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Nearly a year after his disappearance, divers search for Benjamin ‘Benny’ Stepetin
- Jasz Garrett
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
JPD says ongoing investigation is criminal, coordinates search operation with dive team and family members
By Jasz Garrett
Juneau Independent
A search for missing Juneau resident Benjamin Stepetin is being conducted this week by the Alaska Dive Search, Rescue and Recovery Team near the downtown cruise ship piers.
“We’re super, super happy they’re here,” said Martin Stepetin Sr., his brother. “They’re an experienced team. They have found other people in different parts of Alaska.”
The underwater search began Monday and is scheduled to end Sunday. Stepetin, 42, was originally reported missing on June 26, 2025. He was last seen on June 22 last year.
Stepetin Sr. said the dive team finished its subsurface drone search Thursday under and around the downtown docks, spanning from the Hangar on the Wharf to the AJ dock. He said the dive team is now searching with its side sonar technology around boats and the middle of Gastineau Channel.
The Juneau Police Department stated Thursday Stepetin’s disappearance is being treated as a criminal investigation.
“During the course of the investigation, information was developed indicating it is possible Mr. Stepetin may have gone in the water in the downtown area on the night of his disappearance,” a JPD press release states. “JPD detectives are coordinating the search operation with AK Dive Rescue and members of the Stepetin family.”
Stepetin Sr. said his family received tips last year his brother may have been pushed, but without camera footage, “we may never know.”
He said early on in the search, his family tried to acquire camera footage downtown. He said “there was very few to almost none.” Stepetin Sr. said his wife’s cousin, Alfred Willis Torres Sr., was beaten in the Marine Parking Garage on April 6. He died last week in a Seattle hospital, and family gathered on a cruise ship dock downtown last Thursday for a community vigil.
Stepetin Sr. said the assault of Torres Sr., along with his brother’s disappearance, highlights why downtown parking garages and streets need monitoring.
“Public safety is so much more than just police officers on the street,” he said. “There were cameras there, but they weren’t on because they haven’t been maintained and a lack of investment.”
He said he plans to approach the city and the Alaska Legislature to advocate for strengthening public safety.
Carl Stepetin hired a dive team for an in-depth underwater search last year after reported sightings of his brother on the dock near the downtown Juneau Public Library. But it wasn’t a specialized search and rescue company, and Stepetin Sr. said they could only have them look for a short period of time due to the cost.
Stepetin Sr. said it took time for JPD and the state to get the volunteer Alaska Dive Search, Rescue and Recovery Team to Juneau due to weather challenges and availability.
The family has extensively searched both on land and in Gastineau Channel for Benjamin Stepetin and set up a GoFundMe for their efforts.
Through Sunday, the public may notice search vessels operating downtown, the use of sonar-equipped remotely operated underwater vehicles, and divers conducting underwater searches, according to JPD.
Benjamin Stepetin is Alaska Native and is described as having short black hair, brown eyes, two dark moles on the top of his nose and a two-inch scar on his forehead. He is 5'6" and weighs 150 pounds, according to JPD’s missing persons page.
Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Benjamin Stepetin is encouraged to contact the Juneau Police Department at 907-586-0600. Anonymous tips may also be submitted through Juneau Crime Line.
Additional information about the Alaska Dive Search, Rescue and Recovery Team can be found on the website or at the team’s Facebook page.
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.
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