In episode 76, I revisit a case I previously discussed with Brandie from Evaporate the Missing.
Missing in Maine, three stories - Attiin Shaw, Stefanie Damron, Erik Foote and the town of Washburn's involvement of a tragic outcome that did not have to be. This episode examines the circumstances surrounding each case and questions that continue to linger.
First the importance of DNA and the Advances in investigative genetic genealogy are changing how we look at crime. Ancestry, 23andMe, FamilyTreeDNA, and GEDmatch have become instrumental in solving long-gone-cold cases.
***Families of missing and murdered loved ones, please submit your DNA to GedMatch.
Labs run the DNA of unidentified and unclaimed people. This is helping to connect missing people with their families and find killers in our midst.
Attiin Shaw, missing from a small Maine town since September 2021. Her family cannot get any information about their missing daughter and sister. Her children have to face life without her, and her husband hasn't offered any insight into her disappearance.
Stefanie Damron, Missing from New Sweden, Maine
Age: 13 years old, turned 14 in October
Date of Disappearance: September 23, 2024, reported missing after walking into the woods near her rural home in New Sweden.
Stefanie was last seen walking into the woods near her home. Despite an extensive search effort by the FBI's CARD (Child Abduction Rapid Deployment) team, there has been no sign of Stefanie. The search has included ground teams, helicopters, and volunteers, but the woods around New Sweden remain eerily silent with no leads on her whereabouts.
What happened to this child? Stefanie has been missing for two months. Why is the no trace of this child despite the large scale searches?
Erik Foote disappeared from Washburn, Maine on January 30, 2024. The 39-year-old military veteran went missing after several witness him in the throes of a mental health crisis. He's seen walking in the brutal January cold barely clothed, no winter clothing, no boots or shoes. Washburn officer Chandler Cole has multiple interactions with Erik, and is well aware of his mental state, yet he does nothing to help, leaving him at a store in Presque Isle and lies about taking him to the hospital. Erik is mssing and his family frantically searches for him. He was recovered in April near the Aroostook River in Caribou, miles from home and where he was dropped off by the officer. His family is devastated and searching for answers as to why a law enforcement officer would not render aid to a man in desperate need, then lie about it.
I revisit the case of 33 year-old mother of four who came to the US from Indonesia with her husband in 2020. Attiin Shaw went Missing from Washburn, Maine on September 8, 2021. She'd been in the states for one year. Attiin Shaw went missingbut was not reported as missing until over a month later by her husband, Michael P. Shaw. Attiin, originally from Indonesia, has not contacted her family or made any effort to return home. There was significant concern due to the delay in reporting her missing, which raised questions about the timeline and her husband’s involvement. Why did Michael Shaw wait so long to report his wife missing? Is foul play involved?
Despite ongoing media coverage in local news outlets and on social media, there have been no significant updates or leads for either Stefanie or Attiin. These cases have garnered support from local communities, with volunteers, search parties, and media coverage attempting to uncover the truth behind these disappearances.
Photos: Attiin from her facebook page, screen cap of a whatsapp conversation with attiin's family, Erik Foote, Former Washburn officer Chandler Cole, Attiin shared many photos of her family with husband Mike P. Shaw,
Sources
updating
FBI and ME State Police announce reward for missing girl, Stefanie Damron
LE and Genetic Data