Even after a local search conducted on Saturday morning, Sept. 12, by residents as well as local volunteers in both the Little Valley and Bloomington areas, little additional information has surfaced on the whereabouts of St. George resident 17-year-old Macin Smith. Residents and authorities continue to search for clues to his whereabouts, and the search is broadening.
Macin Smith has not been seen or heard from since the morning hours on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
According to family, he left home without any of his belongings, money, phone, or a change of clothing.
St. George police have been searching for the 17-year-old since he went missing. He was last seen in the Little Valley area of St. George. Smith is 6’4” tall and weighs 200 lbs, with short blonde hair and blue eyes.
Sgt. Sam Despain with the St. George Police Department, told the The Independent that there is no additional information on the case or the whereabouts of Macin Smith, but the case remains open, the investigation is active, and the search continues.
A candlelight vigil will be held for the Smith family on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 7:45 p.m., at the LDS Chapel located at 2668 E Crimson Ridge Dr., St. George. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
A Utah County candlelight prayer vigil has also been scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Pioneer Park, located at 500 West Center St. in Provo. Provo is one of the areas that Smith may have traveled to.
Original reports stated that Smith may be in the Las Vegas area, but other reports indicate that he could be as far away as Los Angeles. All these reports to date are unconfirmed.
David Cummings, commander with Red Rock Search and Rescue in Las Vegas, a group that specializes in missing and runaway individuals, told The Independent that many times if individuals are over the age of 12, the search is called off too quickly. With over 100,000 volunteer man hours spent looking for other missing children, the group will continue to help, even when the official search is ended.
In a post on the ‘Help Find Macin Smith’ page on Facebook, Cummings posted a message addressing Smith:
“Hey Macin, this is Dave with Red Rock Search and Rescue here in Las Vegas.. WOW I bet if you’re seeing everything that’s going on your feelings are running in a thousand directions… I know they are… and I feel your pain. Please listen to me as I have a lot of experience with kids in your exact position. 1, you are in ZERO trouble NONE… 2, you are in ZERO trouble NONE…. 3, you can call me on my personal line from any device and we can take you to a Safe Haven, get you fed and allow you time ALONE to make a decision that is right for you. (702-787-4068) 4, I have met with your parents, man do they love you… and St George oh my what a wonderful community of kind, loving humans that want nothing but the best for you. 5, YOU ARE NOT ALONE ON HOW YOU FEEL… more than 90 percent of kids we see runaway do it for reasonable reasons but these can be fixed. At least call me to say you are ok, if you do this we can take a lot of the heat off this, take all the signs down so you aren’t looking over your shoulder. But please reach out 702-787-4068 call me from someone’s phone… talk for just a few seconds… give me a code word your family would know so they know you are ok…. Thank you sir, I am here to help you as a neutral party…. DAVE”
According to Missingkids.com, the missing children issue is complex and multifaceted. Children may become missing due to abduction by family or non-family members. Children may become missing as a result of running away from home. Children may also become missing involuntarily for reasons other than abduction such as becoming lost, injured or under other circumstances.
The FBI maintains comprehensive statistics regarding the number of children and adults entered by law enforcement agencies into the National Crime Information Center’s Missing Person File each year. In 2014, there were 466,949 entries made by law enforcement for those younger than 18.
Anyone with Information on the whereabouts of Macin Smith is asked to contact the St. George Police Department: (435) 627-4300
