Christopher Enoch Abeyta last seen July 15th 1986

[annemc2]

Christopher Enoch Abeyta
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
# Missing Since: July 15, 1986 from Colorado Springs, Colorado
# Classification: Non-Family Abduction
# Date Of Birth: November 28, 1985
# Age: 7 months old
# Height and Weight: 2'2, 25 pounds
# Distinguishing Characteristics: Blond hair, blue eyes. Abeyta is of Swedish, German and Spanish descent. His hair may darken to brownish-blond as he grows older. His father and brothers are all of average to above average height and Abeyta may be also.

Details of Disappearance
Abeyta's parents discovered that he was missing in the early morning hours of July 15, 1986 from their Colorado Springs, Colorado home. They had put him to bed at midnight and in the morning they found his crib empty. A basement window was open and the garage door opener had apparently been stolen. Abeyta has never been heard from again. His parents alerted police to his disappearance at 6:30 a.m.
Members of Abeyta's family were initially viewed as potential suspects in his case. It was reported that his mother failed a polygraph exam shortly after his disappearance, which she stated was caused by a withdrawal from tranquilizers.
Both parents admitted that the baby, who was much younger than his five older siblings, was not planned and initially not wanted. There were no signs of forced entry to the house. The Abeytas said they had left the front door unlocked that night, but police stated that this was uncharacteristic of them. Police also stated that, due o the placement of Abeyta's crib at the far end of a very cluttered room, only a person very familiar with the room could have crossed it in the dark without tripping over things and making noise. Abeyta's parents are therefore not being ruled out as suspects in his disappearance.
Three weeks after Abeyta vanished, authorities drained Quail Lake to search for his body. They had no evidence to suggest he might be there, but decided to look anyway. No evidence relating to Abeyta's case was found in the lake.
Abeyta's family members believe that he is alive and unaware that he was abducted from his home, and that possibly the person(s) raising him also do not know he was kidnapped. His loved ones operate a web site that features information about his case. They believe he may be in Texas or New Mexico. Abeyta's case remains unsolved.



Although I don't think they're related, this case reminds me of the Aisenberg case. I've never heard about this child before. It seems that if he really was alive and had the publicity that the Aisenberg case had, he might have been located. I wonder what makes them think he is in TX or NM? I found out about this case while perusing www.thecharleyproject.org His family also has a website set up at www.findchristopher.com Has anyone else looked into this case or know anything about it?

[lady-eowyn]

Although I don't think they're related, this case reminds me of the Aisenberg case. I've never heard about this child before. It seems that if he really was alive and had the publicity that the Aisenberg case had
Even with the publicity of the Aisenberg case she hasn't been located...if she's still alive.

I'm not familiar with this case, but it makes me wonder sometimes, where do all these missing people go? :confused:

[lindsay]

Date Of Birth: November 28, 1985
Age at Time of Disappearance: 8 months old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 2'2; 25 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Blonde hair; blue eyes.
Dentals: Not available

Case Type: Non Family Abduction
DOB: Nov 28, 1985
Missing Date: Jul 15, 1986
Age Now: 20
Missing City: COLORADO SPRINGS
Missing State : CO
Missing Country: United States
Case Number: NCMC600552

NCME (http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=600552&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US)

Charley Project (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/a/abeyta_christopher.html)

Find Cristopher (http://www.findchristopher.com/)

[Khavna]

Missing since July 15, 1986 from Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado
Classification: Non Family Abduction



Vital Statistics Date Of Birth: November 28, 1985
Age at Time of Disappearance: 8 months old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 2'2; 25 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Blonde hair; blue eyes.
<LI>Dentals: Not available



Circumstances of Disappearance
Abeyta's parents awoke during the early morning hours of July 15, 1986 to discover that their infant son had been abducted from their home in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Upon investigation of the property, officers found that the basement window was open and the garage door opener was missing.



Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Colorado Springs Police Department
719-444-7000
All information may be submitted on an anonymous basis.

Agency Case Number:
86-20515

NCIC Number:
M-247963785
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information related to this case.

Source Information:
The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children (http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=600552&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US)
Please Help us Find Christopher (http://www.findchristopher.com/sys-tmpl/door/)

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[Khavna]

I wonder why someone would want to take this child from his own home?

[meggilyweggily]

To sell him, most likely. Blond, blue-eyed baby like that would be much sought after.

I have more details on my own site:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/a/abeyta_christopher.html

[Khavna]

sad thing about that is whoever took him would have been watching the family and picking a suitable sign for him/her to take Christopher :(

[Khavna]

To sell him, most likely. Blond, blue-eyed baby like that would be much sought after.

I have more details on my own site:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/a/abeyta_christopher.html

my goodness after reading it makes me think that a family member has taken him :doh:

[bykerladi]

If not a family member, then someone who had intimate knowledge of the family. And the parent's actions are a tad odd... Who would tell LE that a child is unplanned and unwanted?

[meggilyweggily]

If not a family member, then someone who had intimate knowledge of the family. And the parent's actions are a tad odd... Who would tell LE that a child is unplanned and unwanted? Perhaps LE asked them. I know LE asks a lot of very personal questions in those kinds of investigations, all the while saying things like "I know this is difficult, but we need to know the truth." I recall one investigation with an abducted child where they conducted testing to determine that the little girl was really the offspring of her mother and father.

[Khavna]

If not a family member, then someone who had intimate knowledge of the family. And the parent's actions are a tad odd... Who would tell LE that a child is unplanned and unwanted?
that is true, plus why would you make a website up for your 'un-wanted' child?! :furious: the person that did this surely must have known the family surely because of the way they did it. i mean to do it so quietly without them waking up is one thing but apparently his bedroom was really cluttered anybody from the outside would have made a noise if they went in there. i've heard of cases were it turns out that the plumber, decorator etc has taken a child/ren becasue they had legitimate access to the houses and it was easy for them to know the layout of the house. i wonder if the family ever looked into this possibility :waitasec: :twocents:

[Khavna]

actually another point, why did the child not cry the night he was taken? :waitasec:

[meggilyweggily]

I think possibly the abductor picked up the sleeping baby so carefully that he didn't wake it. Many children older than that are snatched from beds with nary a sound.

I'm sure the Abeytas want Christopher now. A lot of people are really angry about expecting a baby, how can we afford this, years more of middle-of-the-night feedings, etc, then it's actually born and they're all "awwww, woogie woogie"

[Khavna]

I think possibly the abductor picked up the sleeping baby so carefully that he didn't wake it. Many children older than that are snatched from beds with nary a sound.

I'm sure the Abeytas want Christopher now. A lot of people are really angry about expecting a baby, how can we afford this, years more of middle-of-the-night feedings, etc, then it's actually born and they're all "awwww, woogie woogie"

true i know alot of people that were like that :angel: simply the abductor could have used something to cover his mouth?! :eek: to stop him from crying etc or even the child knew that abductor so when Christopher woke up there was no peep from him because he knew who the person was. i personally believe that stranger abductions happen when a child is outside like that many stories here but in cases like these i think that they are known to the family. this is only because you would have a lot of guts to break into a home and steal a child :furious:

[meggilyweggily]

You have to have a lot of guts to kidnap a child, period. Elizabeth Smart's abductor broke into her home, did he not?

[Khavna]

You have to have a lot of guts to kidnap a child, period. Elizabeth Smart's abductor broke into her home, did he not?
Elizabeth's smart's abductor was KNOWN to the family he was their gardener so he knew what their house was like etc, i think you have alot of guts to kidnap them in their own home :doh: sometimes children exspecially young ones are just too trustworthy of adults and sometimes its too late when they find out what they are really like :twocents:

[meggilyweggily]

The abductor wasn't that well known to the family. He'd been hired for just a day or two, months and months before, and I'm not sure his job involved going inside the house at all.

I don't see why kidnapping a child from their home would take any more resolve than kidnapping one off the street. I don't think it involves any more risk -- on the street you're more likely to be seen than you would be in a private house while everyone was asleep.

[bykerladi]

Because in this case the baby wasn't easy to get to or easy to find. Someone had to work REALLY hard to get this baby without being caught.

[Khavna]

Because in this case the baby wasn't easy to get to or easy to find. Someone had to work REALLY hard to get this baby without being caught.
Agreed if you read the case the police believe hold hardly that it was someone well known to the family to be able to have access to the house firstly they left the door un-locked that night totally uncharacteristic of them so the perpertrator came in through there because there was NO forced entry. secondly Christopher was at the other end of his room all around the crib was stacks of junk a person unknown to the family would make a hell of a noise but strangly there was no noise and no crashing therefore the person had to have known the room REALLY WELL to have done this and gotten away with it. last but not least the parents themselves are STILL suspect in his disaperance becasue of evidence that points to them :twocents:

[SadieJane]

This has always felt like a non-family abduction to me. If Christopher was abducted for adoption purposes, it could have been a friend of the family or an acquaintance who would have had access to the house and seen his room.

There was a case a few years ago where a house was set on fire and an infant girl, Delimar Vega, was presumed dead, but it turned out a woman who had visited her house before took her and set the fire to cover her tracks. Six years later her mother saw her at a birthday party and realized this was her daughter (the body was never found) and the woman had stolen her. It's an amazing story.

I hope one day Christopher will recognize his face and decide to come forward. I wonder how thorougly acquaintances/friends/etc were investigated at the time of the kidnapping.

[Khavna]

your right sadie it is sad:sick: however i have a feeling it's a family member abduction or if not a family member someone who has been watching them for a long time and knows alot about his family and their house structure etc

[beakiebean]

In the first post it says that the garage door opener was missing. I wonder where it was kept and how long it was missing-did it go missing right when it happened or had it been missing for awhile. Most people I know keep them in their car or purse so they can have easy access to it.

Opening a garage door makes a lot of noise though-I can't imagine that someone would use the garage door opener to try to sneak in-I think it would wake someone up.

I suppose if someone was watching the family they could have stolen it with the intentions of using it when they kidnapped Christopher but then changed their mind and came in through the basement window. Or maybe they took it to make it look like that was how they got in and throw off the investigation.

I'm mostly thinking out loud here I guess-I just can't riddle out the garage door openers place in this and why someone would take it.

[Khavna]

actually their front (or back) door was left unlocked that night and the police think that's how the perpertrator came into the house because there was no evidence of forced entry at all :twocents: and since the family left in unlocked the police became suspicious of them because that was totally out of character for them :confused:

[SadieJane]

I'm confused as to where you got this information about the family's door being unlocked and this being out of character for them.

What I read on the Charley Project & the Doe Network said that the basement window was left open. I don't know whether this was unusual or not. They may not have used their basement often, so the window could have been open for days.

I don't know first-hand how often a garage door opener is used, but it seems like if it was missing, you would notice it pretty quickly. Is it possible they had two garage door openers and that's why they didn't notice? It could have just gotten lost and they didn't notice it was gone till after Christopher was kidnapped. I don't know for sure that it's connected, but the basement window is definitely suspicious.

I don't know-- it is puzzling. I think the police should question everyone who was in that house since Christopher was born, period.

[Khavna]

"The Abeytas said they had left the front door unlocked that night, but police stated that this was uncharacteristic of them"

this directly comes from the charley project site for christopher :dance:


"Both parents admitted that the baby, who was much younger than his five older siblings, was not planned and initially not wanted. There were no signs of forced entry to the house. The Abeytas said they had left the front door unlocked that night, but police stated that this was uncharacteristic of them. Police also stated that, due to the placement of Abeyta's crib at the far end of a very cluttered room, only a person very familiar with the room could have crossed it in the dark without tripping over things and making noise. Abeyta's parents are therefore not being ruled out as suspects in his disappearance"

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/a/abeyta_christopher.html

[lilsister]

[QUOTE=Khavna]"The Abeytas said they had left the front door unlocked that night, but police stated that this was uncharacteristic of them"

How would the police know their habits re safety, did they tell them this?

[Khavna]

the abeyta's said that they left the door accidentily unlocked, maybe they said they rountinely lock it every night

[bykerladi]

I'm sorry, but this story is getting more and more suspicious. The family uncharacteristically leaves the front door open one night, and it just happens to be the night that someone breaks in, makes their way silently through the house, goes into the one room with the baby in it, makes their way around TONS of junk to find a baby hidden in the back, picks up the baby without a sound, and someone tracks back all the way through the house without anyone noticing. Uh huh.

[Khavna]

I'm sorry, but this story is getting more and more suspicious. The family uncharacteristically leaves the front door open one night, and it just happens to be the night that someone breaks in, makes their way silently through the house, goes into the one room with the baby in it, makes their way around TONS of junk to find a baby hidden in the back, picks up the baby without a sound, and someone tracks back all the way through the house without anyone noticing. Uh huh.
yes i highely agree, the police still have the parents as a suspect. mind you the family has a website dedicated to his memory and are still looking for him. the police themselves stated that only a person who was very familiar with the layout of the room would be able to successfully take the child (because their was so much junk in the room)
having said this though i myself have accidentily left the front door keys in the door all night, and ususally i always check to make sure it is properly locked and the keys are not in the door (i've done this 4 times!) so i guess it is easy to forget exspecially when your busy.

the police know that there was no forced entry into the house at all, how would the abductor know that the door was unlocked??? :eek: to get inside the house and take christopher without anybody "knowing" :bang: makes me think that the parents know more than they let on :furious:

[anthrobones]

bumping up post

[Khavna]

bumping up post
thanks anthrobones, my suspicions lye with the parents knowing something odd happened to him :furious:

[meggilyweggily]

Christopher's sister wrote me a few days ago. She maintains that her family was innocent of involvement in his disappearance and the police were suffering from tunnel vision and had a negligent and incompetent investigation. (Given that they have lost most of the evidence in this case, she may be right. http://www.koaa.com/news/view.asp?ID=5171 )

Christopher's sister says the family habitually left the front door unlocked and the room he was in was not cluttered at all, and she knows because she put him to bed herself on the night of his abduction. She also says he was not unwanted and his entire family adored him.

[lilsister]

Thanks for the info meggily. I do not believe they are guilty. JMO

[docwho3]

If the police suspect the family they probably know more case info than we do that points to the family and I certainly won't dipute their greater access to case facts or their greater experience with cases in general. Having said all that, I have the following insight to offer:

Many long years ago my young wife & I had some problems we needed to work out and so for a short time my young son & I moved in with my parents while we sorted things out (which troubles we later worked out nicely.) My parents lived in a mobile home back then which had the kind of lock on the back door that you lock by pushing and turning. Evidently one night we forgot to lock the door. In the rural area we lived in most people did not lock their doors anyway. One night my sister heard a noise and it was coming from my son's bedroom. She got up to investigate and found a teen neighbor kid standing in the room softly calling my sons name (my son was less than 5 yrs old then). Fortunately the teen was unarmed and she marched his backside down the hall & woke the rest of us and we called the cops and his parents.

It turned out the neighbor kid had some mental problems that he needed help with. Our story ended well but it could easily have been a tragedy. If my sister had not woke up and caught the guy then either we all could have been killed in our sleep or my son could have been kidnapped with no sign of forced entry into the house. If he had been kidnapped I am sure L.E. would have had to start their investigation and their suspicions with the family, just because I think that is where you always start, with those that are closest to the missing person and then you work outwards from there.

I am not saying the family is innocent but I am trying to show that odd things do sometimes happen so I try to keep an open mind even when I see that there are similarities in the story of these parents to others who have been guilty of wrongdoing.

[Old Broad]

The whole time I was growing up our door was not locked, we didn't even have a key to it that I know of. I was the youngest of 8 children and am sure that when my mother found out she was pregnant again I also was "unplanned and unwanted"
If the police were focused on the family only, they may very well have missed clues pointing elsewhere. A young baby taken away would have no idea he'd been stolen years later, he may have been told he was adopted. I do hope that where ever he went he was cared for and loved.
It very well could have been a case of someone knowing the family and thinking they already had enough children.
Going into a dark room, even if cluttered would not be impossible, bring along a flashlight and you should manage quite well or even have night vision goggles. If someone is determined it's surprising what you can do!

OB

[Idaho4Groenes]

I was looking on NCMEC about 6 months ago and came across Christophers case. As soon as I saw his age progression my heart skipped a beat and I immediately said, "That kid looks sooooo familiar". His picture looks very similar to a guy I took a few classes with in college. I looked everywhere for a picture of him, but was unsuccessful as I couldn't remember his last name until tonight. It just popped into my head. So I did a MySpace search and found him.

I put Christopher's age progressions up next to a few pictures of this guy, and to me they look similar. I don't know if it's just because I know the guy and have been thinking that they look alike for 6 months, or if they really do. Also, I don't know his family history or anything like that, so I'm going off of the pictures only. I'm not sure I want to post the comparison on here though. I would love to have all of your opinions, but I don't really feel that it would be appropriate, especially since I don't have his permission.

I would love some opinions on what I could do. I'm also wondering if it would be okay to share the image via email with those that are interested. Thanks in advance.