Case Details

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This person was missing Missing Since 06/11/2003

Missing Since:

Missing Since 06/11/2003

Missing From:

Missing From St. Louis, Missouri

Classification:

Classification Endangered Missing

Gender:

Male

Race:

Race Black

Date of Birth:

Date of Birth 10/09/1993 (31)

Age:

Age 9 years old

Height and Weight:

Height and Weight 4’0, 75 pounds

Clothing/Jewelry Description:

Clothing/Jewelry Description A diaper and a red and blue blanket.

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Distinguishing Characteristics African-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. Christian had a short afro hairstyle at the time of his 2003 disappearance. His nickname is Chris. He has an extremely thin, frail build and he drools frequently.

Details of Disappearance:

Christian Ferguson disappeared on June 11, 2003, from St. Louis, Missouri. His father, Dawan, told police their SUV was stolen with Christian inside while Dawan made a phone call. The SUV was found abandoned a few miles away, but Christian was gone.

Dawan’s story had inconsistencies, he refused a lie detector test, and stopped cooperating with the police. He moved his family quickly after the disappearance and hired private investigators. Police searches of his home revealed unsanitary conditions, including urine-soaked bedding.

Dawan, a bounty hunter, claimed to have used a payphone that morning, even though he had a cell phone. A witness saw Dawan at the phone booth, but no SUV.

Christian’s mother, Theda, had a troubled relationship with Dawan. They fought over custody, with Theda accusing Dawan of neglecting Christian’s medical needs. Dawan had full custody, but missed doctor appointments and didn’t always give Christian his medicine. Home health nurses noticed Christian’s neglect, including inadequate feeding and infrequent diaper changes. They even started buying his medication because Dawan wouldn’t.

Before his disappearance, Christian was severely undermedicated, and evidence showed he likely hadn’t received necessary medications for months before his disappearance. Theda, who hadn’t seen Christian in three months, saw him a week before his disappearance and noted he was sick, malnourished, and possibly experiencing a medical episode.

Theda had fought for custody and a judge ordered Dawan to allow visits. Christian’s sister, Lin, said Dawan took Christian from their room early in the morning. The feeding tube was missing and showed signs of being forcibly removed. Lin described Christian as very sick and in pain before he disappeared.

Dawan and his wife, Monica, were convicted of fraud. Authorities believed Dawan let Christian die from neglect, and that the kidnapping was a cover-up. Sixteen years later, in 2019, Dawan was charged with murder.

At the 2022 trial, Lin testified that she witnessed a struggle, then heard Christian’s moans cease, and saw Dawan leave with Christian’s lifeless body wrapped in a blanket. Other witnesses corroborated the neglect and a woman claimed Dawan confessed to killing Christian and burying him.

Dawan was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Christian’s body has never been found.

Agency:

St. Louis Police Department 314-444-5620

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