Key facts
- Name: Erica Nicole Baker
- Born: June 22, 1989, Kettering, Ohio
- Age at disappearance: 9
- Last seen: February 7, 1999, around 4:00 p.m.
- Location: Indian Riffle Park, near the Kettering Recreation Complex, Kettering, Ohio
- Height / build: 3’11”, 65 lbs, blonde hair, hazel eyes; crooked front teeth, tan birthmark on hip, scar on inner arch of foot
- Status: Still missing — body never recovered; case open and active
- Investigating agency: Kettering Police Department
The dog came home
On February 7, 1999, nine-year-old Erica Baker spent the day with her father, Greg. She was supposed to be looking forward to a father-daughter dance — but Greg had forgotten to buy the tickets, and Erica was upset about it. He dropped her back at her mother’s house that afternoon.
Between 3:00 and 3:30, Erica left to walk her dog. Around 4:00 p.m., she was seen sitting on a bench near the pond in Indian Riffle Park, next to the Kettering Recreation Complex — wearing a pink rain jacket, a pink Winnie the Pooh sweatshirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes.
The dog was found later near the recreation center, leash still attached. Erica was not with it.
Dozens of people searched that day and for days after — police officers, volunteers, horses, canines, divers. Investigators first thought she might have fallen into the pond. They found nothing. A little girl had walked her dog to a neighborhood park in the middle of the afternoon, and then she was simply gone.
The confession
In 2004, five years after Erica vanished, another inmate gave police information that turned the case toward a man named Christian Gabriel. Gabriel signed a statement saying he had hit Erica with his van by accident and then taken her to a wooded area and buried her.
He led investigators to place after place — Eastwood Lake, Huffman MetroPark, Caesar Creek State Park. Nothing was ever found. His story changed repeatedly: first he was with three others in the van; then just one other person; then he said he hadn’t even owned a van at the time. He later said he had confessed because of police pressure.
Gabriel was convicted of gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. He served six years in prison and was released in 2011. Erica’s body was never recovered, and Gabriel has never been charged with her murder.
The case is open and active. Kettering Police Detective Amy Pedro, who took over the investigation in 2023, has said investigators keep going — and that the family has DNA on file in case remains are ever found. Searches were still being held as recently as 2025. Her father still hopes she will be found and laid to rest.
Theories: what might have happened
Gabriel’s account is essentially true. A hit-and-run, a panicked cover-up, a body hidden well enough that even the man who claims to have buried it can’t relocate it. What supports it: a signed statement and a conviction for abuse of a corpse and evidence tampering. What undercuts it: the shifting stories, the recantation claim, and the fact that not one of the burial sites he named produced anything.
Someone else took her. The park was public, the afternoon was ordinary, and a nine-year-old alone is vulnerable. What supports it: no physical evidence has ever tied Gabriel to the scene beyond his own words. What undercuts it: no other suspect or witness account has ever emerged.
The confession was false. False confessions happen, especially under pressure, and Gabriel’s inability to produce a body cuts both ways. What supports it: his own later claim of coercion. What undercuts it: he pleaded to and served time for corpse abuse and evidence tampering connected to this case.
Have information?
Contact the Kettering Police Department at (937) 296-2555 or the Ohio Attorney General’s Missing Persons Unit at 1-866-621-0446. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- June 22, 1989 — Erica Nicole Baker is born in Kettering, Ohio.
- February 7, 1999, 3:00–4:00 p.m. — Erica leaves to walk her dog; last seen on a bench near the pond in Indian Riffle Park.
- February 7, 1999 (later) — Her dog is found near the Kettering Recreation Center, leash attached. Erica is not found.
- 1999 — Massive multi-agency search; pond dragged and dived; no trace.
- 2004 — Christian Gabriel signs a statement about hitting Erica with his van and burying her; leads police to multiple sites; nothing found. He is convicted of gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.
- 2011 — Gabriel is released from prison.
- 2023 — Detective Amy Pedro assumes the investigation; family DNA kept on file.
- 2025 — Searches continue; 26th anniversary.
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is Erica Baker still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Erica Baker has been missing for more than 27 years. The Kettering Police Department classifies the case as open and active.
Was Erica Baker ever found?
No. Despite a confession, multiple excavations, and decades of searching, Erica’s body has never been recovered.
How old would Erica Baker be today?
Erica was born June 22, 1989 — she turned 37 in June 2026.
Who is Christian Gabriel?
A man who in 2004 signed a statement saying he accidentally hit Erica with his van and buried her body. He was convicted of gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence, served six years, and was released in 2011. He later claimed he confessed under police pressure, and he has never led investigators to her body.
What was Erica Baker wearing?
A pink rain jacket, a pink Winnie the Pooh sweatshirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes.
How can I help?
Share this case file. Anyone with information — even a small detail from February 7, 1999 — is urged to call Kettering police at (937) 296-2555.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: Kettering Police Department (case open; Detective Amy Pedro statements via Ohio S.A.F.E. Info Bank, 2026).
- News: Ohio S.A.F.E. Info Bank, “27 Years Later, Family Still Searches for Missing Ohio Girl Erica Baker” (https://ohio.childreninfobank.com/erica-baker-missing-ohio-girl-27-years-later/); The Cold Cases, “Vanished Without a Trace: The Cold Case of Erica Baker” (https://www.thecoldcases.com/p/vanished-without-a-trace-the-cold).
- Reference: Wikipedia, “Disappearance of Erica Baker” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Erica_Baker) (retrieved Oct 2026); CUE Center for Missing Persons (https://ncmissingpersons.org/erica-baker/).
- Media: Off The Record: An FBI Agent’s Perspective, “Little Girl Lost: What Happened to Erica Baker?” (Jan 2026).
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.