In the early morning hours of June 22, 2025, 42-year-old Benjamin 'Benny' Stepetin was last seen walking along Front Street in downtown Juneau, Alaska. An Alaska Native man, Benjamin is described as being about 5 feet 6 inches tall, with brown eyes. Distinctive features include two dark moles on the top of his nose and a two-inch scar above his left eye. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a brown t-shirt and camouflage patterned pants.
For roughly two years prior to his disappearance, Benjamin had been experiencing homelessness and was a frequent presence in the downtown Juneau area. While his family noted that he could sometimes be difficult to locate, he had never been out of contact for more than a few days at a time. He was reported missing to the Juneau Police Department on June 29, 2025.
The investigation into Benjamin's disappearance soon took on a serious and troubling nature, with the Juneau Police Department treating the case as a criminal investigation. Detectives received information suggesting the possibility that Benjamin may have entered the water in the downtown area on the night he was last seen. This led his family to believe that he may have fallen or been pushed. In the months that followed, his loved ones organized extensive search efforts, raising over $25,000 to hire a private dive team to search the Gastineau Channel in September 2025. Although that initial search did not yield any results, the family's persistence continued.
As the one-year mark of his disappearance approached, the search for Benjamin intensified. In May 2026, the Juneau Police Department coordinated with the Alaska Dive Search, Rescue, and Recovery Team to conduct a second, more extensive underwater search of the Gastineau Channel near the downtown cruise ship piers. This effort utilized advanced technology, including underwater drones with sonar capabilities, to scan the area. Despite these exhaustive searches and the ongoing criminal investigation, Benjamin Stepetin remains missing. The Juneau Police Department has indicated that they believe individuals with information about his disappearance have not come forward and continue to encourage anyone with knowledge of the case to contact them. His family remains unwavering in their quest for answers and closure, holding out hope to one day find out what happened to their beloved brother.Last Seen: Jun 22, 2025
