Cold Case Timeline: The 2004 Disappearance Of NSU Student Stephan Adams

26-year-old Stephan Adams went missing two weeks before Christmas in 2004.

He told his girlfriend he was going to give a man a ride to Keys, Oklahoma. Stephan was an NSU student at the time and was seen on surveillance video at a convenience store in Cookson. His credit cards and cell phone were never used and his personal belongings, including his money, were still in his dresser.

20 years later there are still very few answers.

"The family needs closure. We need to know what happened," said Tiffani Haney, Stephan's cousin in 2020. "We need to know who did this to him. We need to know why it was done, and those people need to pay for what they did to him."

Timeline of the Disappearance of Stephan Adams

December 13, 2004

1. Stephan Adams, a Northeastern State University student, disappears after leaving campus in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
2. Adams told a friend he was giving someone a ride to Keys, Oklahoma.
3. He was driving a white 1995 GMC pickup truck with chrome bed rails and license plate SCQ-714.

December 20, 2004

1. Authorities announce a $5,000 reward for information leading to Adams or his vehicle.
2. The case begins to draw attention from both local and state law enforcement.

December 22, 2004

1. The search for Stephan Adams continues, with authorities expressing concern about the lack of substantial leads.

December 23, 2004

1. Investigators confirm they suspect foul play in Adams' disappearance.

September 11, 2005

1. A fundraiser is held to raise additional funds for the search and reward. The community continues to rally around Adams' family.

October 9, 2006

1. No new developments were reported.

October 11, 2006

1. Authorities searched Lake Tenkiller following a tip but found no evidence connected to the case.

August 26, 2009

1. A tip leads law enforcement to conduct another search, but no significant findings are reported.
2. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) increases the reward for information, signaling their commitment to solving the case.

August 28, 2009

1. Adams' father continues to publicly search for answers, urging anyone with information to come forward.
2. Related Story: Father Searching For Missing Son, NSU Student

January 17, 2012

1. A Cherokee County grand jury convened in September 2011 following a petition from Adams' father, focused on the circumstances surrounding Adams' disappearance.
2. In January, the grand jury issues its final report on Adams' disappearance, but no new indictments or breakthroughs occur.
3. The jury believes that some witnesses who testified during the investigation may have provided false testimony,
4. It has recommended that District Attorney Brian Kuester pursue criminal charges against those who allegedly lied under oath.
5. The grand jury concluded that Stephen Adams was a homicide victim, with the location of his body believed to be somewhere in eastern Oklahoma.
6. Related Story: Cherokee County Grand Jury Issues Final Report On Stephen Adams' Disappearance

December 12, 2013

1. The reward is renewed, with $5,000 offered for information about Adams' disappearance.
2. Despite nearly a decade passing, authorities and family remain committed to finding answers.

November 8, 2024

1. Human remains are discovered near Lake Tenkiller by a deer hunter. A search is conducted by Sequoyah County deputies, Cherokee Nation marshals, the Oklahoma medical examiner’s office, and the District 27 DA’s office.
2. Several bones are found scattered over a 200-yard area. Authorities initially hoped the remains could be connected to Stephan Adams.
3. Cherokee County Sheriff Jason Chennault later confirmed the remains do not belong to Adams or Shawn Yanez.

Current Status

1. As of December 2024, Stephan Adams’ disappearance remains an open and unsolved case. The last confirmed sighting was on December 13, 2004. Investigators and Adams’ family continue to seek information from the public.