Account
Dec 20, 2009
Feb 05, 2021
Steven
Kraft, Jr.
35
12
61 inches
95 lbs
White / Caucasian
Male
On a cold February evening in 2001, 12-year-old Steven Earl Kraft, Jr. stepped out of his home in Benton Harbor, Michigan, with his two beloved dogs. It was February 15th, and his mother was preparing dinner, expecting him back around 8 p.m. Steven, a sixth-grader known to be a quiet but "rough and tumble" kid, was a familiar sight in his close-knit Benton Heights neighborhood, often seen roaming with his dogs. He was last seen between 7 and 8 p.m. wearing an aqua and purple Charlotte Hornets team jacket, a tan and white striped t-shirt, tan parachute pants, and black boots. When he failed to return for dinner, his parents initially thought he might be at his older sister's house nearby. As the hours passed and the Michigan winter night grew colder, concern turned to alarm. His parents began searching and questioning neighbors, and by 1 a.m., they reported him missing to the police. The initial search for Steven was extensive. Family, volunteers, and law enforcement scoured an 8-mile radius around his home, checking wooded areas, ditches, and barns. The FBI joined the investigation a few days after his disappearance. Investigators found footprints believed to be Steven's, leading past an iced-over pond to a local ministry about a block from his home. The trail then went cold. A few days into the search, one of his dogs, a German shepherd/chow mix, returned home on its own. The following day, his German shepherd puppy was found several blocks away, near Blue Creek. Despite these small signs, there was no trace of Steven. The freezing temperatures were a grave concern, as he had left home without a hat or gloves, suggesting he hadn't planned to be outside for long. Years have turned into decades, and Steven Kraft, Jr.'s disappearance remains an unsolved mystery. The case has been featured on the FBI's "Inside the FBI" podcast, yet no substantial leads have emerged. The neighborhood he grew up in has physically changed over time; the house he once lived in was torn down and an airport was built in the area. Tragically, both of Steven's parents passed away in 2021, never learning what happened to their son. Investigators have considered various possibilities over the years, from him running away to a possible abduction, but no evidence has surfaced to strongly support any single theory. The case remains an active investigation, a persistent and sorrowful question mark for his remaining family and the community that remembers the boy who went out to walk his dogs and never came home.
Feb 15, 2001
Benton Harbor
Michigan
Berrien County
49022
26114
Benton Charter Township Police Department
Benton Harbor
Michigan
Berrien County
49022
1725 Territorial Rd # 1, Michigan
2699268221
Local
Law Enforcement
01-2029
Benton Charter Township Police Department
Brown
Green
Green
06/15/2026
