MO Christian Ferguson (9) - St. Louis MO, 2003

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SheWhoMustNotBeNamed

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Missing Since: June 11, 2003 from St. Louis, Missouri
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: October 9, 1993
Age: 9 years old
Height and Weight: 4'0, 75 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: African-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. Christian had a short afro hairstyle at the time of his 2003 disappearance. His nickname is Chris. He has an extremely thin, frail build.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A diaper.
Medical Conditions: Christian is severely physically and mentally challenged due to a rare metabolic condition called argininosuccinate synthetase deficiency, or citrullimenia, which makes him unable to digest protein. If he is given any meat, he will fall into a coma and die. Christian is on a special diet and requires medication to be administered twice daily to treat his condition. He did not have any medicine on him at the time of his disappearance, and he had been undermedicated for months beforehand. If he is not given his medication, he will develop hyperammonemia (high ammonia levels in the blood) and die within about a day. In 2001, as a result of his condition, Christian suffered a series of near-fatal strokes which adversely affected his ability to walk, talk and think. He cannot feed or care for himself and he must wear diapers.

Details of Disappearance

Christian was last seen by his father, Dawan T. Ferguson. A photograph of Dawan is posted below this case summary. Between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m. on June 11, 2003, Dawan called the police to say that someone had driven off in his 1999 Ford Expedition sport utility vehicle (SUV). He said the car had been stolen after he got out of it to place a phone call to Christian's doctor at a phone booth at Skinker and Page in St. Louis, Missouri, leaving the keys in the ignition. Dawan had been driving Christian to the hospital at the time, and the boy was in the backseat of the vehicle when it was stolen. He was last seen wearing only a diaper, and wrapped was in a red and blue blanket.


The SUV was located abandoned two hours later, at 8:00 a.m., about five miles from where it was taken, where Ronbar Lane dead-ends at railroad tracks in the city of Ferguson, Missouri. Inside were a laptop computer, two cellular phones and other electronic gear. Christian was not inside, however, and police and their tracker dogs found no sign of him in the vicinity. He probably would have been unable to get out of the car without assistance. He can walk, but only very unsteadily.


Authorities are not calling Dawan a suspect in his son's disappearance, but they stated that he has refused to take a polygraph test and there have been inconsistencies in his story. He is not cooperating with police and has hired his own private investigators. His home has been searched twice for evidence relating to the child's case. Dawan is employed as a bounty hunter, locating and capturing fugitives for bail bondsmen. He had a cellular phone in his possession on the morning of June 11, so it is inclear why he would have to use a pay phone. A resident of Ronbar Lane say she saw the SUV parked there at 6:00 a.m, around the time Dawan says it was stolen. This account has not been confirmed. In addition, a television news tape revealed that a car belonging to a close friend of Dawan's was parked at Skinker and Page shortly after Dawan reported the car theft. That same friend lives just blocks from where the SUV was later recovered. However, police have been unable to disprove Dawan's account of Christian's disappearance and he has never been charged in connction with his son's disappearance.


Dawan and Christian's mother, Theda Ferguson (sometimes referred to as Theda Thomas) are divorced and Dawan had full custody of Christian and Christian's brother in June 2003. The state of Missouri has occasionally provided home health care nurses for Christian, and they reportedly took over almost all aspects of his care, including feeding him. The last time the nurses cared for him was in March 2003. Dawan was inconsistent about giving his son his medicine, and Christian had to be hospitalized at least twice as a result. After Christian's disappearance it was discovered that he had probably been undermedicated for several months prior to his reported abduction. Investigators located many full prescription bottles which should have been used up. The undermedication would make him more manageable; he would be lethargic and nap much of the time.


Theda was fighting for custody of Christian and his younger brother at the time Christian was abducted. She had been forbidden by a judge to see them except during specific visiting times, and she has not seen Christian since three months before he vanished. Only two days before Christian disappeared, Theda petitioned the family court for more visitation with her sons. Dawan reportedly remarked that if she was allowed more visitation, she would never see her children at all. Theda is not being called a suspect in her son's case, and custody of Christian's brother has since been granted to Dawan's parents.


Over a year after Christian's disappearance, Dawan was indicted on federal fraud charges. He used a false Social Security number (SSN) on a car loan application in 2002, and forged his elderly grandmother's signature to co-sign the same loan. Dawan pleaded guilty to three charges in 2004 and was sentenced to 8 months in federal prison; he could have gotten as much as 20 years. He has since been released and continues to maintain his innocence in his son's disappearance.



Christian remains missing and his case is unsolved. Due to his medical problems, authorities have little hope that he can be found alive.


Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
St. Louis Police Department
314-444-5620

Charley Project
NCMEC
 
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