A new age-progressed image released by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) on Tuesday has given fresh visibility to one of Colorado’s longest-running missing-child cases and renewed appeals from the family of a baby taken from his crib nearly four decades ago.
The rendering shows how Christopher Abeyta, who vanished from his Colorado Springs home when he was seven months old, might appear at about 39 years old. Investigators and relatives asked the public to study the image and to share any tips that could move the case forward.
Christopher was born on Nov. 28, 1985. He was put to bed in his crib inside the family home in Colorado Springs on the night of July 14, 1986, and was discovered missing the next morning, according to family statements and contemporaneous news accounts. There were no visible signs of forced entry or struggle, and a baby bottle was left in the crib.
His disappearance prompted an immediate search, wide media coverage and involvement by federal and local law enforcement, but no arrests were ever made and the investigation eventually cooled. The Colorado Springs Police Department maintains the case within its homicide and missing persons unit and says it remains open and active.
Family members said the new image was created with the latest forensic modeling and aging software and that NCMEC regularly generates such renderings to assist cold-case investigations. "For nearly four decades, our family has worked tirelessly to keep Christopher’s story in the public eye," the Abeyta family said in a statement distributed through NCMEC. "We hope this new image will reach someone who can help us find the truth about what happened to him, and, if he is alive, someone who may recognize him."
Denise Alves, Christopher’s sister, was 15 when he disappeared. She recalled playing with him in the living room the night before and helping feed him his bottle. Alves said the loss "changed our family forever" and that their mother, Bernice Abeyta, never stopped searching or speaking publicly about the case.
Bernice, who died in 2017, made repeated appeals for information during her lifetime. In a 2016 interview with ABC News, she said, "Of course, I would like to have him back. I've always felt very positive that even though it's been 30 years, it would happen." She called Christopher "a doll" who loved to make people laugh.
Over the years the family and authorities have issued multiple age-progressed images. Composites released in 2015 and 2017 showed other possible appearances as Christopher grew older; none produced confirmed sightings. Police have at times identified a person of interest but have not made arrests, and leads developed over the decades have not yielded conclusive results.
NCMEC officials and cold-case investigators said age-progression techniques have helped solve long-term missing-children cases by prompting memories, generating new tips and leading to identifications. The Abeyta family hopes the most recent rendering will reach people who may have relevant information — including, they said, anyone who grew up wondering about their identity.
Authorities urge anyone with information about the disappearance of Christopher Abeyta to contact the Colorado Springs Police Department or NCMEC. The family has asked members of the public to share the new image widely, saying that even one tip, memory or photograph could provide the answers they have sought for nearly 40 years.