Search crews were expected to fan out around Huffman Dam in Greene County on Monday afternoon, in the latest attempt to find any trace of Erica Baker, the Kettering girl who vanished while walking her dog more than 27 years ago. Baker was just 9 years old when she disappeared on a rainy Sunday afternoon in February 1999, and despite a conviction in the case, her body has never been recovered.
The Monday search was planned by EquuSearch Midwest, a branch of Texas EquuSearch, according to wdtn.com. The effort follows a pattern of searches the group has conducted in the Huffman Dam and Greene County area based on tips tied to Baker’s 1999 disappearance, according to the Springfield News-Sun. Huffman Dam itself is an earthen embankment crossing the Mad River in northwestern Greene County near Fairborn, per the Miami Conservancy District.
A Case That Has Never Gone Cold
Kettering police say Baker’s case remains open.
Detective Amy Pedro took over the case in October 2023. Monday’s effort followed a prior Saturday search that EquuSearch Midwest described as productive, saying it obtained substantial coverage of the search area, according to dayton247now.com.
The Confession That Convicted Christian Gabriel
Christian Gabriel, now 55, remains the only person ever convicted in connection with Baker’s death. He was convicted in 2005 of gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence and spent six years in prison, according to the Dayton Daily News. Police believe Baker was hit by a van driven by Gabriel and others on Glengarry Drive, the paper reports, and Gabriel confessed in 2004 to hitting Erica with his van near Glengarry Drive and Powhattan Place. According to the Springfield News-Sun, Gabriel said he put Erica in the vehicle, drove away instead of calling for help, and buried her.
In a later written confession, Gabriel wrote that he and Franks were driving back from a grocery store and did not mention anyone else being in the van, according to dayton247now.com, which noted, “He doesn’t mention anyone else being in the van. No one else.” Franks died of a drug overdose in 2001.
A Detective Says Gabriel Still Knows More
Gabriel lives in Roseburg, Oregon, and was arrested there for assault. Gabriel said he and others were under the influence of drugs.
A previous Huffman Dam search involving EquuSearch Midwest, Kettering police and Five Rivers MetroParks turned up no new evidence, with one searcher telling the Dayton Daily News, “unfortunately, we came up with nothing.” WDTN reported that another search was planned, and the team’s most recent search before a recent Saturday canvass was described as a frigid, snowy day in February of the prior year, according to dayton247now.com. Investigators have combined traditional ground searches with metal detectors, cadaver dogs, location data and photos in recent efforts, the station reports.
Tips Still Sought
Anyone with information about Baker’s whereabouts or disappearance can call Kettering police at 937-296-2555, per wdtn.com.
