Missing Child – Aaron Cody Stepp
The Aaron Cody Step case is a huge one, because it has been going on for at least ten years. Detectives are even speculating whether or not his aunt and grandmother waited a year between the time he went missing to the time they called the police.
It seems, from everything I have read, that Aaron usually went by the name Cody, so I will refer to him as such throughout the rest of my post.
Cody is missing from Columbus, Ohio. He lived with his grandmother after his mother was arrested and held on theft convictions. He was reported missing on March 11, 1997, and nobody had been paying attention to him.
When police searched the scene from where Cody went missing, they did not find any clues. There were no signs that Cody had even ever been to the house. Neighbors said they hadn’t seen the boy in at least 6 months, and relatives had not seen the child for almost a year. Cody’s mother had not been able to speak to him from prison either.
Cody’s grandmother had a child die on her watch before, and police now believe that she is the murderer of that child, back in the 1960s. His grandmother is also thought to be a “pimp”, using her daughters to make money.
Police also believe that the only reason the aunt and grandmother called the police to report him missing was the fact that his mother was getting out of prison the very next day.
There is even some wondering if poor Cody was sold into some shady business, possibly not dead. At this point, I don’t know which would be a better fate for Cody.
There is still hope though.
December 24, 2007 at 4:43 am
I have reason to believe Cody is alive and living near or in Lebanon, Ohio. I picked up a small boy who looked to be around 9 on Dec 12th on my way home from choir practice. He was about 3 miles east of Lebanon, walking towards Lebanon. He wanted to go to McDonalds where he had planned to meet a friend (or he may have said cousin) named Jeremy. He told me his name was Cody. When I asked his last name, he said what I thought was Erwin. He could have been saying “Aaron”. He told me he was 13 and in 8th grade being home schooled. His friend Jeremy didn’t show up so I bought him a cheese burger, fries, and a Sprite. We ate and talked and I asked where he lived and he said he lived with his aunt Donna, but he said he didnt’ know her last name. He was very evasive about where he lived, didn’t know the street, or street number but said he could find it if I drove him there. He directed me to the Junior High School and a sub-division behind it. We were looking for the house for about 40 minutes when I decided to drive to the policy station. I left him in the car and told him he wasn’t in trouble, but I wasn’t going to leave him to wander the streets alone on a cold, rainy night. While I was in the police station, Cody vanished. I told the officer he couldn’t have gone far as he was on foot. I thought he was a local runaway till I came home and looked up missing children from Ohio. There was his picture though the age-progression picture was smiling too big and was blonde. He had dark hair and the darkest, blue-green eyes. Such a handsome little boy – so small for his age. He walked real stiff-legged but I figured it was because he had been walking a long time in the rain. He was wearing a canvas brown coat with a hood that looked like it was too big for him. I noticed his eyes and his left ear. It was somewhat deformed at the top – and the picture of the 3-year old in the poster had an ear that looked a lot like the boy’s. I am convinced it is Cody. The next day I took the poster into the police station along with the cup and the spoon he had eaten his Sundae from that he had taken with him from McDonalds and left in my car. I picked it up with tongs and put it into a plastic bag. The officer I talked with said he thought this little boy was a local run-away and that they hadn’t been able to find him after I had left the night before. They said they would take finger prints and DNA. I don’t know what happened after that. I have been in touch with Erika Smith from Missing Children. She sent my correspondence with her to the National Center for Missing Children. I also called the Columbus Police. I wonder what will happen if this is Cody. Would they send him back to the family that abused him?
January 23, 2008 at 7:09 pm
I was curious about missing children in ohio since our daughter was kidnapped in December of 2006. She was 8 months old. Thankfully found safe. I came across “Cody’s” story and searched for updates. Has anyone heard anything, or tried to find Jeremy? I’d be curious to know who’s out there looking for this little boy, and where he will go if he’s found. If anyone knows anything please update me, my personal email is amc4rnlccc@aol.com. Thanks so much. Amanda