The location where Steven Earl Kraft went missing

This is the location where Steven Earl Kraft went missing.

The 12-year-old sixth-grade student was last seen in the Benton Heights neighborhood of Benton Harbor, Michigan, on Thursday, February 15, 2001.

Kraft's family home was located at 2103 Holly Drive. However, like many properties in the area, it was torn down in 2005.

Kraft lived in a close-knit community where everyone knew each other. Neighbors described him as a boisterous boy who enjoyed playing in the woods around his home.

Disappearance

At around 6:45 p.m., Kraft left his house to walk his two dogs and never returned.

It is believed he disappeared at some point between 7 and 8 p.m.

Kraft's parents didn't worry when he failed to return for dinner, as his married sister lived in the same neighborhood, and he frequently visited her house to play with his nephew.

It wasn't until 9:30 p.m. that they contacted his sister and learned he wasn't there.

Although the two dogs were later found, there was no sign of Kraft.

February 15, 2001, was a cold night in Benton Harbor.

Historical weather data shows that the temperature was 32°F (0°C).

Kraft left his home wearing a blue and green Charlotte Hornets jacket, a tan and white striped t-shirt, tan parachute pants, and black lug boots.

He was not wearing a hat or gloves.

Therefore, it is unlikely that he planned to travel far.

Given the freezing temperature, he could not have stayed outside for long without seeking shelter.

Kraft's father said that they found tracks from his son's lug boots leading to Harbor Haven Ministries at 2372 Irving Street, one block south of their house.

Kraft's father claimed that a "large man" from the mission, whom he didn't know, gave him "pointers" on where to look for his son.

He also noted that the ice on the pond behind the building was not broken.

It is unclear whether the footprints were proven to belong to the missing boy.

At the time of his disappearance, he had recently been suspended from Hull Elementary School due to a fight with another boy.

Although he reportedly acted in self-defense, school policy at the time dictated that both parties had to be suspended.

Kraft's suspension ended on the day that he went missing, which meant that he was scheduled to go back to school the following morning.

Search

In the days following his disappearance, law enforcement officials, the local fire department, and a team of 300 volunteers scoured the fields, woods, and sewer system around his home.

Helicopters equipped with infrared cameras were also used to scan the ground below.

A dive team searched the large pond at the back of the Harbor Haven Ministries building but failed to find anything.

Several iced-over ponds in the area were also checked for cracks and other signs that the boy had fallen into them. Dive teams re-evaluated at least three of these ponds in 2002.

Following a week of no results, the 10-square-mile search effort was scaled down, and public volunteers were dismissed.

During the investigation, FBI agents were brought in to assist the Benton Charter Township Police Department, which had assembled a team of more than a dozen officers.

More than 200 tips and alleged sightings were received from the public, but they all led nowhere.

Parents

Kraft's father agreed to take a polygraph test, which he passed.

Both parents passed away in 2021, shortly after the 20th anniversary of his disappearance.

Up until the end, they continued to provide the FBI agent in charge of their son's case with any small details that they could remember.

Theories

There are multiple theories as to why he disappeared.

The first theory is that he was abducted by an opportunistic sexual predator who noticed him walking alone at night.

The second theory is that he fell into a pond or crevice, or that he succumbed to the elements in a hill or forested area that was somehow overlooked.

It is also possible that he was killed by someone he knew.

It appears as though this is one of those cases that will require a sudden, unexpected stroke of luck to be solved.

Although potential suspects were identified, an arrest was never made.

Consequently, Kraft's case eventually went cold.

He remains missing to this day.