Imagine putting your baby to bed, only to wake up and find him gone—no noise, no struggle, just an open door and an empty crib.
That’s exactly what happened to the Abeyta family back in 1986.
Their 7-month-old son, Christopher, mysteriously disappeared without a trace on a regular night.
No signs of forced entry, no clues left behind—just questions that have never been answered.
For nearly 40 years, his case has haunted not just Colorado Springs, but everyone who has followed it.
Was it a random kidnapping? Or was Christopher specifically targeted? Or could there be something far more sinister behind his disappearance?
Let's get into the details of this heartbreaking case.
Who is Christopher Abeyta?
Christopher Enoch Abeyta was born on November 28, 1985 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
He was the seventh child of Gil and Bernice Abeyta, and his arrival took them by surprise.
Their youngest child at the time was already 14 years old, and Bernice had assumed her days of having babies were over.
So when Christopher came along, it was completely unexpected by the couple.
However, surprise or not, Christopher was deeply loved and cherished by his entire family after his birth.
Christopher lived with his parents in a quiet neighbourhood in Colorado Springs, along with four of his six siblings.
In early 1986, Bernice accused Gil of cheating after she found lipstick on his shirt, and this led to their separation.
Gil eventually moved to Pueblo, while Bernice stayed in their Colorado Springs home with the children.
During this time, Gil became involved with a woman named Emma Bradshaw, but he later ended the affair and reconciled with Bernice.
However, on the first night that Gil slept over at the family home after their separation, Christopher disappeared without a trace.
The Day Christopher Disappeared
In the early hours of July 15, 1986, Christopher Abeyta vanished from his family’s home at 3311 Ashwood Circle, in the Cheyenne Hills neighborhood of Colorado Springs.
On the evening of July 14, Gil Abeyta, who had recently reconciled with his wife Bernice, visited his family and decided to spend the night there.
This was his first time of sleeping in the family home since he had moved out earlier that year.
Christopher's sister Denise fed the seven-month-old his evening bottle before he fell asleep in her arms around midnight.
She then carried him upstairs and placed him in his crib, which was just three feet from Gil and Bernice's bed.
At around 12:30 a.m., Bernice reportedly fed Christopher one last time before the family went to bed for the night.
However, the door was left open in case any of the older children came home later.
This wasn’t unusual for the family—they had done it many times before and believed the neighborhood was safe.
At approximately 6:00 a.m. on July 15, Bernice woke up to find Christopher's crib empty.
His blanket was there, but the baby was gone.
They quickly checked the other bedrooms but didn’t find Christopher.
When Bernice went downstairs and saw the front door slightly open, she knew something was wrong.
The family quickly called the Colorado Springs Police Department, who arrived at the home by 6:45 a.m.
The Search For Christopher
After officers arrived, they carried out a thorough search of the home but found no trace of Christopher.
In addition to the partially open door, officers also noticed an unlocked basement window
However, nothing appeared to be stolen—except for the handle of the garage door, which was missing.
Bernice’s purse, which had cash in it, was in the house but it was not touched.
When the neighbors were interviewed, they reported no unusual activity or sounds during the night.
Christopher’s disappearance was puzzling because his crib was just a few feet from his parents' bed, yet neither Gil nor Bernice heard anything strange.
By mid-morning, police expanded the search to the surrounding area, but no sign of Christopher was found.
That same day, a visibly distraught Bernice made a public plea during a news conference, begging for her son's safe return
Three weeks after the disappearance, authorities drained The Quail Lake, which was located three blocks from the Abeyta residence.
Sadly, they found no evidence related to the disappearance.
In the months after Christophers disappearance, The Abeyta family also carried out their own extensive search, while the police did their investigation.
Gil quit his job, and some of Christopher’s sisters skipped a semester of school so the whole family could focus on finding him.
They set up a toll-free tip line and formed a group called Families of Missing Children Inc.
They chased leads across several states, went undercover to follow possible suspects, and even traveled to Mexico—spending nearly $1 million of their own money.
Still, their diligent efforts yeilded no positive results.
With no trace of Christopher, officers began exploring other possible theories for what happened that night.
They considered possibilities like baby selling gangs, kidnapping by a stranger, sex offenders, or someone trying to get back at the family.
But so far, none of the theories have clear evidence to support them.
The Investigation Into Christopher's Parents
The initial police investigation into Christopher Abeyta's disappearance focused heavily on his parents, Gil and Bernice Abeyta.
There was no forced entry, and the fact that nothing valuable was taken, made the police to seriously consider that the parents were involved.
Detectives looked into several other concerning factors, including the fact that Christopher disappeared on the first night Gil returned home.
During questioning, Gil said he wasn’t happy about Christopher’s unplanned birth, which investigators thought could be a motive.
Investigators accused him of hating Christopher and wanting him "gone," but Gil said he had nothing to do with the baby’s disappearance..
Christopher's mother Bernice took two polygraph tests; she failed one, and the other was inconclusive
Detectives reportedly "grilled" her for six hours, during which they directly accused her of smothering Christopher and disposing of his body in The Quail Lake.
She denied the accusations, explaining that her failed polygraph was due to stress and withdrawal from her medications.
While Bernice's polygraph results raised concerns, Gil passed his examination and no evidence of foul play was found.
The couple consistently maintained their innocence, and the authorities never filed charges against Gil or Bernice.
The strong focus on the parents caused lasting tension between the Abeyta family and the police.
The family believed the police should have looked into other suspects from the start, instead of only focusing on them.
Many years after Christopher's disappearance, all the original investigation files were accidentally destroyed, making the case complicated.
The Abeyta family was heartbroken by this, and it further weakened their trust in how the police handled the case.
Emma Bradshaw: The Person of Interest in Christopher's Case
The Abeyta family strongly believes that Emma Bradshaw is connected to Christopher’s disappearance.
She had an affair with Gil during his separation from Bernice in early 1986.
After police looked into Bradshaw's background, they found that she had a history of troubling behavior.
She had previously been charged with stalking and harassing another married man she dated.
After he ended the relationship, she reportedly entered his home without permission, removed family photos from the walls, and threatened his children at their school.
Records also showed she had spent time in Colorado mental health facilities during the 1970s and 1980s.
The Abeyta family later reported that they had been getting harassing hang-up calls for about six months before July 1986.
These calls stopped the day before Christopher went missing, then started again months later.
When police traced the calls, they found out Emma Bradshaw was the caller.
Also, on the night Christopher went missing, Emma Bradshaw reportedly called the house several times.
Phone records later showed she had also been calling Christopher's grandparents in the month leading up to his disappearance.
After these discoveries, the Abeyta family began to suspect that Bradshaw may have taken Christopher to get back at Gil for ending their relationship.
According to Christopher’s sister Denise, on The Vanished podcast, Emma once called and told them to meet someone in New Mexico, who may have a tip about the case.
Bernice reportedly followed the lead and even rented a trailer, which she used to travel back and forth between New Mexico and Colorado for nearly two years.
However, nothing concrete came out of it, which made the family more suspicious that Emma was trying to mislead them.
In 2013, Bradshaw filed a lawsuit against Christopher's family.
She claimed that emails sent to her employer, and Facebook posts made by Denise, damaged her reputation and made her to loose her job.
The case went to trial in November 2015, during which Detective Montez testified that Bradshaw was considered a person of interest in Christopher's disappearance.
Despite these suspicions, Bradshaw maintained her innocence throughout these proceedings
The jury ruled in Bradshaw's favor and awarded her $150,000 in damages for her job which she lost.
However, they confirmed that the Facebook posts in question were not defamatory.
The police never officially named Bradshaw as a suspect, and she was never charged with any crime related to Christopher's disappearance.
Ongoing Efforts and Recent Developments in Christopher Abeyta’s Case
Even though many years have gone by since Christopher Abeyta went missing, his family is still searching for answers.
After their parents, Bernice and Gil, passed away in 2017 and 2020, Christopher’s siblings have continued the fight for justice.
They maintain an active presence on social media and missing persons databases, ensuring Christopher’s case stays visible.
In 2018, a Florida man named Chris came forward, believing he might be Christopher.
He had no birth certificate or baby photos, and his physical resemblance to age-progressed images sparked hope.
A social worker who had known him as a child had previously contacted authorities, but the tip was initially dismissed.
DNA testing in early 2019 ultimately ruled him out, along with two other men who had submitted samples.
The case gained renewed attention in October 2020 when it was featured in Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries reboot, exposing Christopher’s story to millions of viewers.
The episode, titled "Stolen Kids," included his photo alongside other missing children, amplifying awareness.
In 2017, police mentioned a "person of interest," believed by many to be Emma Bradshaw, but no arrest was made.
The Abeyta family and others believe the case has stalled partly because important files were wrongly destroyed.
A $100,000 reward for credible information had been offered for any useful information regarding Christopher’s disappearance
The case is still one of America's most heartbreaking unsolved mysteries, but the Abeyta family continues to search for the truth..
Christopher’s siblings still believe he could be alive, possibly unaware of his true identity.
They are begging anyone with critical information—no matter how small—to please come forward.
Christopher is a white male with blond hair and blue eyes.
He has a small freckle on his right hip and was last seen wearing a blue, white, and yellow striped one-piece pajama jumpsuit.
He has a unique way of crawling—he grabs his left elbow with his right hand, throws it forward, and pulls himself along.
His background includes Swedish, German, and Spanish roots.
DNA tests also show he has European (including Scandinavian and British) and Native American ancestry.
His family thinks his hair might have turned brown over time and that he likely has average height for his age now.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Christopher Abeyta, please contact 1-800-The-Lost or the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000.
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