July 18, 2023 • 40 mins
Michael Smith was a 38-year-old Little Rock, Arkansas man who was the youngest of three sons. He was also a father of four. Michael’s parents are Scherry Smith Riggins and the late Eddie Smith who died when Michael was a teenager. Michael would last be seen on June 7, 2022 at 10:15 a.m. He had just lost his job at the Whole Hog Cafe on Cantrell Rd. After leaving his job, he had visited his mother at her banking job on Rebsamen Park Road to tell her. Michael was close to his mother and kept in regular contact with her. No one has seen Michael since.
Scherry had described her son as a good son. Michael and his dad Eddie were both huge NBA fans and share a love for basketball. Eddie had worked with his son on improving his game so that he could possibly play professional basketball in the future. Michael spent much of his youth playing in high school and junior college.
Unfortunately, Michael would give up on his dream of playing professional basketball and leave college without earning a degree. His mother said he would just take a series of different jobs and focus more on financially supporting his kids and looking out for his mother. Michael’s case is controversial. According to his mother, law enforcement claims Michael was last seen riding on a bicycle and then possibly committing suicide by jumping into a river. There were witnesses who saw an unidentified man jumping into a local river.
Scherry has said she has been told by law enforcement they believe Michael has committed suicide. Sherry disputes this. She said she has seen a blown-up photo of the man on the bike. She said he was a darker-skinned man and wasn’t her son as police claim. She also said there is no confirmation that the man who allegedly jumped into the river was her son. Another source of contention between law enforcement and Michael’s family is that a neighbor told Michael’s family that she saw Michael checking his mailbox sometime between 4:20 p.m. and 4:40 p.m. on the day he disappeared. Scherry has said law enforcement has never spoken to this neighbor.
I asked Scherry if Michael had any enemies. She said that he was concerned for his life. He told his mother that if anything ever happened to him then law enforcement needed to look at someone he named. Scherry has given this name to law enforcement and doesn’t believe they have considered this person as a suspect in Michael’s disappearance. Today, Scherry and her son Cedric spend many hours looking in abandoned houses and speaking to people trying to figure out what happened to Michael.
Have you seen Michael Smith? He is described as being 5’10” and weighing around 130 lbs. His family is searching for him and believe he is deceased. They want to locate him so he can receive a proper burial and they can stop searching for him. If you know anything about Michael’s disappearance, please contact Little Rock Police Department at (501) 371-4605. There is also a reward for any information leading to Michael’s whereabouts.
Please also visit my website for more information about my true crime and paranormal newspaper columns at www.themarcabe.com. You can also help support my podcast by purchasing a cup of $5 coffee every month. To help support the podcast, please visit https://www.buymeacoffee.com/catchmykiller. If you would like to contact me about this podcast, please visit my websites www.catchmykiller.com or www.themarcabe.com where you can submit a case.
Scherry had described her son as a good son. Michael and his dad Eddie were both huge NBA fans and share a love for basketball. Eddie had worked with his son on improving his game so that he could possibly play professional basketball in the future. Michael spent much of his youth playing in high school and junior college.
Unfortunately, Michael would give up on his dream of playing professional basketball and leave college without earning a degree. His mother said he would just take a series of different jobs and focus more on financially supporting his kids and looking out for his mother. Michael’s case is controversial. According to his mother, law enforcement claims Michael was last seen riding on a bicycle and then possibly committing suicide by jumping into a river. There were witnesses who saw an unidentified man jumping into a local river.
Scherry has said she has been told by law enforcement they believe Michael has committed suicide. Sherry disputes this. She said she has seen a blown-up photo of the man on the bike. She said he was a darker-skinned man and wasn’t her son as police claim. She also said there is no confirmation that the man who allegedly jumped into the river was her son. Another source of contention between law enforcement and Michael’s family is that a neighbor told Michael’s family that she saw Michael checking his mailbox sometime between 4:20 p.m. and 4:40 p.m. on the day he disappeared. Scherry has said law enforcement has never spoken to this neighbor.
I asked Scherry if Michael had any enemies. She said that he was concerned for his life. He told his mother that if anything ever happened to him then law enforcement needed to look at someone he named. Scherry has given this name to law enforcement and doesn’t believe they have considered this person as a suspect in Michael’s disappearance. Today, Scherry and her son Cedric spend many hours looking in abandoned houses and speaking to people trying to figure out what happened to Michael.
Have you seen Michael Smith? He is described as being 5’10” and weighing around 130 lbs. His family is searching for him and believe he is deceased. They want to locate him so he can receive a proper burial and they can stop searching for him. If you know anything about Michael’s disappearance, please contact Little Rock Police Department at (501) 371-4605. There is also a reward for any information leading to Michael’s whereabouts.
Please also visit my website for more information about my true crime and paranormal newspaper columns at www.themarcabe.com. You can also help support my podcast by purchasing a cup of $5 coffee every month. To help support the podcast, please visit https://www.buymeacoffee.com/catchmykiller. If you would like to contact me about this podcast, please visit my websites www.catchmykiller.com or www.themarcabe.com where you can submit a case.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:14):
Hello, and welcome to the CatchMy Killer Podcast. Thank you for listening.
My name is Mark. For nearlyeight years, I've written a weekly
newspaper column about true crimes and missingpeople for the Claremont Sun newspaper in Ohio.
With the column and podcast, ithas always been my objective to bring
attention to those cases that have notreceived much media attention, if any at
(00:39):
all. This week's story involves athirty eight year old Little Rock, Arkansas
man named Michael Smith, who vanishedon June seventh, two twenty two.
He was last seen visiting his mother, who worked at a local bank.
He had let her know that hisemployer had just terminated him. After Michael
(01:02):
left his mother's place of employment,she would never see him again. This
is the first part of a twopart story. Please be sure to listen
to the conclusion next week. MichaelSmith was a thirty eight year old Little
(01:30):
Rock, Arkansas man who was theyoungest of three sons. He was also
a father of four. Michael's parentsare Sherry Smith Riggins in the late Eddie
Smith, who died when Michael wasa teenager. Michael would last be seen
on June seventh, twenty twenty twoat ten fifteen am. He had just
(01:51):
lost his job at the Whole HogCafe on Cantrell Road. After leaving his
former job, he had visited withhis mother at her banking job on Rebsimon
Park Road to tell her. Michaelwas especially close to his mother and kept
in regular contact with her after heleft her place of employment. No one
has seen Michael since. Sherry describedher son as a good son. She
(02:15):
did say he did have some problems, as we all do, but she
did say that he was a hardworking young man who was especially close to
his dad when he was a teenager. Michael and his dad, Eddie,
were both huge NBA fans and shareda mutual love for basketball. When Michael
was younger, Eddie had worked withhis son so that he could possibly play
(02:38):
professional basketball in the future. Michaelspent much of his youth playing basketball in
high school and junior college. Sadly, Michael playing professional basketball would be a
dream that Eddie would not live longenough to see. Eddie was electrocuted while
cutting down a tree in nineteen ninetyeight. The loss would deeply affect Michael,
(02:59):
as he was biggest supporter and hisson's biggest fan. Eventually, Michael
would give up on his dream ofplaying professional basketball and leave college without earning
a degree. His mother said thathe would just end up taking a series
of different jobs and focus more onfinancially supporting his children and looking out for
(03:20):
his mother. Michael's case is controversial. According to his mother, law enforcement
claims that Michael was last seen ridingon a bicycle and then possibly committing suicide
by jumping into a river. Therewere witnesses who saw an unidentified man jumping
into a local river. Sherry hasbeen told by law enforcement that Michael may
(03:44):
have committed suicide. Sherry disputes this. She has said that she has seen
a blown up photo of the manon the bike that was supposedly Michael.
She said the man on the bikewas a darker skinned man and he definitely
was not her son, as policeclaim. She also said there is no
confirmation that the man who jumped intothe river was her son. Another source
(04:08):
of contention between law enforcement and Michael'sfamily is that a witness is said to
have seen Michael checking his mail sometimebetween four twenty and four forty pm on
the day that he disappeared. Accordingto Sherry, law enforcement has never spoken
to this witness. I had askedSherry if Michael had any enemies. She
(04:30):
did tell me that he was concernedfor his life. He had told his
mother that if anything ever happened tohim, then law enforcement needed to look
at someone that he had mentioned.Sherry has given this name to law enforcement
and doesn't believe they have considered thisperson as a suspect and Michael's disappearance.
Today, Sherry and her son Cedricspend many hours looking in abandoned houses and
(04:55):
speaking to people trying to figure outwhat happened to Michael. Unfortunately, Sherry's
motherly instincts have told her that herson is deceased. She is now pleading
for the public to help her recoverhis body so that he can receive a
proper burial if she can stop searchingfor Michael. This is the first half
(05:15):
of the two parts story. Besure to listen to the conclusion next week.
And now on with the story ofMichael Smith, as told by his
mother, Sherry Smith Riggins. Michaelwas born September twenty six, nineteen eighty
three, in Little Rock, Arkansas, and his father's name was If she's
(05:41):
deceased, Eddie James Smith and ofcourse I'm Sherry L. Smith Riggins.
He owns a tree business service andhe was elected to cut in the tree
down where Michael was fourteen. Eddiedied September to seventeenth, nineteen ninety eight,
to very day that he was injured. He only lived probably five hours.
(06:02):
He died in surgery. Michael wasvery close to his dad. They
had a passion for basketball. Myhusband played basketball in high school and college
and Michael hut the same love.And he studied with Michael when he was
probably about five years old, gettinghim ready to play basketball. And Michael
(06:25):
had a love for it and heplayed high school, he went on to
junior college, played in California.He played AAU So that was his passion.
Who is Michael's favorite NBA team?Well, Michael liked the Chicago Bulls,
and his dad before his death tookhim too. I think they remember.
(06:46):
No, my husband was a LarryBird fan. Okay, Larry Bird
and Magic Johnson. Oh, thatwas definitely a great rivalry back in the
day. Yes, So Michael wasbasically left handed. My husband toldy,
you could not favor one hand,and I could see seeing him with two
basketballs and they would dribble. Evenmy husband put a half of a court
(07:09):
in our backyard and May had apoorble concrete, so we could go out
there and practice with Michael. Soit was a love that they both shared.
And Michael was lost when his daddied, and that's the truth.
And so I had started going tothe games and screaming, and after Eddie
died, so I had to pickup where my husband left off, and
(07:30):
I did. So that is alittle bit about Eddie as Michael's love.
Like I said, he lost hisdeath when he was fourteen getting ready to
turn fifteen. Mikey was turning fifteento twenty six. And like I said,
because my husband was it was anaccident the death. They had to
take him, of course to theCrown lab and time we got him back
(07:53):
and it was a while, butI didn't want to bury him on his
son's fifteenth birthday, so I buriedhim two days for Michaels fifteenth Thursday.
And so I made a deal withMichael. If you didn't get into any
trouble, you didn't get anybody treadmanand would go finish Holy and go to
college. I would not marry anybody. Well, I'm kild youth for in
(08:16):
school. So he kept his fromus and I kept mine. And what
year did Michael graduate from high school? Come to Central High? Okay?
So two thousand and two. Sohe's been out of high school for over
twenty years. And I'm assuming thathe went to high school in Arkansas?
Is that correct? Correct? LittleRock? Ark? Him South? Did
(08:37):
he play basketball all through high school? All through high school? In fact,
I'm in his room. I've remarried in everything, but I bought
his trophies. I'm looking Michael hasso many trophies from basketball. He played
AAU. I'm just looking at somany trophies that Mikey got while he played
(08:58):
basketball. Bat about with the fashions. I can remember back in the day,
when I was in my twenties,I was a pretty big basketball fan,
and I used to watch a lotof the NBA games. I grew
up watching Michael Jordan, Hakim Elijahan, Shaquille O'Neill, big stars like that.
And what's funny is I can rememberpeople talking about NBA players as if
(09:22):
basketball wasn't let's say, as athleticof a sport is say baseball or football,
and I've always disagreed with those peoplethat have that opinion because as someone
who has played basketball, I meanI just played in school and things like
that, but just playing full court. People who've never played have no idea
(09:46):
how much endurance that takes to beable to play full court. Running up
and down the court takes a lotof energy. And I don't think a
lot of people understand just how athleticthese guys really are. In my opinion,
NBA play ye are probably the mostathletic and gifted athletes of all the
professional major sports leagues. So now, tummy, I guess at the time,
(10:09):
when Michael was young and he haddreams of playing professional basketball, was
one of his dreams actually to makeit into the NBA one day? Yes,
yes, Michel was gonna be aspud web. Mikey was number one
about five seven, But like Isaid, his father was good, and
(10:31):
so he ended up doing basketball andpoe voting. I think that's what you
call it. Anyway, he missedup his career because the pole broken.
I think he missed up his ligamentsand stuff in his leg. Into still
had the same love of all spits, but he loved basketball with his dad,
(10:52):
and his dad was preparing him forthe NBA. But like I said,
I know he's being about the sport. But when Eddie God, it
shifted because he had no one tolead it. I didn't know what schools
to tend him too, of whatto do. Central would ask it because
he played aau Park View was askingfor him. I had all these schools
(11:15):
asking for him, and if Eddiehad have been here, he would have
guided him better than what I did. I sent him this Central. It
was chaotic, but it did notdeter him from the love of the game.
He paid three on three tournaments andthey would win and anything where it
was shooting basketball, Michael did itand Michael loved it. But he didn't
(11:39):
go to the NBA. But likeI said, if his dad had lived,
I think he would have gone.He would have made it because he
would have had the right guidance,said his mother. I don't care what
a mother does. She can loveher son, but she can't teach him
how to be a man. Andthat's where he only had fourteen years of
his father's guided But still his dtaught him a lot of things because he
(12:03):
would have those boys to go upwith him and he would pay them to
cut trees. They can cut thetrees, but he bought them a full
willers have made it fun so theycould haul it and put it on a
full wheeler, and they take timeto driving it in and stacking it.
He tell them how to work.He tell them disponsability and how to work.
(12:24):
It. Sounds like Eddie was agreat role model for Michael when Michael's
growing up, and a lot ofyoung men aren't fortunate enough to have a
positive male role model in their lifeas a teenager, Michael was certainly lucky
to have a dad who wanted tohelp him try to achieve his dreams.
Eddie Smith was a positive role modelin Michael's life growing up. Unfortunately,
(12:50):
Eddie died while Michael was a teenager. The person who inspired Michael to be
great was no longer in Michael's life. He would then begin and to lean
on his mother more, but sheknew that she would be limited in what
she could teach him, as shebelieves that a mother cannot teach a son
how to be a man. Wewill take a short break and listen to
(13:11):
Sherry describe how Michael's life would unfoldwithout his father's guidance. Eddie was wonderful.
(13:46):
He loved his son and he wasteaching them how to be a man.
Keller did like the Bible did.At the age of twelve, he
would tell me, because we hadthree sons, okay, it's time for
me to take a older and toteach him how to be a man,
because you can't teach him how tobe a man. You can teach him
how to be soft, but youcan't teach him how to be a man.
(14:07):
So at twelve he was so talkingabout what it takes to become a
man, right, because there's alot of things that a mother can teach
your son, but one thing thatshe cannot teach him is how to be
a man. And on Father's Day, I went out with my youngest son
and we had a conversation about this, and he told me there were things
(14:31):
that he learned from his mother,but there were things that he learned from
me that he could not have learnedfrom his mother. Unfortunately, a lot
of young men in America grow upwithout a positive male role model in their
life, and that's definitely a hugeproblem in America, and that's why there
were so many young men in prison. During my time in social services,
(14:54):
where I spent over eleven years inthat field, I had taken a class
and the instructor had told me thatnearly every man in prison has one thing
in common, regardless of their ethnicity. The one thing they had in common
is that they all grew up withouta positive male role model in their lives.
(15:16):
And what I really find disheartening abouttoday's society when it comes to men,
is that a lot of people havethe belief that a man is not
needed in the house, or ason doesn't need a positive male role model
in his life. Now, Irealize that there are a lot of situations
(15:37):
where there isn't a male role modelin the home for various reasons. But
if there is a possibility for ayoung man to have his father in his
life, and this father is agood man who can teach his son how
to be a man, that's agood thing. It's always going to be
a good thing. Now, goingback to Michael's professional basketball aspirations, when
(16:03):
did he realize that he wasn't goingto play professional basketball? When did that
happen in his life? Michael,his coach was terminated for playing with ineligible
players. So they got a newcoach in the twelfth grade, Michael Swift
year. And most coaches have theirfavorite team. And anyway, Michael ended
(16:26):
up going to Columbia in California justbeen years now. I think he played
at a junior college and some I'mmistaken is how he ended up at same
college in California, and that coachended up getting in trouble. And then
Michael just lost heart every time hegot a coach that he right or whatever.
(16:52):
I don't know. Maybe I don'tknow why. He just lost face
with playing basketball after three years andhe just came home. He just didn't
want to do it anymore. AndI guess that was it because that coach
was also terminated. He did something. I don't fig out what he did
at the school. So Michaels wentfrom the high school of losing his twelfth
(17:17):
grade coach that he had from thenice to the twelve then he lost his
three year coach and so he justcame home. And what did Michael do
after he came home to earn hisdegree while he was in college. No,
he was like one year of gettinghis degree, and so he came
(17:37):
in and I guess he had enoughhours of whatever. He started working at
the VA. And this is somany years ago, so brief, forgive
me, but I know he hadhim a nice job at the VA and
he was making very good money.What did he do at the VA hospital
and had something to do with help? It wasn't like he worked in the
(17:59):
kitchen. They had something to dowith nutrition. So did you do something
like the work of a dietitian somethinglike that at the VA was something like
that. Michael had some good jobsthrough his career. Even that's around and
we owned the business and he readthat. That's what he did when he
first came in. We had abusiness that my oldest son started and when
(18:22):
Mikey first came out of college,that's what he did. We had a
checkcash and bill payments center. Wehad two locations and Mikey ran one of
them for pot four years or fivewhen he came back. So that's what
he did. That tells you senda while I have to see, I'm
sixty five, I'm doing good.But he did for I think five years.
(18:45):
He did that and he was verygood at it. And then he
went to the VA after that andworked at the VA. Now tell me
about his personal life. Did Michaelever get married? I mean, I
know he had kids. Zat Michaelhad children. Okay, Michael never got
married. He got engaged, butthey never got married. Michael got involved
(19:10):
with a young lady and they hadtwo children, and he had two other
children. Okay, Michael, hehad the son of seventeen and the daughter
that is fifteen, another and there'sfourteen and one twelve, a things and
something like them. But he endedup a four kids, and he ended
(19:33):
up with the young lady that hastwo children by because she had the first
two bylmes. That's who he waswith when he disappeared, the one that
had his first two children. Sothat's the person who was with when they
disappeared and they came became engaged.The one that had the other one she
married somebody else, and the otherone married someone else. So he ended
(19:57):
up with his first two children's mom. Okay, so he had four children
buy three different women. Is thatcorrect? Yes? Yes? Now was
he on good terms with all themothers? Yeah, because he was all
any time they would come to myhouse. Those two kids were always together.
(20:17):
In fact, they go to schooltogether now, so they're very close
they say they are like they twins, just from a different mother. So
those kids get along. So therethe mothers, all the mothers get along.
And didn't paid child support, soit wasn't like he was a dead
be dead might paid child support.He took care of all his children.
Percentages came out. He had percentagescoming to each one of those kids up
(20:42):
until he disappeared. He I wishpaid child support. He never not took
care of his children and he wouldalways go even though he had a bad
relationship with the one he was withowning off, he always would take care
of his children and did what wasnecessary with his kids. They can never
(21:03):
say he was dead to be bad. He loved his kid if he didn't
do nothing as he loved his children, and he was there because he knew
what it took when he lost hisfather, you didn't know how to fail.
So Michael was always in his kid'slife. In fact, I text
each one of them for Father's Day, and so I have found out to
(21:26):
my pastors, if you were taughtsomething, it's not hard to give it.
It's harder to give something you werenot given too. So his dad
and him had a good relationship.So it was not hard to give back
what you received. That makes sense. I definitely agree with that. So
Michael sounds like a pretty good guy. Now, did he ever have any
(21:47):
legal issues or any type of troublewith a law anything like that. Now,
I'm not gonna paint a martyr outof my stuf. I have to
tell the truth about my stuff.Like I said, my sign and his
significant others, he had troubles.It all started made the age of twenty
one. They had one car.Now they had a house. They both
(22:08):
stayed in this house and raised theirchildren. Was raising their kids. He
took the car, and he tookthe car. He didn't come back,
and she missed a poor plummer.She called the police and said he was
driving the car, was the ourpermission. When Michael came in, she
called the police and said he's inthe driveway. The police shows up,
She's looking at him through the plumbon her door door. Then, so
(22:32):
when the police come up, theyasked him what is he doing. He
says, I'm trying to get inthe house. But she had locked the
doors and he couldn't get an ounced. So they asked him, was this
his car? He said, yeah, this is me and my girl's car.
I live here, and it justkept going and kept going. So
they're going to step out, andhe asked them what did he do?
It's out there YouTube. So fromthere, one of the cops ended up
(22:55):
pulling the gun on him, endedup shooting him twice in the legs.
Out of the German hit him up. He got shot. He was shot
in the artery. The car tookoff. The police said that he was
fleeing. He hit a pole becausehe was like out. He was in
the hospital. They charged him.Was playing we had to get a lawyer.
(23:15):
A lot of it was dropped thathe went from a million dollar bell
to a twenty thousand dollars bear andthen she she bails him out. The
person that call up early bails himout. So yeah, and that was
pending. That's a lot. Yeah, that was pending. And the prosecutor
was saying that discussed. Since hebeen missing, they've been talking that she
(23:41):
was playing two in the middle.She would tell the lawyer we hired one
thing, and the prosecutor another thing. She tell his lawyer that this is
her fiance, She's not gonna doanything to hurt him. But yet she
killed a prosecutor. I'm afraid tosay anything. So the prosecutor said they
could the trust. So they werejust going to offer him a plea deal
(24:02):
of probation for a while and ifyou get into normal trouble, get wiped
off your case and all that kindof stuff. But we never got to
that because he came up missing.I had asked Sherry if Michael had any
enemies or if he was in fearof anyone before he disappeared. His mother
told me that there was one individualwho Michael had an issue with, and
(24:22):
if anything were to happen to him, then the police would need to look
at this individual. We'll take afinal break and listen to Sherry discussed the
moments leading up to when she lastsaw her son alive. Okay, so
(24:49):
did Michael have any enemies that youknew about? Was there anyone that was
mad at him or possibly someone mighthave wanted to harm Michael? Was there
anything like that going on in hislife that you knew about. Mikey takes
me probably seven days before he left, and said, if anything happened to
(25:12):
me, Mama, this is theperson they did it, and that is
what he might from. Takes meokay, and Michael gave you a name.
He gave a name, but forsome reason they won't they won't him.
Don't you find that kind of odd? I mean, he tells you
(25:33):
that he's worried about someone doing somethingto him, and he gives you a
name, and then he disappears.That's very concerning. I'm sure you were
probably concerned when he first told youthis. I find this to be a
very odd situation. Would you agree, Yes, I'd be and a very
odd. But I wanted my sonabout the individual. And my son said
(25:59):
to me, I know, Mom, I know. And that was on
the money, he says, Iknow. We talked about He came to
my office and mind him, hespoke about it, and he says,
yes, I know. And hetold him about what he played when Alis
was over and behind him, whathe wanted to do with his life.
And that was when he disappeared.Right now, take me up until the
(26:22):
day that he disappeared. From whatI've read online, he worked at a
restaurant, he got terminated, andthen he came and spoke to you at
your job. And this was onJune the seventh or something like that of
last year, and a little afterten am. Does that sound correct?
Correct? Okay, Tuesday, Junethe seventh, Yes, that was Tuesday,
(26:48):
and then you never saw him again. That's what I've read based on
media sources. Now did they getit right or is there anything missing from
their reporting that is correct? Myson left me at ten. We looked
at the video cameras wherever, andwe saw him. We act bore at
ten fifteen and we could bite himuntil the parting in seventeen. A lot
(27:11):
of servilis cameras said around the company. I would for and now the post
said he was on a bicycle.We never seen a bicycle. They sent
me a picture. They emailed melast night see and she saw a young
man on a bicycle and she said, he's such a darker and he doesn't
look like person. And I said, we had to pitch a bone up
(27:33):
and because at one time Providi vestigatorwas looking into this, and I said
the picture was blown up and itwas not Michael, but the police said
he And so evidently they don't gotto know where my son the bud and
it was different closed and left withthe young man on the bicycle was a
dark intellection. He had different clotheson. He didn't have a shirt own,
(27:55):
but they said that was Michael.And you're absolutely positive that man reported
on that bicycle was not your son. Oh, I'm never possible. Even
the lady didn't even know last heightfrom a ding person or something. Emailed
me and said, do you havea better photo because this person is much
(28:15):
darker than the individuals they do haveabout it, because I haven't from pictures
of Michael live there. And shesaid it just it doesn't look like the
same person. Well it wasn't.And that's when I tried to tell police,
this is not Michael on this bicycle. What he wanted to say it
is though, Okay, now letme go back to the day that he
(28:36):
visited you, the last time thatshe saw him. Was there something specific
that he had to tell you,I mean, other than just telling you
that he got terminated from his job. Was there something else that he wanted
to tell you or was it thathe had just come by just to say
hello to you. Michael always comeback, Like I said, he came
(28:56):
back to see me money. Hecame by, choose to tell me he
had been let gold at his job. But they were being very treacherous with
some things they would do, andthis not the first time. Michael had
been started before. But he allwouldn't go get a best job. There's
(29:17):
a job he had before the end. So he just came by to tell
me that he had got terminated.He said, well and customed our work.
I know a lot of people thatI got that one. And so
he just a mom I got letgold and I said, well, okay,
but you know, I don't knowwhere. The thing for me is
that they will say Michael left thatbank and committed society. It's what the
(29:41):
police want to say. But ifhe committed suicide, where is his body?
That's what the judge says. Wefight every three months is a court
system, and that's what judge says. I will not use his death of
society because that was her court thatall this was not there. And she
said, that's not the mister Smith. I know he never mister cut a
(30:06):
parents. He would always presentle.He didn't look like a thug. And
she said, I would not rulehe had death for suicide because they're trying
to say that mighty left. Mybabe got on a bicycle which we pulled.
Was not his bodicycle. Rode tothe Broadway Bridge and jump. We
have a witness that said she sawhim at four o'clock back at his house.
(30:29):
The police weren't an end of thefifth person. Yes, I saw
that he was getting his mail.Correct, Yes he was getting the mail,
and the witness saw him. Butthe thing of it is, well,
we'll have a problems with is allthat We've had private investigator listen to
all of this, and the everdis that we have with the then it
(30:51):
the police still will not listen toit. They would not spay anything about
it, to keep saying he killshimself. They will not interview the wit
is the sheriff department called me becauseokay, I opened their account, so
they were nice and they were goingto look into it. They tell the
sheriff department they interviewed the witness andshe had her day's wrong. The witness
(31:12):
says, I never spoke to thepolice about the introdut So it's so much.
I don't know why. If it'she's created suicide by the live why
a person that's not my son ora bid shield to try to convince me
mother, But this is her turn. So all the going out my son
(31:37):
that this Houston works six days ofthe teas of winder Shriet in Houston.
He gets on Friday, he driveshim for seven hours to leave the couple
and him and I go out inany abandoned house, any wood that we
think that you try a body.We have been. I have been in
weeds up to my base looking formy son. I have not gotten me
(32:00):
any cooperation from the police. Theonly thing I had was operation for a
while from a private investigator and hetold me I'm going ahead and find my
son. After a month, Isay months or two, he found out
a lot of information. He disappeared. He don't even speak to me anymore.
So I don't know what he foundout. But he closed his account.
(32:22):
He didn't even tell me. Anotherbranch called to tell me he closed
as account and he left and hewill have any more contact with me.
So every time I get somebody toinvestigate, my son disappeared. The only
thing I asked people, I justwant to find his body. I just
(32:43):
want to find my son's body.They were looking through it and whenever they
found out, they were not huntackme anymore or take my fought house.
And I mean the police demparted thesheriff Department. I've spoken to the US
Marshall. I have called wherever theyMan's alway on the news Cross the Cross,
I have emailed him, I haveemailed CNS anything. I ask people
(33:07):
help me to locate my son becausethe police clams up anybody and everybody that
looks into Michael's disappearance. And sothat's where I am with it. My
son and I will do it.We investigate, we talk to people,
We go through houses, and likeI said, I work all week.
(33:29):
I'm six fives now and I'm crawlingin abandoned houses, but I'm looking at
my son. So I even hadan ex publishman came and said, I'm
paying for your seal weapon license becauseit's one of my customers, so you
can go out there and be armed. So I do everything that I can
(33:50):
to defend Michael and bring home.Now, going back to the guy that
Michael was concerned about. Have youever spoken to this individual? Have you
ever asked, hey, did youdo something on my son? Yes?
We have, Yes we have,and what did this person tell you?
Yes, we do know some ofthe information about that individual, and we
(34:12):
think that inviduals at all did butfor some reason, the police were not
even questioned any individual. Now wedid have the p I didn't look and
speak to the individual, and theywas doing a hostile They made a comment
that the only problem they just upset. I think that they came on his
body. So basically they feel like, because you could found the body,
(34:37):
you can't charge anybody within me.But for US police know we haven't helped
it at all. And what isMichael's official status? So just to confirm
he's considered missing? Is that correct? Yes? Oh, my god,
on my birthday he came in Juneof US our filed to during the temp
(34:57):
on my turn sixty four. Alaw enforcement did accept your missing person's report.
I know in some cases they don'talways accept them. Oh they accepted
that, yes, yes, Butif you go out there on the missing
profile, because in the US database, David n givement address, they make
(35:19):
it seem like he was homeless day, say he was on a bicycle.
It's so vague of Michael. Theyjust put something out there, That's what
they did. Because I wouldn't evenalone, so they just put they wouldn't
even say his last known address,They left that blank. It does a
lot of the type and they hadall the information. They had all of
the information. So for now it'sbasically just you and your son, Cedric,
(35:45):
who's a former marine, that areactually outlooking for your son. Yes,
yes, I definitely do the sameif something happened to one of my
brothers. And so just to clarify, Michael is the youngest, correct,
Cedric is one of his older brothers. Yes, he's the baby. He's
(36:07):
the baby. Each one of mykids are three and a half years apart,
so I have him forty five,the forty three, and Michael will
be forty this year. So hecomes home and like I said, I
have his back. If he's inthe houses, I'm standing outside watching it.
Because we've been in some very badareas well, I definitely would not
(36:30):
advise you to go out alone lookingfor Michael. It could be dangerous for
you. No, No, Igo with my gime because my son he's
going and I have relatives they wantto come. But I have five hundred
nieces and nephews. It's five generations, it's five hundred of them. But
right now, I don't want alot of commotions. I don't want the
(36:52):
focus to come off of what we'retrying to do so right now, it's
just my self and Cedric. Wego out and we looked, and we
will continue to look until we signedhim. I definitely don't blame me for
your efforts. Now, tell mewhen was the moment that you realized that
there was something wrong with Michael.What made you come to the conclusion that
(37:16):
he's missing or something bad has happenedto him Michael, Like we said,
it's a person that communicate. Andso when Michael left my office AD Tuesday,
I hadn't heard from him. Thenthen thirsty I called his significant other
and asked us. She said,oh, he hasn't been home as like
casually she said, oh, Ihaven't seen him. And I'm like,
(37:38):
you haven't seen him, and she'slike no. So I called her that
Friday, and then I tried tocall his phone and he kept going straight
to voicemail or straight to something,and that wasn't like him to either text
me or say something. And soby Friday, I still hadn't hear from
Michael, and that was not likeMichael. So I knew then it had
(38:00):
been three days. Something wasn't late, something was not right. And so
I went and fold a missing personbecause, like I said, Michael,
no matter what, he would communicate, and I hadn't heard from him in
three days, so I knew somethingwas wrong, something had to be wrong.
And that concludes the first half ofMichael Smith's story. Please listen to
(38:24):
the conclusion next week. Have youseen Michael. He has described as being
five foot ten and weighing around onehundred and thirty pounds. His family is
desperately searching for him, and theydo believe that he is deceased, but
they want to locate him so thatthey can give him a proper burial and
they can stop searching for him.If you know anything about Michael's disappearance,
(38:47):
please contact the Little Rock Police Departmentat five zero one three seven one four
six zero five. There is alsoa reward for any information leading to Michael's
whereabouts. I will also provide thisinformation in the case story notes. And
if you are a parent, lawenforcement official, friend, or relative see
(39:12):
Injustice for an unsolved thomicide case,please visit my website and complete the contact
form. You can also contact methrough Facebook. Thank you for listening.
Hello, and welcome to the CatchMy Killer Podcast. Thank you for listening.
My name is Mark. For nearlyeight years, I've written a weekly
newspaper column about true crimes and missingpeople for the Claremont Sun newspaper in Ohio.
With the column and podcast, ithas always been my objective to bring
attention to those cases that have notreceived much media attention, if any at
(00:39):
all. This week's story involves athirty eight year old Little Rock, Arkansas
man named Michael Smith, who vanishedon June seventh, two twenty two.
He was last seen visiting his mother, who worked at a local bank.
He had let her know that hisemployer had just terminated him. After Michael
(01:02):
left his mother's place of employment,she would never see him again. This
is the first part of a twopart story. Please be sure to listen
to the conclusion next week. MichaelSmith was a thirty eight year old Little
(01:30):
Rock, Arkansas man who was theyoungest of three sons. He was also
a father of four. Michael's parentsare Sherry Smith Riggins in the late Eddie
Smith, who died when Michael wasa teenager. Michael would last be seen
on June seventh, twenty twenty twoat ten fifteen am. He had just
(01:51):
lost his job at the Whole HogCafe on Cantrell Road. After leaving his
former job, he had visited withhis mother at her banking job on Rebsimon
Park Road to tell her. Michaelwas especially close to his mother and kept
in regular contact with her after heleft her place of employment. No one
has seen Michael since. Sherry describedher son as a good son. She
(02:15):
did say he did have some problems, as we all do, but she
did say that he was a hardworking young man who was especially close to
his dad when he was a teenager. Michael and his dad, Eddie,
were both huge NBA fans and shareda mutual love for basketball. When Michael
was younger, Eddie had worked withhis son so that he could possibly play
(02:38):
professional basketball in the future. Michaelspent much of his youth playing basketball in
high school and junior college. Sadly, Michael playing professional basketball would be a
dream that Eddie would not live longenough to see. Eddie was electrocuted while
cutting down a tree in nineteen ninetyeight. The loss would deeply affect Michael,
(02:59):
as he was biggest supporter and hisson's biggest fan. Eventually, Michael
would give up on his dream ofplaying professional basketball and leave college without earning
a degree. His mother said thathe would just end up taking a series
of different jobs and focus more onfinancially supporting his children and looking out for
(03:20):
his mother. Michael's case is controversial. According to his mother, law enforcement
claims that Michael was last seen ridingon a bicycle and then possibly committing suicide
by jumping into a river. Therewere witnesses who saw an unidentified man jumping
into a local river. Sherry hasbeen told by law enforcement that Michael may
(03:44):
have committed suicide. Sherry disputes this. She has said that she has seen
a blown up photo of the manon the bike that was supposedly Michael.
She said the man on the bikewas a darker skinned man and he definitely
was not her son, as policeclaim. She also said there is no
confirmation that the man who jumped intothe river was her son. Another source
(04:08):
of contention between law enforcement and Michael'sfamily is that a witness is said to
have seen Michael checking his mail sometimebetween four twenty and four forty pm on
the day that he disappeared. Accordingto Sherry, law enforcement has never spoken
to this witness. I had askedSherry if Michael had any enemies. She
(04:30):
did tell me that he was concernedfor his life. He had told his
mother that if anything ever happened tohim, then law enforcement needed to look
at someone that he had mentioned.Sherry has given this name to law enforcement
and doesn't believe they have considered thisperson as a suspect and Michael's disappearance.
Today, Sherry and her son Cedricspend many hours looking in abandoned houses and
(04:55):
speaking to people trying to figure outwhat happened to Michael. Unfortunately, Sherry's
motherly instincts have told her that herson is deceased. She is now pleading
for the public to help her recoverhis body so that he can receive a
proper burial if she can stop searchingfor Michael. This is the first half
(05:15):
of the two parts story. Besure to listen to the conclusion next week.
And now on with the story ofMichael Smith, as told by his
mother, Sherry Smith Riggins. Michaelwas born September twenty six, nineteen eighty
three, in Little Rock, Arkansas, and his father's name was If she's
(05:41):
deceased, Eddie James Smith and ofcourse I'm Sherry L. Smith Riggins.
He owns a tree business service andhe was elected to cut in the tree
down where Michael was fourteen. Eddiedied September to seventeenth, nineteen ninety eight,
to very day that he was injured. He only lived probably five hours.
(06:02):
He died in surgery. Michael wasvery close to his dad. They
had a passion for basketball. Myhusband played basketball in high school and college
and Michael hut the same love.And he studied with Michael when he was
probably about five years old, gettinghim ready to play basketball. And Michael
(06:25):
had a love for it and heplayed high school, he went on to
junior college, played in California.He played AAU So that was his passion.
Who is Michael's favorite NBA team?Well, Michael liked the Chicago Bulls,
and his dad before his death tookhim too. I think they remember.
(06:46):
No, my husband was a LarryBird fan. Okay, Larry Bird
and Magic Johnson. Oh, thatwas definitely a great rivalry back in the
day. Yes, So Michael wasbasically left handed. My husband toldy,
you could not favor one hand,and I could see seeing him with two
basketballs and they would dribble. Evenmy husband put a half of a court
(07:09):
in our backyard and May had apoorble concrete, so we could go out
there and practice with Michael. Soit was a love that they both shared.
And Michael was lost when his daddied, and that's the truth.
And so I had started going tothe games and screaming, and after Eddie
died, so I had to pickup where my husband left off, and
(07:30):
I did. So that is alittle bit about Eddie as Michael's love.
Like I said, he lost hisdeath when he was fourteen getting ready to
turn fifteen. Mikey was turning fifteento twenty six. And like I said,
because my husband was it was anaccident the death. They had to
take him, of course to theCrown lab and time we got him back
(07:53):
and it was a while, butI didn't want to bury him on his
son's fifteenth birthday, so I buriedhim two days for Michaels fifteenth Thursday.
And so I made a deal withMichael. If you didn't get into any
trouble, you didn't get anybody treadmanand would go finish Holy and go to
college. I would not marry anybody. Well, I'm kild youth for in
(08:16):
school. So he kept his fromus and I kept mine. And what
year did Michael graduate from high school? Come to Central High? Okay?
So two thousand and two. Sohe's been out of high school for over
twenty years. And I'm assuming thathe went to high school in Arkansas?
Is that correct? Correct? LittleRock? Ark? Him South? Did
(08:37):
he play basketball all through high school? All through high school? In fact,
I'm in his room. I've remarried in everything, but I bought
his trophies. I'm looking Michael hasso many trophies from basketball. He played
AAU. I'm just looking at somany trophies that Mikey got while he played
(08:58):
basketball. Bat about with the fashions. I can remember back in the day,
when I was in my twenties,I was a pretty big basketball fan,
and I used to watch a lotof the NBA games. I grew
up watching Michael Jordan, Hakim Elijahan, Shaquille O'Neill, big stars like that.
And what's funny is I can rememberpeople talking about NBA players as if
(09:22):
basketball wasn't let's say, as athleticof a sport is say baseball or football,
and I've always disagreed with those peoplethat have that opinion because as someone
who has played basketball, I meanI just played in school and things like
that, but just playing full court. People who've never played have no idea
(09:46):
how much endurance that takes to beable to play full court. Running up
and down the court takes a lotof energy. And I don't think a
lot of people understand just how athleticthese guys really are. In my opinion,
NBA play ye are probably the mostathletic and gifted athletes of all the
professional major sports leagues. So now, tummy, I guess at the time,
(10:09):
when Michael was young and he haddreams of playing professional basketball, was
one of his dreams actually to makeit into the NBA one day? Yes,
yes, Michel was gonna be aspud web. Mikey was number one
about five seven, But like Isaid, his father was good, and
(10:31):
so he ended up doing basketball andpoe voting. I think that's what you
call it. Anyway, he missedup his career because the pole broken.
I think he missed up his ligamentsand stuff in his leg. Into still
had the same love of all spits, but he loved basketball with his dad,
(10:52):
and his dad was preparing him forthe NBA. But like I said,
I know he's being about the sport. But when Eddie God, it
shifted because he had no one tolead it. I didn't know what schools
to tend him too, of whatto do. Central would ask it because
he played aau Park View was askingfor him. I had all these schools
(11:15):
asking for him, and if Eddiehad have been here, he would have
guided him better than what I did. I sent him this Central. It
was chaotic, but it did notdeter him from the love of the game.
He paid three on three tournaments andthey would win and anything where it
was shooting basketball, Michael did itand Michael loved it. But he didn't
(11:39):
go to the NBA. But likeI said, if his dad had lived,
I think he would have gone.He would have made it because he
would have had the right guidance,said his mother. I don't care what
a mother does. She can loveher son, but she can't teach him
how to be a man. Andthat's where he only had fourteen years of
his father's guided But still his dtaught him a lot of things because he
(12:03):
would have those boys to go upwith him and he would pay them to
cut trees. They can cut thetrees, but he bought them a full
willers have made it fun so theycould haul it and put it on a
full wheeler, and they take timeto driving it in and stacking it.
He tell them how to work.He tell them disponsability and how to work.
(12:24):
It. Sounds like Eddie was agreat role model for Michael when Michael's
growing up, and a lot ofyoung men aren't fortunate enough to have a
positive male role model in their lifeas a teenager, Michael was certainly lucky
to have a dad who wanted tohelp him try to achieve his dreams.
Eddie Smith was a positive role modelin Michael's life growing up. Unfortunately,
(12:50):
Eddie died while Michael was a teenager. The person who inspired Michael to be
great was no longer in Michael's life. He would then begin and to lean
on his mother more, but sheknew that she would be limited in what
she could teach him, as shebelieves that a mother cannot teach a son
how to be a man. Wewill take a short break and listen to
(13:11):
Sherry describe how Michael's life would unfoldwithout his father's guidance. Eddie was wonderful.
(13:46):
He loved his son and he wasteaching them how to be a man.
Keller did like the Bible did.At the age of twelve, he
would tell me, because we hadthree sons, okay, it's time for
me to take a older and toteach him how to be a man,
because you can't teach him how tobe a man. You can teach him
how to be soft, but youcan't teach him how to be a man.
(14:07):
So at twelve he was so talkingabout what it takes to become a
man, right, because there's alot of things that a mother can teach
your son, but one thing thatshe cannot teach him is how to be
a man. And on Father's Day, I went out with my youngest son
and we had a conversation about this, and he told me there were things
(14:31):
that he learned from his mother,but there were things that he learned from
me that he could not have learnedfrom his mother. Unfortunately, a lot
of young men in America grow upwithout a positive male role model in their
life, and that's definitely a hugeproblem in America, and that's why there
were so many young men in prison. During my time in social services,
(14:54):
where I spent over eleven years inthat field, I had taken a class
and the instructor had told me thatnearly every man in prison has one thing
in common, regardless of their ethnicity. The one thing they had in common
is that they all grew up withouta positive male role model in their lives.
(15:16):
And what I really find disheartening abouttoday's society when it comes to men,
is that a lot of people havethe belief that a man is not
needed in the house, or ason doesn't need a positive male role model
in his life. Now, Irealize that there are a lot of situations
(15:37):
where there isn't a male role modelin the home for various reasons. But
if there is a possibility for ayoung man to have his father in his
life, and this father is agood man who can teach his son how
to be a man, that's agood thing. It's always going to be
a good thing. Now, goingback to Michael's professional basketball aspirations, when
(16:03):
did he realize that he wasn't goingto play professional basketball? When did that
happen in his life? Michael,his coach was terminated for playing with ineligible
players. So they got a newcoach in the twelfth grade, Michael Swift
year. And most coaches have theirfavorite team. And anyway, Michael ended
(16:26):
up going to Columbia in California justbeen years now. I think he played
at a junior college and some I'mmistaken is how he ended up at same
college in California, and that coachended up getting in trouble. And then
Michael just lost heart every time hegot a coach that he right or whatever.
(16:52):
I don't know. Maybe I don'tknow why. He just lost face
with playing basketball after three years andhe just came home. He just didn't
want to do it anymore. AndI guess that was it because that coach
was also terminated. He did something. I don't fig out what he did
at the school. So Michaels wentfrom the high school of losing his twelfth
(17:17):
grade coach that he had from thenice to the twelve then he lost his
three year coach and so he justcame home. And what did Michael do
after he came home to earn hisdegree while he was in college. No,
he was like one year of gettinghis degree, and so he came
(17:37):
in and I guess he had enoughhours of whatever. He started working at
the VA. And this is somany years ago, so brief, forgive
me, but I know he hadhim a nice job at the VA and
he was making very good money.What did he do at the VA hospital
and had something to do with help? It wasn't like he worked in the
(17:59):
kitchen. They had something to dowith nutrition. So did you do something
like the work of a dietitian somethinglike that at the VA was something like
that. Michael had some good jobsthrough his career. Even that's around and
we owned the business and he readthat. That's what he did when he
first came in. We had abusiness that my oldest son started and when
(18:22):
Mikey first came out of college,that's what he did. We had a
checkcash and bill payments center. Wehad two locations and Mikey ran one of
them for pot four years or fivewhen he came back. So that's what
he did. That tells you senda while I have to see, I'm
sixty five, I'm doing good.But he did for I think five years.
(18:45):
He did that and he was verygood at it. And then he
went to the VA after that andworked at the VA. Now tell me
about his personal life. Did Michaelever get married? I mean, I
know he had kids. Zat Michaelhad children. Okay, Michael never got
married. He got engaged, butthey never got married. Michael got involved
(19:10):
with a young lady and they hadtwo children, and he had two other
children. Okay, Michael, hehad the son of seventeen and the daughter
that is fifteen, another and there'sfourteen and one twelve, a things and
something like them. But he endedup a four kids, and he ended
(19:33):
up with the young lady that hastwo children by because she had the first
two bylmes. That's who he waswith when he disappeared, the one that
had his first two children. Sothat's the person who was with when they
disappeared and they came became engaged.The one that had the other one she
married somebody else, and the otherone married someone else. So he ended
(19:57):
up with his first two children's mom. Okay, so he had four children
buy three different women. Is thatcorrect? Yes? Yes? Now was
he on good terms with all themothers? Yeah, because he was all
any time they would come to myhouse. Those two kids were always together.
(20:17):
In fact, they go to schooltogether now, so they're very close
they say they are like they twins, just from a different mother. So
those kids get along. So therethe mothers, all the mothers get along.
And didn't paid child support, soit wasn't like he was a dead
be dead might paid child support.He took care of all his children.
Percentages came out. He had percentagescoming to each one of those kids up
(20:42):
until he disappeared. He I wishpaid child support. He never not took
care of his children and he wouldalways go even though he had a bad
relationship with the one he was withowning off, he always would take care
of his children and did what wasnecessary with his kids. They can never
(21:03):
say he was dead to be bad. He loved his kid if he didn't
do nothing as he loved his children, and he was there because he knew
what it took when he lost hisfather, you didn't know how to fail.
So Michael was always in his kid'slife. In fact, I text
each one of them for Father's Day, and so I have found out to
(21:26):
my pastors, if you were taughtsomething, it's not hard to give it.
It's harder to give something you werenot given too. So his dad
and him had a good relationship.So it was not hard to give back
what you received. That makes sense. I definitely agree with that. So
Michael sounds like a pretty good guy. Now, did he ever have any
(21:47):
legal issues or any type of troublewith a law anything like that. Now,
I'm not gonna paint a martyr outof my stuf. I have to
tell the truth about my stuff.Like I said, my sign and his
significant others, he had troubles.It all started made the age of twenty
one. They had one car.Now they had a house. They both
(22:08):
stayed in this house and raised theirchildren. Was raising their kids. He
took the car, and he tookthe car. He didn't come back,
and she missed a poor plummer.She called the police and said he was
driving the car, was the ourpermission. When Michael came in, she
called the police and said he's inthe driveway. The police shows up,
She's looking at him through the plumbon her door door. Then, so
(22:32):
when the police come up, theyasked him what is he doing. He
says, I'm trying to get inthe house. But she had locked the
doors and he couldn't get an ounced. So they asked him, was this
his car? He said, yeah, this is me and my girl's car.
I live here, and it justkept going and kept going. So
they're going to step out, andhe asked them what did he do?
It's out there YouTube. So fromthere, one of the cops ended up
(22:55):
pulling the gun on him, endedup shooting him twice in the legs.
Out of the German hit him up. He got shot. He was shot
in the artery. The car tookoff. The police said that he was
fleeing. He hit a pole becausehe was like out. He was in
the hospital. They charged him.Was playing we had to get a lawyer.
(23:15):
A lot of it was dropped thathe went from a million dollar bell
to a twenty thousand dollars bear andthen she she bails him out. The
person that call up early bails himout. So yeah, and that was
pending. That's a lot. Yeah, that was pending. And the prosecutor
was saying that discussed. Since hebeen missing, they've been talking that she
(23:41):
was playing two in the middle.She would tell the lawyer we hired one
thing, and the prosecutor another thing. She tell his lawyer that this is
her fiance, She's not gonna doanything to hurt him. But yet she
killed a prosecutor. I'm afraid tosay anything. So the prosecutor said they
could the trust. So they werejust going to offer him a plea deal
(24:02):
of probation for a while and ifyou get into normal trouble, get wiped
off your case and all that kindof stuff. But we never got to
that because he came up missing.I had asked Sherry if Michael had any
enemies or if he was in fearof anyone before he disappeared. His mother
told me that there was one individualwho Michael had an issue with, and
(24:22):
if anything were to happen to him, then the police would need to look
at this individual. We'll take afinal break and listen to Sherry discussed the
moments leading up to when she lastsaw her son alive. Okay, so
(24:49):
did Michael have any enemies that youknew about? Was there anyone that was
mad at him or possibly someone mighthave wanted to harm Michael? Was there
anything like that going on in hislife that you knew about. Mikey takes
me probably seven days before he left, and said, if anything happened to
(25:12):
me, Mama, this is theperson they did it, and that is
what he might from. Takes meokay, and Michael gave you a name.
He gave a name, but forsome reason they won't they won't him.
Don't you find that kind of odd? I mean, he tells you
(25:33):
that he's worried about someone doing somethingto him, and he gives you a
name, and then he disappears.That's very concerning. I'm sure you were
probably concerned when he first told youthis. I find this to be a
very odd situation. Would you agree, Yes, I'd be and a very
odd. But I wanted my sonabout the individual. And my son said
(25:59):
to me, I know, Mom, I know. And that was on
the money, he says, Iknow. We talked about He came to
my office and mind him, hespoke about it, and he says,
yes, I know. And hetold him about what he played when Alis
was over and behind him, whathe wanted to do with his life.
And that was when he disappeared.Right now, take me up until the
(26:22):
day that he disappeared. From whatI've read online, he worked at a
restaurant, he got terminated, andthen he came and spoke to you at
your job. And this was onJune the seventh or something like that of
last year, and a little afterten am. Does that sound correct?
Correct? Okay, Tuesday, Junethe seventh, Yes, that was Tuesday,
(26:48):
and then you never saw him again. That's what I've read based on
media sources. Now did they getit right or is there anything missing from
their reporting that is correct? Myson left me at ten. We looked
at the video cameras wherever, andwe saw him. We act bore at
ten fifteen and we could bite himuntil the parting in seventeen. A lot
(27:11):
of servilis cameras said around the company. I would for and now the post
said he was on a bicycle.We never seen a bicycle. They sent
me a picture. They emailed melast night see and she saw a young
man on a bicycle and she said, he's such a darker and he doesn't
look like person. And I said, we had to pitch a bone up
(27:33):
and because at one time Providi vestigatorwas looking into this, and I said
the picture was blown up and itwas not Michael, but the police said
he And so evidently they don't gotto know where my son the bud and
it was different closed and left withthe young man on the bicycle was a
dark intellection. He had different clotheson. He didn't have a shirt own,
(27:55):
but they said that was Michael.And you're absolutely positive that man reported
on that bicycle was not your son. Oh, I'm never possible. Even
the lady didn't even know last heightfrom a ding person or something. Emailed
me and said, do you havea better photo because this person is much
(28:15):
darker than the individuals they do haveabout it, because I haven't from pictures
of Michael live there. And shesaid it just it doesn't look like the
same person. Well it wasn't.And that's when I tried to tell police,
this is not Michael on this bicycle. What he wanted to say it
is though, Okay, now letme go back to the day that he
(28:36):
visited you, the last time thatshe saw him. Was there something specific
that he had to tell you,I mean, other than just telling you
that he got terminated from his job. Was there something else that he wanted
to tell you or was it thathe had just come by just to say
hello to you. Michael always comeback, Like I said, he came
(28:56):
back to see me money. Hecame by, choose to tell me he
had been let gold at his job. But they were being very treacherous with
some things they would do, andthis not the first time. Michael had
been started before. But he allwouldn't go get a best job. There's
(29:17):
a job he had before the end. So he just came by to tell
me that he had got terminated.He said, well and customed our work.
I know a lot of people thatI got that one. And so
he just a mom I got letgold and I said, well, okay,
but you know, I don't knowwhere. The thing for me is
that they will say Michael left thatbank and committed society. It's what the
(29:41):
police want to say. But ifhe committed suicide, where is his body?
That's what the judge says. Wefight every three months is a court
system, and that's what judge says. I will not use his death of
society because that was her court thatall this was not there. And she
said, that's not the mister Smith. I know he never mister cut a
(30:06):
parents. He would always presentle.He didn't look like a thug. And
she said, I would not rulehe had death for suicide because they're trying
to say that mighty left. Mybabe got on a bicycle which we pulled.
Was not his bodicycle. Rode tothe Broadway Bridge and jump. We
have a witness that said she sawhim at four o'clock back at his house.
(30:29):
The police weren't an end of thefifth person. Yes, I saw
that he was getting his mail.Correct, Yes he was getting the mail,
and the witness saw him. Butthe thing of it is, well,
we'll have a problems with is allthat We've had private investigator listen to
all of this, and the everdis that we have with the then it
(30:51):
the police still will not listen toit. They would not spay anything about
it, to keep saying he killshimself. They will not interview the wit
is the sheriff department called me becauseokay, I opened their account, so
they were nice and they were goingto look into it. They tell the
sheriff department they interviewed the witness andshe had her day's wrong. The witness
(31:12):
says, I never spoke to thepolice about the introdut So it's so much.
I don't know why. If it'she's created suicide by the live why
a person that's not my son ora bid shield to try to convince me
mother, But this is her turn. So all the going out my son
(31:37):
that this Houston works six days ofthe teas of winder Shriet in Houston.
He gets on Friday, he driveshim for seven hours to leave the couple
and him and I go out inany abandoned house, any wood that we
think that you try a body.We have been. I have been in
weeds up to my base looking formy son. I have not gotten me
(32:00):
any cooperation from the police. Theonly thing I had was operation for a
while from a private investigator and hetold me I'm going ahead and find my
son. After a month, Isay months or two, he found out
a lot of information. He disappeared. He don't even speak to me anymore.
So I don't know what he foundout. But he closed his account.
(32:22):
He didn't even tell me. Anotherbranch called to tell me he closed
as account and he left and hewill have any more contact with me.
So every time I get somebody toinvestigate, my son disappeared. The only
thing I asked people, I justwant to find his body. I just
(32:43):
want to find my son's body.They were looking through it and whenever they
found out, they were not huntackme anymore or take my fought house.
And I mean the police demparted thesheriff Department. I've spoken to the US
Marshall. I have called wherever theyMan's alway on the news Cross the Cross,
I have emailed him, I haveemailed CNS anything. I ask people
(33:07):
help me to locate my son becausethe police clams up anybody and everybody that
looks into Michael's disappearance. And sothat's where I am with it. My
son and I will do it.We investigate, we talk to people,
We go through houses, and likeI said, I work all week.
(33:29):
I'm six fives now and I'm crawlingin abandoned houses, but I'm looking at
my son. So I even hadan ex publishman came and said, I'm
paying for your seal weapon license becauseit's one of my customers, so you
can go out there and be armed. So I do everything that I can
(33:50):
to defend Michael and bring home.Now, going back to the guy that
Michael was concerned about. Have youever spoken to this individual? Have you
ever asked, hey, did youdo something on my son? Yes?
We have, Yes we have,and what did this person tell you?
Yes, we do know some ofthe information about that individual, and we
(34:12):
think that inviduals at all did butfor some reason, the police were not
even questioned any individual. Now wedid have the p I didn't look and
speak to the individual, and theywas doing a hostile They made a comment
that the only problem they just upset. I think that they came on his
body. So basically they feel like, because you could found the body,
(34:37):
you can't charge anybody within me.But for US police know we haven't helped
it at all. And what isMichael's official status? So just to confirm
he's considered missing? Is that correct? Yes? Oh, my god,
on my birthday he came in Juneof US our filed to during the temp
(34:57):
on my turn sixty four. Alaw enforcement did accept your missing person's report.
I know in some cases they don'talways accept them. Oh they accepted
that, yes, yes, Butif you go out there on the missing
profile, because in the US database, David n givement address, they make
(35:19):
it seem like he was homeless day, say he was on a bicycle.
It's so vague of Michael. Theyjust put something out there, That's what
they did. Because I wouldn't evenalone, so they just put they wouldn't
even say his last known address,They left that blank. It does a
lot of the type and they hadall the information. They had all of
the information. So for now it'sbasically just you and your son, Cedric,
(35:45):
who's a former marine, that areactually outlooking for your son. Yes,
yes, I definitely do the sameif something happened to one of my
brothers. And so just to clarify, Michael is the youngest, correct,
Cedric is one of his older brothers. Yes, he's the baby. He's
(36:07):
the baby. Each one of mykids are three and a half years apart,
so I have him forty five,the forty three, and Michael will
be forty this year. So hecomes home and like I said, I
have his back. If he's inthe houses, I'm standing outside watching it.
Because we've been in some very badareas well, I definitely would not
(36:30):
advise you to go out alone lookingfor Michael. It could be dangerous for
you. No, No, Igo with my gime because my son he's
going and I have relatives they wantto come. But I have five hundred
nieces and nephews. It's five generations, it's five hundred of them. But
right now, I don't want alot of commotions. I don't want the
(36:52):
focus to come off of what we'retrying to do so right now, it's
just my self and Cedric. Wego out and we looked, and we
will continue to look until we signedhim. I definitely don't blame me for
your efforts. Now, tell mewhen was the moment that you realized that
there was something wrong with Michael.What made you come to the conclusion that
(37:16):
he's missing or something bad has happenedto him Michael, Like we said,
it's a person that communicate. Andso when Michael left my office AD Tuesday,
I hadn't heard from him. Thenthen thirsty I called his significant other
and asked us. She said,oh, he hasn't been home as like
casually she said, oh, Ihaven't seen him. And I'm like,
(37:38):
you haven't seen him, and she'slike no. So I called her that
Friday, and then I tried tocall his phone and he kept going straight
to voicemail or straight to something,and that wasn't like him to either text
me or say something. And soby Friday, I still hadn't hear from
Michael, and that was not likeMichael. So I knew then it had
(38:00):
been three days. Something wasn't late, something was not right. And so
I went and fold a missing personbecause, like I said, Michael,
no matter what, he would communicate, and I hadn't heard from him in
three days, so I knew somethingwas wrong, something had to be wrong.
And that concludes the first half ofMichael Smith's story. Please listen to
(38:24):
the conclusion next week. Have youseen Michael. He has described as being
five foot ten and weighing around onehundred and thirty pounds. His family is
desperately searching for him, and theydo believe that he is deceased, but
they want to locate him so thatthey can give him a proper burial and
they can stop searching for him.If you know anything about Michael's disappearance,
(38:47):
please contact the Little Rock Police Departmentat five zero one three seven one four
six zero five. There is alsoa reward for any information leading to Michael's
whereabouts. I will also provide thisinformation in the case story notes. And
if you are a parent, lawenforcement official, friend, or relative see
(39:12):
Injustice for an unsolved thomicide case,please visit my website and complete the contact
form. You can also contact methrough Facebook. Thank you for listening.
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