheriff’s Deputies, Idaho State Police, Idaho Bureau of Investigation, Fish and Game Officers and a team of tracking dogs failed to turn up any clues as to Stephanie’s whereabouts. Boat crews that checked the river from Challis to Salmon also failed to turn up any sign of Stephanie.
As there were no Amber Alerts, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, You Tube, or Fox News channel, Custer County relied on volunteers to hand out fliers with Stephanie’s picture. Volunteers also stuffed envelopes with fliers of Stephanie and a cover letter for a nationwide mailing.
In hopes of bringing a resolution to this case, the Custer County Commissioners approved a $50,000.00 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction for the person responsible for Stephanie’s disappearance.
The Custer County Sheriff’s Office is still reviewing reports and re-evaluating possible evidence in the disappearance of Stephanie. The Custer County Sheriff’s Office has also been re-interviewing people and has traveled out of state to conduct interviews.
In February 2017, a 56-year-old former convenience store clerk was convicted of the killing Etan Patz in 1979. Etan was the first missing child to be featured on a milk carton. In 2012 Pedro Hernandez confessed to killing Etan Patz. Etan’s body has not been found. During Hernandez’s trial, it was brought out that he had confessed that he killed a child in a prayer group as far back as possibly 1981 and also made a confession to his brother-in-law. It appears that no one had reported this to law enforcement.
If someone has told you that they had something to do with Stephanie Crane’s disappearance, you need to report this to the Custer County Sheriff’s Office — even if you think it is not true. All tips and leads are checked into. If someone has told you that they are responsible for the disappearance of someone else, please report that to the appropriate law enforcement authority.
The Custer County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone that this is still an open and active case. Stephanie’s case will not be closed until we find out what happened to her.
If anyone has any information, they can call the Custer County Sheriff’s Office at (208)879-2232 to speak with someone or they can call the Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at (208) 879-5372 and leave a message. Individuals can also call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST) and they can remain anonymous.
You may also leave a comment on Custer County Missing Persons page on Sheriff Lumpkin’s Facebook page.
Let’s always remember Stephanie.