NEW SWEDEN, Maine — The search for Stefanie Damron, a 14-year-old New Sweden girl who went missing last year, was renewed on Friday and will also be featured on the Fox TV show “America’s Most Wanted: Missing Persons” on Monday, May 5 at 8 p.m.
The show will include a short featurette on Damron, as part of a segment called “MP Alerts” which highlights cases seen as more recent and urgent, according to Daniel Martin, executive producer and showrunner.
“We work closely with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and they sent Stefanie’s case our way,” Martin said in an email to the Bangor Daily News. “They really feel — and our team agrees — that with enough publicity, Stefanie could be found quickly. We just need the right person to see the story and call in a tip.”
The episode will also feature the stories of Dane Elkins, Arianna Fitts and James Yablonski.
A team consisting of Maine State Police, game wardens and FBI agents were planning to search several sites in New Sweden for Damron throughout the weekend, according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.
Moss said on Friday that the search began at 8 a.m. with a briefing, team formation and assignments. There are a total of 57 people who are part of the search.
She said the renewal of the search is due to the improved weather conditions and the coordination of available resources, and that it is not due to any new developments in the case.
The FBI is still offering a $15,000 reward for information that leads to Damron’s safe return or that leads to the arrest of anyone involved in her disappearance.
Moss said that the police are not going to go into specific details about where the search is occurring.
Police have described Damron as having green eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. She is five feet tall and weighs 130 pounds.
On Sept. 23, Damron went missing from her family home after walking into the woods. She was reported missing the following day, and has not been seen since.
“Anyone with information they think could be helpful to this case is urged to contact the Maine State Police at 207-532-5400,” Moss said.
