Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi — the full case file

Coworkers saw Kristen Modafferi with an unidentified blonde woman about 45 minutes before she vanished. Kristen Modafferi, an 18-year-old college student, vanished in San Francisco on June 23, 1997, after finishing a shift at a coffee shop. Her disappearance remains unsolved as of 2025. On June 1, 1979, Kristen Deborah Modafferi is born in Danbury, Connecticut. In June 1997, Modafferi relocates to Oakland, California, for the summer to study photography at UC Berkeley. On June 23, 1997, Modafferi finishes her shift at Spinelli's coffee shop in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria and disappears afterward. On June 24, 1997, Modafferi fails to attend her first photography class at UC Berkeley. On June 27, 1997, Modafferi's parents fly to San Francisco and report her missing to the Oakland Police Department. On June 30, 1997, Law enforcement begins actively investigating the disappearance. On July 10, 1997, Jon Onuma calls KGO-TV claiming Modafferi was murdered; he later recants the claim to police. In 1999, Jon Onuma relocates to Hawaii. In 1999, Kristen's Law is introduced by Representative Sue Myrick. In 2000, Kristen's Law is signed into law by President Bill Clinton. In 2005, federal funding for Kristen's Law expires. In 2015, an independent search using a cadaver dog detects possible human remains signs in the basement of Modafferi's former Oakland residence. In February 2017, Forensic anthropologist Dr. Arpad Vass visits the Jayne Avenue house and detects chemical signatures potentially indicating human decomposition and blood. The case remains unsolved. This case file is kept in memory of Kristen Deborah Modafferi. The full sourced case file, with every fact cited, is at casepin dot org.

Transcript from the video’s narration track. For every source, open the case file.