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July 7, 2025 30 mins

A Father’s Search for Truth, Justice, and a Son Who Never Came Home

Host: Jacob Newsome
Guest: Willie Smith
Production: Power of the Narrative (in partnership with Texas Center for the Missing)
Recorded & Mixed by: Jacob Newsome and Riverside.fm
Full Video Episode: Coming soon

On January 12, 2018, 19-year-old Jared Chavis got into a black Ford Fusion in Houston, Texas—and was never seen again. Seven years later, his father, Willie Smith, is still searching for answers.

In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Jacob sits down with Mr. Smith to revisit the night Jared vanished, the botched investigation, the heartbreak of unanswered questions, and the love of a father who refuses to give up.

Together they discuss:

  • The events surrounding Jared’s disappearance

  • The silence and negligence of law enforcement

  • The emotional toll on Jared’s son and sister

  • What it means to seek justice in a system designed to forget

  • A direct call to those who were there that night

This episode is more than a podcast. It’s a plea. A demand. A sacred record.
And we won’t stop until justice speaks.

Crime Stoppers Tip Line:
$10,000 REWARD for information leading to Jared’s location and the arrest of those responsible.
Contact Houston Crime Stoppers or call 713-222-TIPS

https://crime-stoppers.org/solve-crime/unsolved-crime/5611318


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