CUSTER COUNTY, Idaho – As we pass the 32nd anniversary of the day an Idaho child went missing, the county she lived in is putting out a call for information that could help find out what happened to her.
Stephanie Crane was nine years old the last time she was seen.
She had been bowling in an after-school league in the town of Challis and never made it home.
Custer County put out a news release about her disappearance, the impact on her community and the call for new information that could help in the decades-long search.
Here’s the news release about what happened.
For many people that lived in Challis in year 1993, they all probably remember the evening of October 11. That was the evening that Sandi Crane walked into the Custer County Sheriff’s Office and reported that she could not find her 9-year-old daughter Stephanie Crane. Stephanie had been bowling in an after-school league and had been instructed to go home after she was done bowling. She did not make it home. There was speculation that she may have crossed US Highway 93 and was going to the Challis High School football field to watch soccer practice. Sadly, this would set off a search that continues thirty-two years later.
There was the thought that Stephanie may have been lost or possibly injured. It is very unlikely that Stephanie disappeared voluntarily or ran away as she was described as a cautious tomboy that was afraid of the dark.
The search started on Monday the 11th of October shortly after Sandi Crane reported Stephanie was missing and went until 12:30 am on Tuesday the 12th of October and then started again at 7:00 a.m. The community rallied in force in the search for Stephanie; nothing was left unturned. However as of 10/13/1993 no clues were found as to Stephanie’s whereabouts, the search continued and will continue until there is a resolution to Stephanie’s case.
That week was Challis’ homecoming football game and parade. The banner on the homecoming float read “We’re thinking of you Stephanie”, other banners read “Bring Stephanie Home.” Every float was trimmed in purple, which was Stephanies favorite color.
On September 27, 1994, the day before what would have Stephanie’s 10th birthday, members of the community gathered at the tree in front of the courthouse lawn and released purple balloons that contained a photo and some information about Stephanie.
While there are no witnesses nor a crime scene, there was a report of a small yellow pick with red pin stripes suspiciously parked at the Challis High School, which is in close proximity to the Challis Elementary School. Many tips have come in over the years, and they have all been checked into.
In the spring/summers of 2024/2025 thanks to information received many trips were made to the back country to conduct extensive searches. Participating in these searches were the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, Custer County Search and Rescue, Retired Lemhi County Sheriff Steve Penner, Lemhi County Search and Rescue, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Idaho State Police District Six Investigations, Idaho State Police detectives from Meridian, Idaho State Police Cold Case Team Investigators, Boise State University, Idaho Army National Guard, Idaho Central Mine Rescue and their team members, and many teams of search dogs. If you have any information about Stephanie’s disappearance, please call the Custer County Sheriff’s Office at 208-879-2232 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678
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