Like many states in the U.S., Colorado has its own share of unsolved missing person cases in the backlogs of their jurisdiction. In addition to unsolved missing person cases, there are also hundreds of cases of unidentified remains—each one with a family somewhere who still have not received answers. The same is true of the family of Christopher Abeyta, who was kidnapped over 35 years ago from his parents bedroom—a crime that continues to baffle Colorado Springs authorities and civilians alike.
Christopher Abeyta was only seven months old when he was taken from his parents residence. Infant abductions by strangers are statistically very rare, but for Christopher’s parents, the nightmare became real on July 15, 1986. Their home was located in Ashwood Circle in Colorado Springs, CO. Christopher was believed to have been taken between 12:00 AM and 2:30 AM, and foul play was suspected in his kidnapping.
Despite the decades that have passed, the investigation into the Christopher Abeyta kidnapping remains active. As recently as 2019, the Colorado Springs Police Department tested three DNA samples of unclaimed remains against individuals who have claimed they might be the long-lost Abeyta, but sadly, those samples were not a match to his DNA. It was the last hope for Christopher’s father, Gil Abeyta, who passed away after a heart attack in 2020. His mother, Bernice Abeyta, passed from cancer in 2017.
As of 2013, Christopher’s family was offering $100,000 reward to anyone with information on his kidnapping. An age progression photo was created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2018 to depict what Christopher may look like as a 32-year-old. Anyone with information about Christopher’s disappearance should call Colorado Springs Police at 719-444-7000. You can also contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678, or Denver Crime Stoppers at 719-634-7867.