The FBI and Maine State Police announced Monday that they are now offering a $15,000 reward in their ongoing search for a missing Maine teen.
It's been over two months since 14-year-old Stefanie Damron, of New Sweden, Maine, has been heard from. She was last seen walking into the woods behind her home on West Road on Sept. 23, according to state police. Her family reported her missing the next day.
"Stefanie's family is very concerned for her safety, as are we," Maine State Police Major Scott Gosselin said. "At this time, there's been no credible information or sightings of Stefanie."
Gosselin said this type of behavior is not uncommon for Stefanie, which is why her family waited a bit before reporting her missing. He said the state Department of Health and Human Services was also notified but would not discuss the nature of the agency's involvement.
State police, in conjunction with the FBI, have been searching for Stefanie across the U.S. and in Canada, including using police dogs to search large swaths of land in Aroostook County near where she was last seen. They said they have conducted dozens of interviews and followed up on hundreds of leads.
They said at a joint press conference on Monday afternoon that the FBI is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to Stefanie's safe return and the arrest and prosecution of anyone who might have been involved in her disappearance.
At this point, investigators said everything is still on the table, including whether Stefanie might be a runaway or if it is something worse.
State police initially announced their search in October but released updated photos of Stefanie two weeks ago.
She is described as 5 feet tall, 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. She is homeschooled and had no cellphone and limited access to social media, police said.
Anyone with information about Stefanie's whereabouts is asked to immediately call Maine State Police at 1-800-924-2261 or 207-532-5400. Tips can also be called in to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.
"Any detail, no matter how small, could be helpful," Kim Melka, FBI Boston's assistant special agent in charge, said at Monday's press conference. "Rest assured we are working to find out what happened to Stefanie and reunite her with her family."
