Left and Center: Christopher circa, 1990
Right: Age Progressed to age 43
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: April 20, 1990
Missing From: Eagan, Dakota County, Minnesota
Classification: Endangered Runaway
Date Of Birth: February 10, 1973
Age: 17 years old
Height and Weight: 5’11” and 135 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Male, Brown hair, Brown eyes, Christopher is allergic to sulpha, he was apparently suicidal at the time of his 1990 disappearance, he has a 1-inch scar on his forehead near the hairline and a small red birthmark in the bottom of his foot, he had severe facial acne in 1990 wears blue wire rimmed glasses or hard contact lenses, he’s severely nearsighted with a vision of 20/400 in both his eyes, Christopher’s feet both point outwards when he walks, he might use the nicknames “Chris” or “Rick-o”
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A mid calf length acid washed light blue denim trench coat which came down between knees and ankles, a size large black cotton sweater, size 30 J.C Penney underwear with a blue stripe and an elastic waistband, a black leather belt, size 29M blue/black Bugle Boy jeans with pockets at the knees, white crew sweatsocks, size 11-11.5 brown leather boat shoes, Christopher was last known to be wearing a plastic Swatch watch with a black/white zebra striped band, he was also carrying a black bifold leather wallet with his Minnesota State drivers license
NCMEC Number: 738703
Details of Disappearance
Christopher was last seen in Eagan, Minnesota on April 20th 1990. He decided to stay home from school that day since he claimed to have a bad headache. Neither of his parents were home that day. His father, Jim, left for a business trip and his mother, Loni, left him alone at the home. She gave him some over the counter pain medicine known as Excedrin for his headache. He disappeared and was never seen or heard from again. Some agencies say he had the flu.
When Loni returned home later that day, she discovered the family’s 1988 Dodge Caravan was missing, the family dog was running around loose, and there was a note from Christopher on the kitchen table. It read “Mom, Something important came up + feeling somewhat better. Back by six. (Unless I get lost.) Love, Chris.” The word lost was underlined two times but Loni said he wrote this since he would sometimes get lost. He hadn’t been driving for that long and would occasionally get lost when leaving the neighborhood area.
Christopher never came back home at the mentioned time. He withdrew $200 from his savings account on the day of his disappearance and a day later, a note which was postmarked from Duluth, Minnesota arrived to his residence. It was from Christopher. Duluth is a town approximately 2 1/2 hours away from Christopher’s home.
In the note, Christopher admitted he lied about being sick so he could use the family car to go “to not even I know where.” He also said he intended to end his own life and apologized for causing harm to his family and loved ones. He was never heard from again after this. Two days after his disappearance, the van was found abandoned on the roadside in Itasca County in Northern Minnesota.
This was approximately 20 miles north of Grand Rapids, Minnesota where his grandparents lived at the time. Investigators found the keys in the van as well as a note written by Christopher explaining whom the vehicle belonged too. An extensive search of the area proved fruitless and no trace of Christopher was found.
Christopher was carrying his fathers gun at the time of his disappearance. The gun was described as being a 1954-1956 model Mossberg 20-gauge bolt action shotgun with a three shell clip. He didn’t take any ammunition with him at the time. The gun has not been recovered. Investigators believe it might have been abandoned somewhere in rural Minnesota.
Investigators would like to speak with anyone who might have found such a gun in 1990 or afterwards. They theorize a hunter likely found it at some point after Kerze disappeared. Investigators believe Kerze left on his own accord and likely took his life afterwards. His body has not been found.
Christopher’s family received some tips after his initial disappearance in 1990. One tips was someone who claimed to have picked up a hitchhiker who resembled him and asked to be taken to Duluth. This is where Christopher’s suicide note was postmarked from. This claim has not been confirmed.
His family also got strange calls which involved the person on the other end being silent and background noise being present, such as party noise. Loni believes the phone calls were from her son. They continued to occur for 6 months after his disappearance. They suddenly stopped.
In 2004, the police investigating Kerze’s disappearance received an anonymous letter postmarked from Seattle, Washington. The letter stated Christopher was a “guardian angel” and to stop looking for him. It also said he would return home when he was ready. Investigators have since deemed the letter to be false.
Christopher was not a troubled child before his disappearance but he may have harbored suicidal thoughts at the time. He was described as an excellent student who always made Honor Roll and was invited to join the National Honor Society. He was a National Merit Scholar semi finalist and a member of the schools varsity swimming team. He played the clarinet in 1990. His hobbies include reading, camping, skiing, laser tag, and computers.
Christopher’s disappearance remains unsolved and a majority of missing persons agencies list him as an endangered runaway. His parents have since moved to a different region of Minnesota but still have the same phone number from 1990 incase he attempts to contact them. They believe he’s still alive and hope he’ll reach out to them.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Eagan Police Department 612-454-3900
Source Information
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children