Where Is Sabrina Aisenberg? Infant Vanished From Florida More Than 25 Years Ago
If you have any information about this mysterious case involving Sabrina Aisenberg, who was only five months old in 1997, please consider reaching out to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children directly: 1-800-THE-LOST.
NCMEC
It was early in the morning on November 24, 1997, around 6:42 a.m., when a frantic call came into 911. A woman was on the other end and reportedly said, “My baby has been kidnapped,” according to the Tampa Bay Times.
According to the same report, local authorities arrived at the Tampa, Florida ranch-style home, and immediately began to work on the case. There were no signs of a break in, but 5-month-old Sabrina Aisenberg and her yellow blanket were gone, the report added. The Tampa Bay Times also said Sabrina’s older siblings, ages 4 and 8, were not harmed and inside the house.
It was possible something happened to Sabrina sometime after midnight up to the time she vanished, People stated. Many searches were reportedly conducted, including in lakes and surrounding homes, THV 11 reported.
Marlene and Steve Aisenberg, Sabrina’s parents, were home at the time. In 2009, according to a CNN report, Steve said, "I heard my wife's screams. We searched in the house, and that's when my wife noticed the garage door had been left open and even worse, that the door leading from the garage to the laundry room and into our house was wide open."
The same report added, “The investigators found the couple's behavior odd, their stories inconsistent. They reviewed a video Marlene took of Sabrina, just days before she vanished. On it, they thought they saw bruises on her face and a patch of hair missing from her head.”
However, Barry Cohen, the family’s criminal defense attorney refuted in the 2017 article, "The Sheriff's Office, at the time, was so interested in manipulating the evidence they didn't spend the quality time trying to get to the truth and find the baby. They thought they were guilty and they went out to look for the evidence to support it."
In 1999, the Aisenbergs were indicted for perjury based on secret conversations recorded inside the family home, according to TVH 11. The same report added, those charges were eventually dropped two years later and the family sued. They won.
Many tips have come in over the years, including one to Sabrina’s family directly. The Tampa Bay Times reports a lead came into Sabrina’s mother through Facebook. She reportedly said she did not have any documentation about the first months of her life. In 2018, according to People, there was an additional woman who claimed to be Sabrina.
As for the first woman, her birthday was similar to Sabrina’s and they are both around the same age, People added. To date, Sabrina has not been found and the search continues.
Despite everything the Aisenberg family has been through for more than 25 years, they are not giving up. According to multiple articles, the family moved to Bethesda, Maryland. to raise their family and set up a bedroom for Sabrina. They also have photos of their missing child around their home.
The family hopes, one day, Sabrina will be found and they will all be reunited. The family has also reportedly and previously registered with a DNA website, they are hoping for a match.
NCMEC says when Sabrina went missing in 1997, she was only 2 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 20 pounds. The age-progression they created shows what Sabrina may look like at the age of 23, she is now in her mid-20’s. Sabrina was born on June 27, 1997.
If you know anything about Sabrina’s mysterious disappearance, please call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children directly: 1-800-THE-LOST.