Sara Lynn Kramer was just three years old when she disappeared. Her parents Brad and Sally Kramer lived in the Jasper Mobile Home Park in Decatur, Illinois. On September 23, 1995, Sally went out and Brad stayed at home with Sara and her brother Codi (age 5 at that time), and her baby sister Sadi (20 months old at the time). Sara went to bed at 10;00 pm in her Flintstones nightgown. The children fell asleep in the same room, and Brad fell asleep in a different room. The front door lock was broken and could not be unlocked from the outside, therefore Brad left the door unlocked when he went to sleep so that his wife can get in the house. When Sally came home about 1:00 am, she found that Sara was missing.
Though the police cleared both parents, the community questioned them. Both parents passed a lie detector test. It had been too recent that Susan Smith, the killer of her children (in a completely separate case) had lied to the world, a seeming victim, eventually admitted to killing her own children. That case was still raw in hearts across the nation.
It would take years to learn the truth of Sara's disappearance and death.
Sara's parents divorced in 1999.
In 2004, James L Huff, 38 at the time, was charged in her death while committing a home invasion. He was convicted of Sara's murder and sentenced to 50 years. There were blood droplets on her bed sheets matching his DNA. He is eligible for parole in 2062.
Huff was her uncle.
In 2021 the family pushed and succeeded to have the bridge where Sara's body was found, to be named 'THE SARA KRAMER MEMORIAL BRIDGE'.
While we do not have much information on Sara's life, we believe it's important to share her story and remember her name. Our deepest condolences to her parents and sibling, and all those who knew and loved her.