Divers are searching the murky waters of Gastineau Channel this week in hopes of locating the body of a Juneau man who has been missing for nearly a year.
Benjamin “Benny” Stepetin, a 42-year-old Juneau resident, disappeared last June. His brother, Martin Stepetin Sr., said his family hasn’t given up on him. This is the second underwater search for his body.
“We just want to find our brother, and we really miss our brother,” he said. “If we could get some closure to finding him, then that would be amazing.”
Benjamin is Alaska Native, about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and has brown eyes. Before he went missing, he had been homeless for roughly two years and often spent time in the downtown area. Since his disappearance almost a year ago, his family and friends have been searching for him.
In September of last year, his family raised over $25,000 to fund an initial private dive team.
This time around, the Juneau Police Department is paying. The family worked with Juneau police to lobby the nonprofit Alaska Dive Search, Rescue and Recovery Team to come to Juneau to search for Benjamin.
The underwater search began on Monday and will last through the weekend.
Martin said he’s grateful the divers are finally here after months of advocacy and he hopes to see these resources become more readily available in the future.
“It means everything. You can’t put a number or price on what they are doing,” he said. “I think that anybody would do anything to try to find their family members. That’s exactly what we’re trying to do right now.”
The search includes both divers and underwater vehicles with sonar technology. The team is scanning up and down the downtown seawalk, while thousands of cruise ship visitors walk above them. Martin said that his family believes their brother may have fallen or been pushed into the water along the seawalk.
Juneau police are currently investigating the case as a criminal investigation. Deputy Chief Krag Campbell says police believe there may have been people involved in Benjamin’s disappearance who are withholding information.
“Our ultimate goal is to get a successful resolution to this investigation, and if at all possible, recover or find the body and missing person for the family,” he said. “So, doing those things whenever we can, I think, is very important.”
People can share information by calling JPD’s dispatch line at 907-586-0600 or submitting an anonymous tip through Juneau Crimeline.
