Erica Baker

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Kettering Police Department Oh (OH)

Missing From:

Kettering, Ohio

Summary:

Erica Nicole Baker was a 9-year-old girl who disappeared on February 7, 1999, while walking her dog near Indian Riffle Park in Kettering, Ohio. In 2004, Christian John Gabriel confessed to hitting her with his van; he was convicted in 2005 of gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. Despite extensive searches, her body has never been found.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On February 7, 1999, Erica spent the morning with her father, Greg Baker, who had forgotten to purchase tickets for an upcoming father-daughter dance. She became upset but later calmed down. Greg dropped her off at her mother Misty Baker's house at approximately 3:00 p.m. Erica left the house between 3:00 and 3:30 p.m. to walk her aunt's Shih Tzu dog in Indian Riffle Park, adjacent to the Kettering Recreation Complex, despite her mother's initial concerns about the rainy weather. She was wearing a pink rain jacket, pink Winnie the Pooh sweatshirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes. Two witnesses saw her sitting on a bench near the park's pond around 4:00 p.m. Her dog, dragging its blue leash, was found unaccompanied approximately two hours later, about a mile from home. The dog was picked up by Animal Control, but Erica was never seen again. Erica's mother became concerned when she failed to return home later that evening and called authorities.

Additional Details:

In July 1999, Christian John Gabriel and his girlfriend Jan Marie Franks were identified as possible suspects. Gabriel was reported to have been driving a van in the area at the time of Erica's disappearance, along with two accomplices: Franks and Clifford Butts. Initial investigations revealed few clues, but police developed a theory that Erica had been struck by a vehicle. On July 14, 1999, Kettering detectives initially interviewed Gabriel at his apartment near Jeffersonville, Ohio. He spoke with them voluntarily. In July 2004, Gabriel was arrested by the Clark County Sheriff's Office on an unrelated charge of receiving stolen property. While being transported, he confessed to hitting Erica with his van on February 7, 1999, near the intersection of Glengarry Drive and Powhattan Place. According to his confession, the van struck her, he heard a thud, saw the dog run away, and observed a dead girl lying on the road. He stated he put her body in the van and drove to his apartment, where they smoked crack cocaine. He then drove her to Huffman Dam, where his passengers allegedly buried her body. Gabriel claimed they were all under the influence of drugs. In February 2004, Gabriel was indicted for evidence tampering and gross abuse of a corpse. On February 8, 2005, Gabriel was convicted on the charges and sentenced to the maximum six years in prison. He pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence, claiming his confession was coerced by authorities. Gabriel was released from prison in June 2011. Over the course of his interrogation, Gabriel provided multiple conflicting accounts regarding who was present in the van, whether he was driving or a passenger, and multiple different burial locations including Huffman Dam, Eastwood Lake, and Caesar Creek State Park. Police searched all these locations extensively but found no remains. Gabriel insists he cannot remember the exact burial location. Jan Marie Franks, his girlfriend, died of a drug overdose in 2001. Her attorney, Federal Public Defender Beth Lewis, refused to testify about any potential confessions from Franks, citing attorney-client privilege, even after being held in contempt of court and jailed. Erica's parents, Greg and Misty Baker, both passed polygraph tests and are not suspects. Initial investigations identified four possible suspects in January 2000, five months after Erica disappeared. Greg Baker never closed the case and has pleaded for Gabriel to reveal Erica's location. His grandmother, Pam Schmidt, even picked up Gabriel from jail in 2011 hoping to learn more information. Greg Baker has reserved a plot at David's Cemetery where he plans to bury his daughter once her remains are found. The case has been featured in the award-winning 'Missing Erica Baker' podcast produced by Dayton 24/7 Now in 2021, which led to new search efforts. In 2022, a new search was conducted in a park based on tips from the podcast. Detective Bob Green was the original lead investigator and remained involved. In 2023, Detective Amy Pedro took charge of the case. Multiple searches have been conducted over the years involving Texas EquuSearch Midwest, Kettering Police, and volunteers. Recent searches occurred in December 2023, throughout 2024, and in January and May 2025 near Huffman Dam, but no remains have been found. Gabriel was arrested in Roseburg, Oregon, in October 2023 on unrelated assault and methamphetamine charges. He pleaded no contest to assault and was sentenced to 10 days in jail and a $500 fine. In August 2025, the Kettering Police Department and Miami Valley Crime Stoppers announced a cash reward for information on the case. The case remains open and active.

Case Last Updated:

May 06, 2026