Tuesday marks one month since Juneau resident Benjamin “Benny” Stepetin was last seen in the capital city.
Since then, police have listed him as a missing person. His brother, former Juneau School Board member Martin Stepetin Sr., said his family continues to search for him.
“It’s heartbreaking that we haven’t found my brother yet,” he said. “Every day, we start out hopeful, and it’s tough to come home every day and still not have found him.”
Benny is 42 years old and was last confirmed to be seen in Juneau on June 22 in the downtown area. He is an Alaska Native man, about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and has brown eyes. He has been homeless for the past two years. He is known to frequent and camp in the downtown area.
Martin said Benny’s family and friends have searched for him all over town. They’ve covered coastlines, scanned downtown buildings and reviewed hundreds of hours of camera footage from downtown businesses.
The U.S. Coast Guard and Juneau’s SEADOGS K9 Search and Rescue team have also assisted in the search. Still, Martin said there’s no sign of Benny.
Juneau is inaccessible by road, meaning the only way in or out is by plane or boat. Martin said there’s no record of his brother leaving. He also doesn’t have an ID or access to money.
The Juneau Police Department assigned a detective to the case soon after Benny was reported missing. Juneau Police Deputy Chief Krag Campbell encourages anyone with information about Benny’s disappearance to contact the department.
“Really, it’s through tips and information from community members is how these types of cases get solved,” he said.
More than 60 people have donated more than $6,000 toward a fundraising effort to help the family continue its search effort. Martin said he won’t stop searching until he finds his brother.
People can share information by calling JPD’s dispatch line at 907-586-0600 or submitting an anonymous tip through Juneau Crimeline.
