In the quiet predawn hours of July 15, 1986, a baby’s crib stood empty in a suburban home in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Seven-month-old Christopher Enoch Abeyta had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only his blanket and a family’s shattered world. No cries pierced the night, no alarms rang out, and no witnesses emerged from the shadows. For nearly four decades, this baffling abduction has defied resolution, weaving a tapestry of suspicion, heartbreak, and unyielding hope. As we approach the 39th anniversary of that fateful night, a newly released age-progressed image has reignited public interest, prompting fresh questions: Who took baby Christopher? Is he still alive, living under a stolen identity? And could the key to unlocking this enigma lie in the overlooked details of a troubled affair and a web of harassment? This article delves deep into one of Colorado’s most haunting cold cases, piecing together the puzzle while inviting readers to ponder the possibilities that continue to elude investigators.

A Joyful Arrival in a Loving Home

Christopher Enoch Abeyta entered the world on November 28, 1985, as an unexpected but cherished gift to his parents, Gil and Bernice Abeyta. The couple, residing in the serene Cheyenne Hills neighborhood at 3311 Ashwood Circle, already had six children ranging from teenagers to young adults. Bernice, who believed her childbearing years were behind her, was overjoyed at the surprise pregnancy. “He was our miracle baby,” Bernice would later recall in interviews, her voice tinged with the pain of loss. Christopher, with his blond hair, blue eyes, and infectious smile, quickly became the center of the family’s universe. His siblings doted on him, taking turns holding and entertaining the little one who seemed to bring light to every room.

The Abeytas were a tight-knit family, rooted in their Swedish, German, and Spanish heritage, with DNA traces of Native American ancestry adding to their diverse background. Gil owned a successful car dealership, providing a comfortable life for his loved ones. But beneath the surface of domestic bliss, tensions simmered. In March 1986, just months after Christopher’s birth, Bernice discovered lipstick on Gil’s shirt, sparking suspicions of infidelity. The couple separated, with Gil moving to a home in Pueblo, about 45 miles away. During this period, the family began receiving anonymous hang-up calls—daily nuisances that Bernice dismissed as pranks but would later haunt her as potential clues.

By July 1986, Gil and Bernice had reconciled, eager to rebuild their marriage. On the evening of July 14, Gil returned to the family home for the first time since the separation. It was a night filled with normalcy: family conversations, laughter, and bedtime routines. Around midnight, Christopher’s sister Denise fed him a bottle, watching as he drifted off to sleep. She placed him gently in his crib, positioned just three feet from his parents’ bed in the master bedroom. The front door remained unlocked—a common practice in the household to accommodate the older children’s late comings and goings. No one could have imagined that this ordinary oversight would open the door to unimaginable tragedy.

The Silent Abduction: A Night That Changed Everything

Bernice Abeyta awoke at 6 a.m. on July 15, 1986, to a scene that would replay in her nightmares for the rest of her life. Glancing at the crib, she found it empty, Christopher’s blanket neatly folded as if he had simply evaporated. Panic surged through her. “Christopher, he’s not here. Where’s Christopher? He’s not here,” she screamed, her words echoing through the house as recounted by her daughter Denise years later. Rushing downstairs, Bernice discovered the front door ajar. A quick search of the property revealed more anomalies: an open basement window and a missing garage door opener from Gil’s car. Nothing else was disturbed—no valuables taken, not even Bernice’s purse left out in plain sight.

The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) was notified by 6:45 a.m., launching what would become a protracted and controversial investigation. Officers scoured the home, but found no fingerprints, footprints, or signs of forced entry beyond the open window. The lack of evidence fueled immediate speculation: How could an intruder enter undetected, navigate to the master bedroom, and snatch a baby without waking the parents or siblings? The crib’s proximity to the bed raised eyebrows—could someone have reached in without disturbing the sleeping couple?

In the days that followed, authorities drained nearby Quail Lake, three blocks away, in a grim search for a body. Nothing turned up. The case quickly pivoted to darker theories: baby-selling rings, random predators, or even revenge against the family. But with no ransom note or demands, the motive remained elusive. What puzzled investigators most was the apparent insider knowledge required—the abductor seemed to know the family’s habits, the unlocked door, and Christopher’s exact location. This led to uncomfortable questions: Was this the work of a stranger, or someone intimately familiar with the Abeytas?

Shadows of Suspicion: The Family Under Scrutiny

From the outset, the spotlight turned inward on Gil and Bernice. The timing of Christopher’s disappearance—coinciding with Gil’s first night back—seemed too coincidental. Police grilled the couple, suggesting perhaps they had staged the abduction to eliminate an unplanned child and reclaim their privacy. Gil admitted to his affair but insisted he loved Christopher. He passed a polygraph test, bolstering his credibility. Bernice, however, failed her first exam and received an inconclusive result on the second. She attributed this to extreme stress and withdrawal from medication, claiming interrogators accused her of smothering the baby and disposing of him in the lake—a scenario she vehemently denied.

The family’s frustration mounted as police focused on them rather than external leads. “They treated us like criminals,” Bernice later said in a 2016 interview. The CSPD’s inexperience with infant abductions was evident; they failed to dust for fingerprints at the scene and later destroyed much of the evidence, drawing accusations of negligence from the family. Despite the scrutiny, no charges were filed against the Abeytas, though they were never officially cleared. This cloud of doubt only fueled their determination to prove their innocence and find their son.

As the investigation stalled, the family took matters into their own hands. Gil quit his job at the dealership, two daughters deferred college, and they established Families of Missing Children Inc., complete with a toll-free hotline. They distributed flyers nationwide, hired private investigators, and spent nearly $1 million—selling their home and cashing in retirement funds—in a relentless quest. Bernice traveled extensively, following tips from Texas to Mexico, even donning disguises to tail suspects. One lead took her to Australia, where she investigated a suspicious family, but it proved fruitless.

The Prime Suspect: Emma Bradshaw and a Tangled Web of Deception

Central to the family’s theory is Emma Bradshaw, Gil’s affair partner during the separation. Bradshaw, who worked at Gil’s dealership, allegedly became obsessed after their brief fling ended. She harassed Bernice with anonymous calls—later traced to her workplace through a clever family ruse—and even broke into another man’s home in a similar pattern of stalking. Court records reveal Bradshaw’s history of mental illness and criminal behavior, including charges for breaking and entering.

The Abeytas believe Bradshaw, desperate for a child and claiming pregnancy by Gil (which he denied), abducted Christopher to pass him off as her own. Coincidentally, she gave birth around the time of the disappearance, but the family suspects foul play. “She called Gil multiple times the night he vanished,” Denise Abeyta Alves, Christopher’s sister, noted in recent statements. In 2013, Bradshaw sued the family for defamation after they publicly named her a suspect, winning $150,000 in 2015. Despite this, a detective testified she remained a person of interest. Bradshaw died in 1998 without confessing, leaving her role an enduring mystery.

Other leads surfaced over the years. In 1996, a man named James Bergeron, whose truck was registered to one of Christopher’s brothers, was linked to an attempted infant kidnapping in Florida. Though intriguing, no solid connection emerged. In 2018, several men came forward claiming to be Christopher, but DNA tests ruled them out. These false hopes only deepened the family’s anguish.

Heartbreak and Perseverance: The Toll on the Abeytas

The abduction’s ripple effects devastated the family. Bernice, the unyielding matriarch, dedicated her life to the search, poring over obituaries for families who lost infants around July 1986, suspecting Christopher was taken as a replacement. In 2016, diagnosed with terminal gallbladder cancer, she made a final media push, recording a message for her son: “We love you, and we’ve never stopped looking for you.” Bernice passed away on February 12, 2017, her last words a plea for answers.

Gil followed in 2020, succumbing to a heart attack amid the ongoing grief. Yet, the siblings, led by Denise Alves, carry the torch. “We’ve never given up,” Denise told reporters in 2025. They maintain a Facebook page and website, findchristopher.com, sharing updates and Christopher’s story to keep it alive.

A New Chapter: The 2025 Age-Progressed Image

On September 5, 2025, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) unveiled a groundbreaking age-progressed image of Christopher, depicting him as a 39-year-old man. Created by a team of four forensic artists using Adobe Photoshop, the image incorporates family traits, skull development studies, and ancestry clues— a far cry from the sketch artists of the 1980s. “It gives us hope,” Denise said, though she cautioned against focusing solely on appearance. “Look for circumstances: no infant photos, questions about identity.”

This release, the ninth such image, aims to leverage social media’s reach, potentially uncovering tips from those who stayed silent before. NCMEC emphasizes that infant abductions often result in survivors living unaware of their origins. “Someone still knows something,” officials stated.

Theories and Speculations: Piecing Together the Puzzle

The case brims with theories that invite speculation. Authorities once explored baby-selling schemes, but evidence is scant. The family posits an insider abduction, perhaps by Bradshaw or an accomplice, to fulfill a maternal void. Could Christopher be in Texas or New Mexico, as sightings suggested? Or raised by a family oblivious to his stolen past?

Consider the hang-up calls and the open window—was the abductor scouting the home? The missing garage opener hints at premeditation. And Bradshaw’s post-abduction behavior: her calls to Gil, her lawsuit—defensive maneuvers or coincidences? Readers might ponder: If Christopher is alive, does he sense something amiss in his life story? No baby pictures, vague origins—these red flags could trigger self-discovery.

Another angle: revenge against Gil’s dealership success. Or a random act by a predator exploiting the unlocked door? The lack of noise suggests familiarity or sedation, but no residue was found. These loose ends fuel endless “what ifs,” challenging us to reason through the facts.

Unanswered Questions and a Call to Action

As the calendar turns to September 10, 2025, Christopher’s fate remains shrouded in mystery. Would he recognize his own face in the new image? Has he fathered children, unknowingly perpetuating a lineage torn asunder? The Abeytas’ story is a testament to enduring love amid despair, but it begs resolution.

If you recognize the man in the age-progressed photo or recall anomalies from 1986, contact NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST or CSPD. One tip could unravel 39 years of silence. In this enigma, curiosity isn’t just intrigue—it’s the spark that might bring Christopher home.