Investigators reportedly conducted extensive ground searches and spent over $200,000 on helicopter equipment and fuel to assist the efforts.
Given Steve was on a hunting trip, though, he was wearing camouflage, which made the aerial searches tougher.
Additionally, the remote area where Steve went hunting has no cell service. So, only satellite phones work.
By September 2022, his wife, Liz, offered a $15,000 reward, but she ultimately withdrew the funds in January. She reportedly planned to use the money to cover the costs of four search groups as they kept searching for Steve.
At one point, on September 15, 2023, Steve’s loved ones thought there had been a break in his case. Search crews had found remains that were believed to belong to Steve in a lake.
This wound up being a dead end, as state troopers announced the remains were actually not human.
Liz continues looking for her husband and is determined to find out what happened to him. She has created a Facebook group entitled Search For Steve, where she keeps community members informed about his case.
Most recently, there was a search in June that yielded no clues, so there are plans to resume efforts in the spring.
“My heart says he is coming home, absolutely. My heart also knows no matter what, I will see him again,” she said in December 2022.
Since then, Liz has expressed how bringing her husband home and laying him to rest where he would’ve wanted is most important.
Steve is five foot seven and weighs 200 pounds. He’s believed to have been wearing digital camouflage pants, a Mossy Oak long-sleeve shirt, and a Realtree camouflage boonie hat when he vanished. Anyone with information regarding his case is urged to contact the North Slope Borough Police Department at (907) 852-6111.
