Account
Jan 28, 2026
Jan 28, 2026
Kristina
Thay Nguyen
4
4
3'8 inches
60 lbs
Asian
Female
In the spring of 2002, a heart-wrenching story began to unfold in Cincinnati, Ohio, with the disappearance of four-year-old Kristina Thay Nguyen, her younger brother, John, and their mother, Van "Stephanie" Nguyen. The last confirmed sighting of Kristina and her family was on April 18, 2002. On that day, Stephanie Nguyen, reportedly distressed over her failing marriage, left notes for her husband and parents. In these messages, she expressed her despair and stated her intention to take her own life and the lives of her children by driving into the Ohio River. This set off a desperate search and a mystery that would linger for nearly two decades. The day after the family was last seen at home, on April 19, 2002, there was a brief encounter that would later become a crucial piece of the timeline. A police officer conducted a traffic stop on Stephanie's green 1997 Nissan Pathfinder near a boat ramp to the Ohio River for failing to dim her headlights. The officer noted seeing two children, believed to be Kristina and John, asleep in the back seat of the vehicle. After this stop, the mother and her two young children seemingly vanished without a trace. For years, extensive searches of the river yielded no signs of the family or their vehicle, leading to speculation about whether Stephanie had followed through with her stated plan or had perhaps started a new life with her children elsewhere. For nineteen years, the case remained cold, a painful uncertainty for the family left behind. Then, in October 2021, a breakthrough occurred. Investigators, using advanced sonar technology, located Stephanie's 1997 Nissan Pathfinder submerged in the Ohio River near Aurora, Indiana. Inside the recovered vehicle, a human bone was discovered. In January 2022, forensic analysis confirmed the bone belonged to Stephanie Nguyen. However, there was no sign of Kristina or John inside the vehicle, leaving their fates unknown. The Delhi Township Police Department continues to investigate the disappearances of the Nguyen children. While the discovery of the vehicle and Stephanie's remains brought a partial answer, the case of Kristina and John Nguyen remains an open and sorrowful mystery, with two children who disappeared into the night still listed as missing.
Apr 18, 2002
Cincinnati
Ohio
Cincinnati
Delhi Township Police Departmen
513-922-0060
05/21/2026
