July 26, 2023 • 42 mins
(Part 2 of 2) 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
(01:00):
left his mother's place of employment,she would never see him again. This
is the conclusion of a two partstory. If you haven't already listened to
the first half, please go backand listen. Michael Smith was a thirty
(01:30):
eight year old Little Rock, Arkansasman who was the youngest of three sons.
He was also a father of four. Michael's parents are Sherry Smith Riggins
and the late Eddie Smith, whodied when Michael was a teenager. Michael
would last be seen on June seventh, twenty twenty two, at ten fifteen
(01:52):
am. He had just lost hisjob at the Whole Hog Cafe on Cantrell
Road. After leaving his former job, he had visited with his mother at
her banking job on Rebsamin Park Roadto tell her. Michael was especially close
to his mother and kept in regularcontact with her after he left her place
of employment. No one has seenMichael since. Sherry described her son as
(02:19):
a good son. She did sayhe did have some problems, as we
all do, but she did saythat he was a hard working young man
who was especially close to his dadwhen he was a teenager. Michael and
his dad, Eddie, were bothhuge NBA fans and shared a mutual love
for basketball. When Michael was younger, Eddie had worked with his son so
(02:39):
that he could possibly play professional basketballin the future. Michael spent much of
his youth playing basketball in high schooland junior college. Sadly, Michael playing
professional basketball would be a dream thatEddie would not live long enough to see.
Eddie was electrocuted while cutting down atree and nineteen ninety eight. The
(03:00):
loss would deeply affect Michael, ashe was Michael's biggest supporter and his son's
biggest fan. Eventually, Michael wouldgive up on his dream of playing professional
basketball and leave college without earning adegree. His mother said that he would
just end up taking a series ofdifferent jobs and focus more on financially supporting
(03:23):
his children and looking out for hismother. Michael's case is controversial. According
to his mother, law enforcement claimsthat Michael was last seen riding on a
bicycle and then possibly committing suicide byjumping into a river. There were witnesses
who saw an unidentified man jumping intoa local river. Sherry has been told
(03:46):
by law enforcement that Michael may havecommitted suicide. Sherry disputes this. She
has said that she has seen ablown up photo of the man on the
bike that was supposedly Mike. Shesaid the man on the bike was a
darker skinned man and he definitely wasnot her son, as police claim.
(04:08):
She also said there is no confirmationthat the man who jumped into the river
was her son. Another source ofcontention between law enforcement and Michael's family is
that a witness is said to haveseen Michael checking his mail sometime between four
twenty and four forty pm on theday that he disappeared. According to Sherry,
(04:29):
law enforcement has never spoken to thiswitness. I had asked Sherry if
Michael had any enemies. She didtell me that he was concerned for his
life. He had told his motherthat if anything ever happened to him,
then law enforcement needed to look atsomeone that he had mentioned. Sherry has
given this name to law enforcement anddoesn't believe they have considered this person as
(04:53):
a suspect and Michael's disappearance. Today, Sherry and her son Cedric spend many
hours looking in abandoned houses and speakingto people trying to figure out what happened
to Michael. Unfortunately, Sherry's motherlyinstincts have told her that her son is
deceased. She is now pleading forthe public to help her recover his body
(05:16):
so that he can receive a properburial and she can stop searching for Michael.
This is the conclusion of a twopart story. If you haven't already
listened to the first half, pleasego back and listen, and now on
with the story of Michael Smith,as told by his mother, Sherry Smith
(05:38):
Riggins. Michael was born September twentysix, nineteen eighty three, in Middle
Rock, Arkansas, and his father'sname was if she's deceased, Eddie James
Smith, and of course I'm SherryL. Smith Dash Riggins. He owns
(05:58):
a tree business service and he waselected keea of cutting the tree down when
Michael was fourteen. Edy died Septemberto seventeenth, nineteen ninety eight, the
very day that he was injured.He only lived probably five hours. He
died in surgery. Michael was veryclose to his dad. They had a
passion for basketball. My husband playedbasketball in high school and college and Michael
(06:26):
hubs the same love. And hestudied with Michael when he was father about
five years old, getting him readyto play basketball, and Michael had a
love for it, and he playedhigh school, he went on to junior
college, played in California. Heplayed AAUNG So that was his passion.
Who was Michael's favorite NBA team?Well, Michael liked the Chicago Bulls,
(06:49):
and his dad, before his death, took him to I think they remembered.
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 told me,
(07:10):
you couldnt favor one hand, andI could stell seeing him with two
basketballs and they would dribble. Evenmy husband put a half of a court
in our backyard and they had apoor countrete, so he 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.
(07:32):
And so I had start going tothe games and screaming. And after Eddie
died, I had to pick upwhere my husband left off, and I
did. So that is a littlebit about Eddie as Michael's love. Like
I said, he lost his halfwhen he was fourteen, getting ready to
turn fifteen. My key was turningfifteen to twenty six. And like I
(07:56):
said, because my husband was itwas an accident. The death. They
had to take him, of courseto the Crown lab and time we got
him back and it was a while, but I didn't want to bury him
on his toub's fifteenth birthday, soI buried him two days before Michaels fifteenth
birthday. So I made a dealwith Michael. If you didn't get into
(08:18):
any trouble, didn't get anybody treagnantand would go to college. I would
not marry anybody I could you forin school. So he kept his from
us and I kept mine. Andwhat did Michael do after he came home
to earnest degree while he was incollege? No, he was like one
(08:39):
year of getting his degree, andso he came in and I guess he
had enough hours of whatever. Hestarted working at the VA. And this
is so many years ago, butI know he had him a nice job
at the VA and he was makingvery good money. What did he do
at the VA hospital and had somethingto do with help? It wasn't like
(09:01):
he worked in the kitchen. Sodid you do something like the work of
a dietitian something like that at theVA? Something like that. Michael had
some good jobs through his career.Even that's the round, and we owned
the business, and he read thatthat's what he did when he first came
in. We had a business thatmy oldest son started, and when Mikey
(09:24):
first came out of college, that'swhat he did. We had a checkcash
and bill payment center. We hadtwo locations and Mikey ran one of them
for pot four years or five whenhe came back. So that's what he
did. But he did for Ithink five years he did that and he
(09:46):
was very good at it, andthen he went to the VA. After
that, he worked at the VA. Now, tell me about his personal
life. Did Michael ever get married? I mean, I know he had
kids, Is that correct? Okay, Michael never got married. He got
engaged, but they never got married. Michael got involved with a young lady
(10:07):
and they had two children, andhe had two other children. Okay,
Michael, he had the sons ofseventeen and the daughter that is fifteen,
another and there's fourteen and one,three other things and something like them.
But he ended up a four kids, and he ended up with the young
(10:28):
lady that has two children by becauseshe had the first two by umes.
That's who he was with when hedisappeared, the one that had his first
two children. So that's the personwho was with when they disappeared, and
they came became engaged. The onethat had the other one she married somebody
else, and the other one marriedsomeone else. So he ended up with
(10:52):
his first two children's mom. Okay, so he had four children buy three
different women. Is that correct?Yes? Now, was he on good
terms with all the mothers. Yeah, because he was all any time they
would come to my house. Thosetwo kids were always together. In fact,
they go to school together now,so they're very close. They say
(11:15):
they are like they twins, justfrom a different mothers. So those kids
get along, so all the mothersget along. And didn't paid child support,
so it wasn't like he was adead be dead. Mike paid child
support. He took care of allhis children. Percentages came out. He
had percentages coming to each one ofthose kids up until he disappeared. He
(11:37):
a wish paid child support. Henever not took care of his children and
he would always go even though hehad a bad relationship with the one he
was with owning off, he alwayswould take care of his children and did
what was necessary with his kids.They could never say he was a dead
be dead. He loved his kidif he didn't do nohing as he loved
(12:00):
his children, and he was therebecause he know what it took when he
lost his falcom, we didn't knowhow to sail. So Michael was always
in his kids' life. In fact, I text each one of them for
Father's Day, so I have foundout who my pastors. If you were
taught something, it's not hard togive it. It's harder to give something
(12:22):
you were not given too. Sohis dad and him had a good relationship,
so it was not hard to giveback what you received. That makes
sense. I definitely agree with that. So Michael sounds like a pretty good
guy. Now, did he everhave any legal issues or any type of
trouble with a law anything like that? Now, I'm not gonna paint a
(12:43):
martyr out of my stud. Ihave to tell the truth about my stud.
Like I said, my sign andhis significant others had troubles. It
all started made an age of twentyone. They had one car. Now
they had a house. They bothstayed in. This raised their children,
was raising the kids. He tookthe cast and he took the car.
(13:05):
He didn't come back, and shemissed a powerfum. She called the police
and said he was driving a car. Was the our permission. When Michael
came in, she called the policeand said he's in the driveway. The
police shows up, she's looking athim through the clumb on her door.
The door then, so when thepolice come up, they asked them what
is he doing. He says,I'm trying to get in the house,
(13:26):
but she had locked the doors andhe couldn't get an ounce, so they
asked him what this car. Hesaid, yeah, this is me and
my girl's car. I live here, and it just kept going and kept
going. So they're going to stepout, and he asked them what did
he do? It's out there youtoo. So from there, one of
the cops ended up pulling a gunon him, ended up shooting him twice
(13:46):
in the legs. I don't know. The German hit him up. He
got shot, the shot in theartery. The car took off. The
police said that he was fleeing hehit a pole because he'd be lacked out.
He was in the hospital. Theycharged him with playing We had to
get a lawyer, which they got. All of that stuff dropped, A
(14:07):
lot of it was dropped. Thenhe went from a million dollar bell to
a twenty thousand dollars bear and thenshe bailed him out. So yeah,
and that was pending. That's alot. Yeah, that was pending.
And the prosecutor was saying that discussedsince he been missing, they've been talking
(14:28):
that she was playing two in themiddle. She would tell the lawyer we
had one thing and the prosecutor anotherthing to tell his lawyer that this is
her fiance, She's not gonna doanything to hurt it. But yet she
killed a prosecutor. I'm afraid tosay anything. So the prosecutor said they
could be trust So they were justgoing to offer him a plea deal of
(14:50):
probation for a while and if you'regetting the normal trouble, get wiped off
your case and all that kind ofstuff. But we never got to that
because he came up missing. Ihad asked Sherry if Michael had enemies or
if he was in fear of anyonebefore he disappeared. His mother did tell
me that there was one individual whoMichael had an issue with and that if
(15:11):
anything were to happen to him,that the police would need to look at
this particular individual. I'll take asmall break and listen to Sherry discussed the
moments leading up to Michael's disappearance.Okay, so did Michael have any enemies
(15:43):
or anyone that was mad at him? There was there someone that maybe wanted
to harm Michael. Was there someonethat he had concerns about? Michael texts
me probably seven days before he leftinstead, if anything happened to me,
Mom, this is the person thatdid it, and that is what he
takes me. Okay, And Michaelgave you a name. He gave a
(16:07):
name. I had talked the police, but for some reason they won't him.
Don't you find that kind of odd? I mean, he tells you
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
(16:32):
very odd situation. Would you agree? Yes? I did, and a
very odd But I want to myson about the intivision And my son said
to me, I know, Mom, I know, And that was on
the money. He came to myoffice. Amind him. He spoke about
it, and he says, yes, I know. And he told him
about what he's playing when alist wasover and behind him, what he wants
(16:56):
to do with his life. Andthat was when he's disapputed. Right now,
take me up until the day thathe disappeared. From what I've read
online, he worked at a restaurant, he got terminated, and then he
came and spoke to you at yourjob. And this was on June the
seventh or something like that of lastyear and a little after ten am.
(17:21):
Does that sound correct? Correct?Okay, Tuesday, June the seventh,
correct, Yes, that was tuand then you never saw him again.
That's what I've read based on mediasources. Now did they get it right
or is there anything missing from theirreporting? That is coc my son let
me at ten we looked the videopamists wherever and we saw him well at
(17:47):
board at ten fifteen and we couldbite him until the fucking in seventeen allows
ofthings cameras did around the company outWorth and now the posts saying he was
on about a syclem we never seenabout cycle. They sent me a picture.
The emailed me last night saying shesaw a young man on a bicycle
(18:07):
and she said he's such a darkerand he doesn't look like person. And
I said, we had to picturebone up and because at one time profit
investigator was listening into this, andI said the picture was blown up and
it was not Michael, I said, but the police said he and so
evidently they don't got to know wheremy son and it was different closed and
left with the young man on thebicycle was a darker intellection. He had
(18:30):
different clothes on, he didn't havea shirt owned. But they said that
was Michael. And you're absolutely positivethat man reported on that bicycle was not
your son. Oh, I'm therepossitive. Even the lady didn't even know.
Last night from a ditting person orsomething emailed me and said, do
(18:52):
you have a better photo because thisperson is much darker than the individuals they
do have about it, because Ihave a from picture of Michael live there
and she said, he just itdoesn't look like the same person. Well
it wasn't, and they want Itried to tell police, this is not
Michael on this bicycle, but theywant to say it is those Now,
(19:12):
let me go back to the daythat he visited you, the last time
that she saw him. Was theresomething specific that he had to tell you,
I mean, other than just tellingyou that he got terminated from his
job. Was there something else thathe wanted to tell you, or was
it that he had just come byjust to say hello to you. Michael
(19:33):
always come back, like I said, he came back to see me money.
He came by Tuesday to tell mehe had been let go at his
job. But they were being verytreacherous with two things they would do and
the first time Michael had been tiedbefore. But he, y'all wouldn't go
get a best job, did thejob he had before the end. So
(19:55):
he came by to tell me thathe had got terminated. He said,
well, and because with our work, I know a lot of people that
I got that one. And sohe said, mom, I got let
gold. And I said, well, okay, but you know, I
don't know what The weirdest thing forme is that they will saved. Michael
left that bank and committed society.It's what the police want to say.
(20:18):
But if he committed suicide, whereis his body? That's what the judge
says. We fight every three monthsin the court system, and that's what
judge says. I will not rulehis death of society because that was her
court that all this was staying outthere. And she said, that's not
the mister Smith. I know henever miss the court appearance. He would
(20:40):
always presentle And she said, Iwill not rule his death for suicide because
they're trying to say that Michael left. My babe got on a bicycle which
we pulled. Was not his bodicycle, rode to the Broadway Bridge and jump.
We have a witness that said shesaw him at four o'clock back of
his house. The police were inan end ofview person. Yes, I
(21:03):
saw that he was getting his mail. Correct, Yes he was getting the
mail, and the witness saw him. But the thing of it is what
we're having problems with. It isall that we've had private investigator listen to
all of this and the ever disthat we have with the then it the
police still will not listen to it. They would not see anything about it
(21:26):
to keep saying he kills himself.They will not interview the witness. The
sheriff Department called me because so theywere nice and they were going to look
into it. They tell the SheriffPartment they interviewed the witness and she had
d as wrong. The witness thatI never spoke to the police about the
introdet. So it's so much.I don't know why. If it's he's
(21:51):
created to hide by the lie,Why a person that's not my son on
a bid shield to try to convinceme mother, But this is her turn.
So all the going out my sonthat this Houston works six days of
the T's of wind District in Houston. He gets on Friday. He drives
(22:12):
him for seven hours to leave acouple and him and I go out in
any abandoned house, any woods,and we think that you try a body.
We have been I have been inweeds up to my base looking for
my son. I have not gottenany cooperation from the police. The only
thing I had was operation for awhile from a private investigator and he told
(22:37):
me I'm going ahead beside my son. After a month, I said,
months or two. He found outa lot of information. He disappears.
He don't even speak to me anymore. So I don't know what he found
out. But he crossed his account. He didn't even tell me another branch
Paul to tell me here close asaccount, and he left and he will
(22:59):
have any more in contact with me. So if every time I get somebody
to investigate my son disappearance, theonly thing I ask people, I just
want to find his body. Ijust want to find my son Sidy.
They were looking through it, andwhenever they found out, they will not
huntach me anymore or take my funhouse. And I mean the police department,
(23:21):
the sheriff department. I've spoken tothe U A. Marshall. I
have called wherever that man is alwayson the news, CROC the Crocs.
I have emailed him. I haveemailed CNS. Only thing I ask people
help me to lookate my son becausethe police clams up anybody, everybody that
looks into Michael's disappearance. And sothat's where I am with my son,
(23:45):
and I will do it. Weinvestigate, we talk to people, We
go through houses, and like Isaid, I work all week. I'm
six fives now and I'm crawling inabandoned houses. But I'm looking for my
son. I even had an expublishman and said, I'm paying for your
(24:07):
see a weapon license because it's oneof my customers, so you can go
out there and be armed. SoI'll do everything that I can to find
Michael and bring home. After Ihad asked Sherry about Michael having any types
of concerns about someone that may wantto harm him, she did say that
there was someone that Michael had issueswith. I wanted to find out more
(24:32):
about this individual and possibly find outwhat could have led up to this person
doing something to Michael. We'll takea final break and return with Sherry's comments
on this person who Michael had concernsabout. Now, going back to the
(25:00):
guy that Michael was concerned about,have you ever spoken to this individual?
Have you ever asked, hey,did you do something on my son?
Yes, we are, yes wehave, and what did this person tell
you? Yes, we do knowsome of the information about an individual,
and we think that inviduals at alvedit. But for some reason, the
(25:22):
police were not even questioned in anindividual. Now we did have the pidd
to the individual and they was thehostile. They made a comment that the
only problem they just upset. Ithink that they came on his body.
So basically they feel like, becauseyou could found the body, you can't
(25:45):
charge you the body within me.But for us, the police knows he
haven't helped it at all. Andwhat is Michael's official status? So just
to confirm he's considered missing? Isthat correct? Yes, I'll find doing
the temp. So law enforcement didaccept your missing person's report? I know
in some cases they don't always acceptthem. Oh they accepted that. Yes,
(26:11):
yes, But if you go outthere on the missing profile, because
in the US database, David Nightgivement address, they make it seem like
he was homeless day said he wason a bicycle. It's so vague of
Michael. They just put something outthere to what they did because I wouldn't
(26:32):
even alone, so they just putthey wouldn't even say his last known address.
They left that blank. And theyhad all the information. They had
all the information. So for nowit's basically just you and your son,
Cedric, who's a former marine,that are actually outlooking for your son.
Yes, yes, I definitely dothe same as something happened to one of
(26:53):
my brothers. And so just toclarify, Michael is the youngest, correct,
Cedric is one of his older brothers. Yes, he's the baby.
He's the baby. So one ofyour three sons is Cedric the oldest,
or is e Cedric the middle son, and Michael's the youngest. No,
(27:14):
each one of my kids are threeand a half years apart. So I
have him forty five, the fortythree, and Michael will be forty this
year. So he comes home andlike I said, I have his back.
If he's in the houses, I'mstanding outside watching it because we'd be
in some very bad areas, butwe are there together. Well, I
(27:37):
definitely would not advise you to goout alone looking for Michael, it could
be dangerous for you. No,No, I go with my sons because
my son he's gone, and Ihave relatives that want to 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 a lot of commotions.
(28:00):
I don't want the focus to comeoff of what we're trying to do.
So right now it's just my selfand Cedric. We go out and look,
and we will continue to look untilwe signed him. I definitely don't
blame me for your efforts. Now, tell me when was the moment that
you realized that there was something wrongwith Michael. What made you come to
(28:22):
the conclusion that he's missing or somethingbad has happened to him Michael, Like
we said, it's a person thatcommunicate. And so when Michael left my
office at Tuesday, I hadn't heardfrom him. Win Then Thursday I called
his significant other and asked us.She said, oh, he hasn't been
home as my casualist. She said, oh, I haven't seen him.
(28:45):
And I'm like, you haven't seenhim and she's like no. So I
called her that Friday and then Itried to call his phone, and he
kept going straight to voicemail or straightto something. And so by Friday,
I still hadn't hear it from Michael, and that was not like Michael.
So I knew then it had beenthree days. Something wasn't late, something
(29:07):
was not right. And so Iwent and fouled a missing person because,
like I said, Michael, nomatter what, he would communicate, and
I hadn't hear it from him inthree days, so I knew something was
wrong. Something had to be wrong. Now, where are all of his
personal possessions? Where's the stuff at? Now? The p I wouldn't picked
(29:30):
it up from her, and it'shere. It's here in my house in
a box labeled I have his personalpossessions here with me. Was there anything
missing that you would have expected tobe there? I mean, like a
wallet or something important like that.Did you get his wallet back, his
phone? Did you get those typeof important items back? Okay? According
(29:53):
to them, I guess he jumpedwith the wallet because I haven't seen a
wallet, okay. And the policesaid they had two witnesses three I don't
know, supposed to see a blackman John. They said he pulled off
his t shirts, threw it onthe ground along with his backpack, and
(30:15):
jumped into a river. They supposedlyhad a search team out there to look
for him, but did not findanything. One year later, seven people
have either had boat axes, isor whatever they got to the river.
But Mikey and what the police toldme, you may never find him.
It's what I was told him.But they said the backpack he had,
(30:36):
which my PI said when he lookedat the pictures, the backpack that he
left the banquet wasn't the backpack thepolice had. He blew up the picture
from the bank. It was similarthat he showed us. He said,
you see the difference in the picturessold. He was a very different PI.
But whatever he found out, hequit and went away. But the
(30:59):
only I have gotten of Michael ishis clothes that was left at the house
or as anything else before he cameup disappeared. He said, Mama,
I lost my phone. It wassaid that Michael went and after he lost
the phone, which he's they suspiciousto meet, purchased another phone cell phone,
(31:21):
but never activated. He had thephone supposedly from Saraday to Tuesday.
So who loses the phone on asterday without looking for it to just immediately
go by you another one and neveractivated. But that's what was said.
He had no cell phone and didn'thave his bank cards, so he couldn't
have access to money, and youdon't know where any of those items are
(31:45):
now. No, the police saidthat they supposedly pinged his phone, but
he was dead or something they saidwas cut off, and another one was
never activated as all that was said. So the whole big thing for them
was to convince me that he committedsuicide. And I'm telling them as a
(32:06):
mother, I know my child.If my child is telling me what they
look for in the future. I'mnot a psychologist, but my daughter m
always a psychologist. And the wayshe told me, a person just giving
me to commit suicide have no hope. They don't think about the future because
they don't see one. Michael wastelling me what he planned to do once
this was over, So why wouldhe go kill himself when he was being
(32:30):
optimistic about his life. Now you'resaying that there were supposedly a couple of
witnesses that saw Michael jump into theriver. How do they know it was
him. I'm just curious as tohow they were able to identify your son.
Did they pick him out of aphoto lineup or something? No,
(32:52):
Okay, this is the most interestingpart ever. They supposed to be on
the bridge and when they were onthe bridge, they said they saw a
black man having walked. He wascoming from Okay, he was parting to
the police. He had teen twentysix minutes to get to four miles,
(33:13):
so they said the pct PIA saidthere was no way to leave my location
and walked to the Broadway Bridge inthat time frame. So they put him
advice. So then the wizesses saidhe was coming. He went all the
way across the little rock side,walking back across, because if you one
side his little rode one side hisgonfl off. They said he walked all
(33:35):
the way across the little rock sideand was to the nofler rock side to
come back on the other side tojump, and they was passing him.
So when they passed him, theysaid they saw a person take off the
shirt, drop a backpack, hollerizesomething and go in the water, bob
(33:58):
back up one time, never seenagain. Okay. Now supposed to there's
two or three witnesses, but onlyone called nine one one so, and
they said that they would be therewhen the police came. So when the
norflal Rock police came, Lil Rockdidn't know about this for two weeks.
(34:19):
That so someone's supposed to have jumpedon the Norvla Rock side. Will Rock.
After two weeks of me having reportedmy side them and no sightings,
someone anonymously called the Little Rock policeand said that you realize that on the
date of Tick steven, someone jumpedon the Norfhalock side. They got an
(34:42):
anonymous pill. That's how Little Rocksfound out there's somebody's supposed to jump on
the norval Rock side. Was twoweeks letter from someone calling him and then
they go to the Norvla Rock sidecalled them go pick up the evidence that
Little Rock sides that they had norvalOur side head and give it to the
Little Rock side. They're supposed tobeen a shirt, the pen from my
(35:06):
job, and a charger that wassupposed to be in the backpack now larger.
The Rock does not list anything inthe backpack, the witness said.
When they opened it to see couldthey identify anybody or was there any identifications,
they said it was just one backpack. When Little Rock gets it.
It's a backpack, it's a shirt, it's I think two shirts, a
(35:30):
pen and a charger, nor therock. Just say it's a backpack,
a whole bunch of things that don'tadd up. That's where we are.
Yeah. So, if anyone outthere that's listening to this podcast episode and
they decide that they want to callin a tip, what law enforcement agency
(35:51):
would they need to contact? Oh? Lord, you still have to call
it Little Rock. They had itout there. It's out there on one
of the sites the number to call. Because you can't call the Novel Rock,
you have to call the Love Police, plumb. Okay. So just
to clarify, there's two police departmentsout there. There's the North Little Rock
(36:12):
and then Little Rock two. Jefferdinstance, Yes, all right, and
then let me ask you about yoursocial media presence. Are you using Facebook
or TikTok or anything like that tohelp get the story out about your son?
I don't have a Facebook patient,Michael. On my birthday, I
just put out there that I wasfive and I have been looking for my
(36:36):
son in one year, and thatI asked social media in the fifty escape
what they helped me to look atmy son and within that two point one
million people have reached after me justin that app alone. That was oh,
June to tenth and and so inlit over a week, and it's
(36:58):
still growing. People are reaching outto me. Four and Little Lark has
reached out to me Channel eleven andwaiting for an interview for me Channel stick
che eleven. I have faced himon missing website a probably five different websites.
That's a great idea. As amatter of fact, that's how I
saw Michael's story. I have placedmy sons anywhere we have walked. My
(37:22):
son came in. We made upflyers. We have walked the street and
put flyers out. They have torethem down, some people not wanting them
up. So anything that you couldthink, we at one point offered a
reward when he first came a missingI mean anything you think that a mother
(37:44):
can do to find her son.I have done it. Like I said,
I have email, I have called, I have spoke, I have
asked because, like I said,I only want his body back. I'm
not interested in with being I'm notinterested is who did or who didn't do.
(38:04):
I'm just listened to my son whenI walk down the street, if
I see someone I feel in myheart my son is to see. If
I see someone that's five seven,one hundred and thirty pounds wet, it
makes me take a second look becauseunless you know for sure, that's always
a little bit of hope that maybehe is alive when I know in my
(38:27):
heart he isn't. I just needsome closure, and it's all I ask
for. That's all I ask thepolice. But just let me have closure
for me and his children because theyhad a Father's Day that they don't have
a father. They don't know wherehe is, okay. And the last
question that I would have for youis for anyone that's out there listening to
(38:49):
this podcast episode, if they knowanything about what happened to your son,
Michael, and you could speak tothat person or persons, what would you
like to say to those individuals?I said, there is a sight out
there that we placed on social mediaand it has a phone number. You
(39:10):
don't have to tell me who youare. You don't have to even tell
me where you live. Just tellme where my son is so I can
go and get him. But allI want I don't want to name.
I don't want to know who wasinvolved. I just want to know where
my son is, Michael Edvards Deith. That's all I want. As a
(39:34):
mother. I tell people all thetime, I'm just a bear that was
in the wood bothering nobody, butsomeone messed with her curb and now I
am a grizzly bear. I willnot stop till I tie my cub so
someone can help me stop. Iwill easily come out the woods and stop.
(39:54):
But until then, I'm a grizzlybear in the woods looking for her
cub. That's all I have tosay. And that concludes Michael's story.
If you haven't already listened to thefirst half, please go back and listen.
Have you seen Michael. He isdescribed as being five foot ten and
weighing around one hundred and thirty pounds. His family is desperately searching for him,
(40:19):
and they do believe that he isdeceased, but they want to locate
him so that they can give hima proper burial and they can stop searching
for him. If you know anythingabout Michael's disappearance, please contact the Little
Rock Police Department at five zero onethree seven one four six zero five.
There is also a reward for anyinformation leading to Michael's whereabouts. I will
(40:45):
also provide this information in the casestory notes. And if you are apparent
law enforcement official, friend, orrelative seeking justice for an unsolved Thomas side
case, please visit my website andcomplete the contact form. You can also
contact me through Facebook. Thank youfor 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
(01:00):
left his mother's place of employment,she would never see him again. This
is the conclusion of a two partstory. If you haven't already listened to
the first half, please go backand listen. Michael Smith was a thirty
(01:30):
eight year old Little Rock, Arkansasman who was the youngest of three sons.
He was also a father of four. Michael's parents are Sherry Smith Riggins
and the late Eddie Smith, whodied when Michael was a teenager. Michael
would last be seen on June seventh, twenty twenty two, at ten fifteen
(01:52):
am. He had just lost hisjob at the Whole Hog Cafe on Cantrell
Road. After leaving his former job, he had visited with his mother at
her banking job on Rebsamin Park Roadto tell her. Michael was especially close
to his mother and kept in regularcontact with her after he left her place
of employment. No one has seenMichael since. Sherry described her son as
(02:19):
a good son. She did sayhe did have some problems, as we
all do, but she did saythat he was a hard working young man
who was especially close to his dadwhen he was a teenager. Michael and
his dad, Eddie, were bothhuge NBA fans and shared a mutual love
for basketball. When Michael was younger, Eddie had worked with his son so
(02:39):
that he could possibly play professional basketballin the future. Michael spent much of
his youth playing basketball in high schooland junior college. Sadly, Michael playing
professional basketball would be a dream thatEddie would not live long enough to see.
Eddie was electrocuted while cutting down atree and nineteen ninety eight. The
(03:00):
loss would deeply affect Michael, ashe was Michael's biggest supporter and his son's
biggest fan. Eventually, Michael wouldgive up on his dream of playing professional
basketball and leave college without earning adegree. His mother said that he would
just end up taking a series ofdifferent jobs and focus more on financially supporting
(03:23):
his children and looking out for hismother. Michael's case is controversial. According
to his mother, law enforcement claimsthat Michael was last seen riding on a
bicycle and then possibly committing suicide byjumping into a river. There were witnesses
who saw an unidentified man jumping intoa local river. Sherry has been told
(03:46):
by law enforcement that Michael may havecommitted suicide. Sherry disputes this. She
has said that she has seen ablown up photo of the man on the
bike that was supposedly Mike. Shesaid the man on the bike was a
darker skinned man and he definitely wasnot her son, as police claim.
(04:08):
She also said there is no confirmationthat the man who jumped into the river
was her son. Another source ofcontention between law enforcement and Michael's family is
that a witness is said to haveseen Michael checking his mail sometime between four
twenty and four forty pm on theday that he disappeared. According to Sherry,
(04:29):
law enforcement has never spoken to thiswitness. I had asked Sherry if
Michael had any enemies. She didtell me that he was concerned for his
life. He had told his motherthat if anything ever happened to him,
then law enforcement needed to look atsomeone that he had mentioned. Sherry has
given this name to law enforcement anddoesn't believe they have considered this person as
(04:53):
a suspect and Michael's disappearance. Today, Sherry and her son Cedric spend many
hours looking in abandoned houses and speakingto people trying to figure out what happened
to Michael. Unfortunately, Sherry's motherlyinstincts have told her that her son is
deceased. She is now pleading forthe public to help her recover his body
(05:16):
so that he can receive a properburial and she can stop searching for Michael.
This is the conclusion of a twopart story. If you haven't already
listened to the first half, pleasego back and listen, and now on
with the story of Michael Smith,as told by his mother, Sherry Smith
(05:38):
Riggins. Michael was born September twentysix, nineteen eighty three, in Middle
Rock, Arkansas, and his father'sname was if she's deceased, Eddie James
Smith, and of course I'm SherryL. Smith Dash Riggins. He owns
(05:58):
a tree business service and he waselected keea of cutting the tree down when
Michael was fourteen. Edy died Septemberto seventeenth, nineteen ninety eight, the
very day that he was injured.He only lived probably five hours. He
died in surgery. Michael was veryclose to his dad. They had a
passion for basketball. My husband playedbasketball in high school and college and Michael
(06:26):
hubs the same love. And hestudied with Michael when he was father about
five years old, getting him readyto play basketball, and Michael had a
love for it, and he playedhigh school, he went on to junior
college, played in California. Heplayed AAUNG So that was his passion.
Who was Michael's favorite NBA team?Well, Michael liked the Chicago Bulls,
(06:49):
and his dad, before his death, took him to I think they remembered.
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 told me,
(07:10):
you couldnt favor one hand, andI could stell seeing him with two
basketballs and they would dribble. Evenmy husband put a half of a court
in our backyard and they had apoor countrete, so he 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.
(07:32):
And so I had start going tothe games and screaming. And after Eddie
died, I had to pick upwhere my husband left off, and I
did. So that is a littlebit about Eddie as Michael's love. Like
I said, he lost his halfwhen he was fourteen, getting ready to
turn fifteen. My key was turningfifteen to twenty six. And like I
(07:56):
said, because my husband was itwas an accident. The death. They
had to take him, of courseto the Crown lab and time we got
him back and it was a while, but I didn't want to bury him
on his toub's fifteenth birthday, soI buried him two days before Michaels fifteenth
birthday. So I made a dealwith Michael. If you didn't get into
(08:18):
any trouble, didn't get anybody treagnantand would go to college. I would
not marry anybody I could you forin school. So he kept his from
us and I kept mine. Andwhat did Michael do after he came home
to earnest degree while he was incollege? No, he was like one
(08:39):
year of getting his degree, andso he came in and I guess he
had enough hours of whatever. Hestarted working at the VA. And this
is so many years ago, butI know he had him a nice job
at the VA and he was makingvery good money. What did he do
at the VA hospital and had somethingto do with help? It wasn't like
(09:01):
he worked in the kitchen. Sodid you do something like the work of
a dietitian something like that at theVA? Something like that. Michael had
some good jobs through his career.Even that's the round, and we owned
the business, and he read thatthat's what he did when he first came
in. We had a business thatmy oldest son started, and when Mikey
(09:24):
first came out of college, that'swhat he did. We had a checkcash
and bill payment center. We hadtwo locations and Mikey ran one of them
for pot four years or five whenhe came back. So that's what he
did. But he did for Ithink five years he did that and he
(09:46):
was very good at it, andthen he went to the VA. After
that, he worked at the VA. Now, tell me about his personal
life. Did Michael ever get married? I mean, I know he had
kids, Is that correct? Okay, Michael never got married. He got
engaged, but they never got married. Michael got involved with a young lady
(10:07):
and they had two children, andhe had two other children. Okay,
Michael, he had the sons ofseventeen and the daughter that is fifteen,
another and there's fourteen and one,three other things and something like them.
But he ended up a four kids, and he ended up with the young
(10:28):
lady that has two children by becauseshe had the first two by umes.
That's who he was with when hedisappeared, the one that had his first
two children. So that's the personwho was with when they disappeared, and
they came became engaged. The onethat had the other one she married somebody
else, and the other one marriedsomeone else. So he ended up with
(10:52):
his first two children's mom. Okay, so he had four children buy three
different women. Is that correct?Yes? Now, was he on good
terms with all the mothers. Yeah, because he was all any time they
would come to my house. Thosetwo kids were always together. In fact,
they go to school together now,so they're very close. They say
(11:15):
they are like they twins, justfrom a different mothers. So those kids
get along, so all the mothersget along. And didn't paid child support,
so it wasn't like he was adead be dead. Mike paid child
support. He took care of allhis children. Percentages came out. He
had percentages coming to each one ofthose kids up until he disappeared. He
(11:37):
a wish paid child support. Henever not took care of his children and
he would always go even though hehad a bad relationship with the one he
was with owning off, he alwayswould take care of his children and did
what was necessary with his kids.They could never say he was a dead
be dead. He loved his kidif he didn't do nohing as he loved
(12:00):
his children, and he was therebecause he know what it took when he
lost his falcom, we didn't knowhow to sail. So Michael was always
in his kids' life. In fact, I text each one of them for
Father's Day, so I have foundout who my pastors. If you were
taught something, it's not hard togive it. It's harder to give something
(12:22):
you were not given too. Sohis dad and him had a good relationship,
so it was not hard to giveback what you received. That makes
sense. I definitely agree with that. So Michael sounds like a pretty good
guy. Now, did he everhave any legal issues or any type of
trouble with a law anything like that? Now, I'm not gonna paint a
(12:43):
martyr out of my stud. Ihave to tell the truth about my stud.
Like I said, my sign andhis significant others had troubles. It
all started made an age of twentyone. They had one car. Now
they had a house. They bothstayed in. This raised their children,
was raising the kids. He tookthe cast and he took the car.
(13:05):
He didn't come back, and shemissed a powerfum. She called the police
and said he was driving a car. Was the our permission. When Michael
came in, she called the policeand said he's in the driveway. The
police shows up, she's looking athim through the clumb on her door.
The door then, so when thepolice come up, they asked them what
is he doing. He says,I'm trying to get in the house,
(13:26):
but she had locked the doors andhe couldn't get an ounce, so they
asked him what this car. Hesaid, yeah, this is me and
my girl's car. I live here, and it just kept going and kept
going. So they're going to stepout, and he asked them what did
he do? It's out there youtoo. So from there, one of
the cops ended up pulling a gunon him, ended up shooting him twice
(13:46):
in the legs. I don't know. The German hit him up. He
got shot, the shot in theartery. The car took off. The
police said that he was fleeing hehit a pole because he'd be lacked out.
He was in the hospital. Theycharged him with playing We had to
get a lawyer, which they got. All of that stuff dropped, A
(14:07):
lot of it was dropped. Thenhe went from a million dollar bell to
a twenty thousand dollars bear and thenshe bailed him out. So yeah,
and that was pending. That's alot. Yeah, that was pending.
And the prosecutor was saying that discussedsince he been missing, they've been talking
(14:28):
that she was playing two in themiddle. She would tell the lawyer we
had one thing and the prosecutor anotherthing to tell his lawyer that this is
her fiance, She's not gonna doanything to hurt it. But yet she
killed a prosecutor. I'm afraid tosay anything. So the prosecutor said they
could be trust So they were justgoing to offer him a plea deal of
(14:50):
probation for a while and if you'regetting the normal trouble, get wiped off
your case and all that kind ofstuff. But we never got to that
because he came up missing. Ihad asked Sherry if Michael had enemies or
if he was in fear of anyonebefore he disappeared. His mother did tell
me that there was one individual whoMichael had an issue with and that if
(15:11):
anything were to happen to him,that the police would need to look at
this particular individual. I'll take asmall break and listen to Sherry discussed the
moments leading up to Michael's disappearance.Okay, so did Michael have any enemies
(15:43):
or anyone that was mad at him? There was there someone that maybe wanted
to harm Michael. Was there someonethat he had concerns about? Michael texts
me probably seven days before he leftinstead, if anything happened to me,
Mom, this is the person thatdid it, and that is what he
takes me. Okay, And Michaelgave you a name. He gave a
(16:07):
name. I had talked the police, but for some reason they won't him.
Don't you find that kind of odd? I mean, he tells you
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
(16:32):
very odd situation. Would you agree? Yes? I did, and a
very odd But I want to myson about the intivision And my son said
to me, I know, Mom, I know, And that was on
the money. He came to myoffice. Amind him. He spoke about
it, and he says, yes, I know. And he told him
about what he's playing when alist wasover and behind him, what he wants
(16:56):
to do with his life. Andthat was when he's disapputed. Right now,
take me up until the day thathe disappeared. From what I've read
online, he worked at a restaurant, he got terminated, and then he
came and spoke to you at yourjob. And this was on June the
seventh or something like that of lastyear and a little after ten am.
(17:21):
Does that sound correct? Correct?Okay, Tuesday, June the seventh,
correct, Yes, that was tuand then you never saw him again.
That's what I've read based on mediasources. Now did they get it right
or is there anything missing from theirreporting? That is coc my son let
me at ten we looked the videopamists wherever and we saw him well at
(17:47):
board at ten fifteen and we couldbite him until the fucking in seventeen allows
ofthings cameras did around the company outWorth and now the posts saying he was
on about a syclem we never seenabout cycle. They sent me a picture.
The emailed me last night saying shesaw a young man on a bicycle
(18:07):
and she said he's such a darkerand he doesn't look like person. And
I said, we had to picturebone up and because at one time profit
investigator was listening into this, andI said the picture was blown up and
it was not Michael, I said, but the police said he and so
evidently they don't got to know wheremy son and it was different closed and
left with the young man on thebicycle was a darker intellection. He had
(18:30):
different clothes on, he didn't havea shirt owned. But they said that
was Michael. And you're absolutely positivethat man reported on that bicycle was not
your son. Oh, I'm therepossitive. Even the lady didn't even know.
Last night from a ditting person orsomething emailed me and said, do
(18:52):
you have a better photo because thisperson is much darker than the individuals they
do have about it, because Ihave a from picture of Michael live there
and she said, he just itdoesn't look like the same person. Well
it wasn't, and they want Itried to tell police, this is not
Michael on this bicycle, but theywant to say it is those Now,
(19:12):
let me go back to the daythat he visited you, the last time
that she saw him. Was theresomething specific that he had to tell you,
I mean, other than just tellingyou that he got terminated from his
job. Was there something else thathe wanted to tell you, or was
it that he had just come byjust to say hello to you. Michael
(19:33):
always come back, like I said, he came back to see me money.
He came by Tuesday to tell mehe had been let go at his
job. But they were being verytreacherous with two things they would do and
the first time Michael had been tiedbefore. But he, y'all wouldn't go
get a best job, did thejob he had before the end. So
(19:55):
he came by to tell me thathe had got terminated. He said,
well, and because with our work, I know a lot of people that
I got that one. And sohe said, mom, I got let
gold. And I said, well, okay, but you know, I
don't know what The weirdest thing forme is that they will saved. Michael
left that bank and committed society.It's what the police want to say.
(20:18):
But if he committed suicide, whereis his body? That's what the judge
says. We fight every three monthsin the court system, and that's what
judge says. I will not rulehis death of society because that was her
court that all this was staying outthere. And she said, that's not
the mister Smith. I know henever miss the court appearance. He would
(20:40):
always presentle And she said, Iwill not rule his death for suicide because
they're trying to say that Michael left. My babe got on a bicycle which
we pulled. Was not his bodicycle, rode to the Broadway Bridge and jump.
We have a witness that said shesaw him at four o'clock back of
his house. The police were inan end ofview person. Yes, I
(21:03):
saw that he was getting his mail. Correct, Yes he was getting the
mail, and the witness saw him. But the thing of it is what
we're having problems with. It isall that we've had private investigator listen to
all of this and the ever disthat we have with the then it the
police still will not listen to it. They would not see anything about it
(21:26):
to keep saying he kills himself.They will not interview the witness. The
sheriff Department called me because so theywere nice and they were going to look
into it. They tell the SheriffPartment they interviewed the witness and she had
d as wrong. The witness thatI never spoke to the police about the
introdet. So it's so much.I don't know why. If it's he's
(21:51):
created to hide by the lie,Why a person that's not my son on
a bid shield to try to convinceme mother, But this is her turn.
So all the going out my sonthat this Houston works six days of
the T's of wind District in Houston. He gets on Friday. He drives
(22:12):
him for seven hours to leave acouple and him and I go out in
any abandoned house, any woods,and we think that you try a body.
We have been I have been inweeds up to my base looking for
my son. I have not gottenany cooperation from the police. The only
thing I had was operation for awhile from a private investigator and he told
(22:37):
me I'm going ahead beside my son. After a month, I said,
months or two. He found outa lot of information. He disappears.
He don't even speak to me anymore. So I don't know what he found
out. But he crossed his account. He didn't even tell me another branch
Paul to tell me here close asaccount, and he left and he will
(22:59):
have any more in contact with me. So if every time I get somebody
to investigate my son disappearance, theonly thing I ask people, I just
want to find his body. Ijust want to find my son Sidy.
They were looking through it, andwhenever they found out, they will not
huntach me anymore or take my funhouse. And I mean the police department,
(23:21):
the sheriff department. I've spoken tothe U A. Marshall. I
have called wherever that man is alwayson the news, CROC the Crocs.
I have emailed him. I haveemailed CNS. Only thing I ask people
help me to lookate my son becausethe police clams up anybody, everybody that
looks into Michael's disappearance. And sothat's where I am with my son,
(23:45):
and I will do it. Weinvestigate, we talk to people, We
go through houses, and like Isaid, I work all week. I'm
six fives now and I'm crawling inabandoned houses. But I'm looking for my
son. I even had an expublishman and said, I'm paying for your
(24:07):
see a weapon license because it's oneof my customers, so you can go
out there and be armed. SoI'll do everything that I can to find
Michael and bring home. After Ihad asked Sherry about Michael having any types
of concerns about someone that may wantto harm him, she did say that
there was someone that Michael had issueswith. I wanted to find out more
(24:32):
about this individual and possibly find outwhat could have led up to this person
doing something to Michael. We'll takea final break and return with Sherry's comments
on this person who Michael had concernsabout. Now, going back to the
(25:00):
guy that Michael was concerned about,have you ever spoken to this individual?
Have you ever asked, hey,did you do something on my son?
Yes, we are, yes wehave, and what did this person tell
you? Yes, we do knowsome of the information about an individual,
and we think that inviduals at alvedit. But for some reason, the
(25:22):
police were not even questioned in anindividual. Now we did have the pidd
to the individual and they was thehostile. They made a comment that the
only problem they just upset. Ithink that they came on his body.
So basically they feel like, becauseyou could found the body, you can't
(25:45):
charge you the body within me.But for us, the police knows he
haven't helped it at all. Andwhat is Michael's official status? So just
to confirm he's considered missing? Isthat correct? Yes, I'll find doing
the temp. So law enforcement didaccept your missing person's report? I know
in some cases they don't always acceptthem. Oh they accepted that. Yes,
(26:11):
yes, But if you go outthere on the missing profile, because
in the US database, David Nightgivement address, they make it seem like
he was homeless day said he wason a bicycle. It's so vague of
Michael. They just put something outthere to what they did because I wouldn't
(26:32):
even alone, so they just putthey wouldn't even say his last known address.
They left that blank. And theyhad all the information. They had
all the information. So for nowit's basically just you and your son,
Cedric, who's a former marine,that are actually outlooking for your son.
Yes, yes, I definitely dothe same as something happened to one of
(26:53):
my brothers. And so just toclarify, Michael is the youngest, correct,
Cedric is one of his older brothers. Yes, he's the baby.
He's the baby. So one ofyour three sons is Cedric the oldest,
or is e Cedric the middle son, and Michael's the youngest. No,
(27:14):
each one of my kids are threeand a half years apart. So I
have him forty five, the fortythree, and Michael will be forty this
year. So he comes home andlike I said, I have his back.
If he's in the houses, I'mstanding outside watching it because we'd be
in some very bad areas, butwe are there together. Well, I
(27:37):
definitely would not advise you to goout alone looking for Michael, it could
be dangerous for you. No,No, I go with my sons because
my son he's gone, and Ihave relatives that want to 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 a lot of commotions.
(28:00):
I don't want the focus to comeoff of what we're trying to do.
So right now it's just my selfand Cedric. We go out and look,
and we will continue to look untilwe signed him. I definitely don't
blame me for your efforts. Now, tell me when was the moment that
you realized that there was something wrongwith Michael. What made you come to
(28:22):
the conclusion that he's missing or somethingbad has happened to him Michael, Like
we said, it's a person thatcommunicate. And so when Michael left my
office at Tuesday, I hadn't heardfrom him. Win Then Thursday I called
his significant other and asked us.She said, oh, he hasn't been
home as my casualist. She said, oh, I haven't seen him.
(28:45):
And I'm like, you haven't seenhim and she's like no. So I
called her that Friday and then Itried to call his phone, and he
kept going straight to voicemail or straightto something. And so by Friday,
I still hadn't hear it from Michael, and that was not like Michael.
So I knew then it had beenthree days. Something wasn't late, something
(29:07):
was not right. And so Iwent and fouled a missing person because,
like I said, Michael, nomatter what, he would communicate, and
I hadn't hear it from him inthree days, so I knew something was
wrong. Something had to be wrong. Now, where are all of his
personal possessions? Where's the stuff at? Now? The p I wouldn't picked
(29:30):
it up from her, and it'shere. It's here in my house in
a box labeled I have his personalpossessions here with me. Was there anything
missing that you would have expected tobe there? I mean, like a
wallet or something important like that.Did you get his wallet back, his
phone? Did you get those typeof important items back? Okay? According
(29:53):
to them, I guess he jumpedwith the wallet because I haven't seen a
wallet, okay. And the policesaid they had two witnesses three I don't
know, supposed to see a blackman John. They said he pulled off
his t shirts, threw it onthe ground along with his backpack, and
(30:15):
jumped into a river. They supposedlyhad a search team out there to look
for him, but did not findanything. One year later, seven people
have either had boat axes, isor whatever they got to the river.
But Mikey and what the police toldme, you may never find him.
It's what I was told him.But they said the backpack he had,
(30:36):
which my PI said when he lookedat the pictures, the backpack that he
left the banquet wasn't the backpack thepolice had. He blew up the picture
from the bank. It was similarthat he showed us. He said,
you see the difference in the picturessold. He was a very different PI.
But whatever he found out, hequit and went away. But the
(30:59):
only I have gotten of Michael ishis clothes that was left at the house
or as anything else before he cameup disappeared. He said, Mama,
I lost my phone. It wassaid that Michael went and after he lost
the phone, which he's they suspiciousto meet, purchased another phone cell phone,
(31:21):
but never activated. He had thephone supposedly from Saraday to Tuesday.
So who loses the phone on asterday without looking for it to just immediately
go by you another one and neveractivated. But that's what was said.
He had no cell phone and didn'thave his bank cards, so he couldn't
have access to money, and youdon't know where any of those items are
(31:45):
now. No, the police saidthat they supposedly pinged his phone, but
he was dead or something they saidwas cut off, and another one was
never activated as all that was said. So the whole big thing for them
was to convince me that he committedsuicide. And I'm telling them as a
(32:06):
mother, I know my child.If my child is telling me what they
look for in the future. I'mnot a psychologist, but my daughter m
always a psychologist. And the wayshe told me, a person just giving
me to commit suicide have no hope. They don't think about the future because
they don't see one. Michael wastelling me what he planned to do once
this was over, So why wouldhe go kill himself when he was being
(32:30):
optimistic about his life. Now you'resaying that there were supposedly a couple of
witnesses that saw Michael jump into theriver. How do they know it was
him. I'm just curious as tohow they were able to identify your son.
Did they pick him out of aphoto lineup or something? No,
(32:52):
Okay, this is the most interestingpart ever. They supposed to be on
the bridge and when they were onthe bridge, they said they saw a
black man having walked. He wascoming from Okay, he was parting to
the police. He had teen twentysix minutes to get to four miles,
(33:13):
so they said the pct PIA saidthere was no way to leave my location
and walked to the Broadway Bridge inthat time frame. So they put him
advice. So then the wizesses saidhe was coming. He went all the
way across the little rock side,walking back across, because if you one
side his little rode one side hisgonfl off. They said he walked all
(33:35):
the way across the little rock sideand was to the nofler rock side to
come back on the other side tojump, and they was passing him.
So when they passed him, theysaid they saw a person take off the
shirt, drop a backpack, hollerizesomething and go in the water, bob
(33:58):
back up one time, never seenagain. Okay. Now supposed to there's
two or three witnesses, but onlyone called nine one one so, and
they said that they would be therewhen the police came. So when the
norflal Rock police came, Lil Rockdidn't know about this for two weeks.
(34:19):
That so someone's supposed to have jumpedon the Norvla Rock side. Will Rock.
After two weeks of me having reportedmy side them and no sightings,
someone anonymously called the Little Rock policeand said that you realize that on the
date of Tick steven, someone jumpedon the Norfhalock side. They got an
(34:42):
anonymous pill. That's how Little Rocksfound out there's somebody's supposed to jump on
the norval Rock side. Was twoweeks letter from someone calling him and then
they go to the Norvla Rock sidecalled them go pick up the evidence that
Little Rock sides that they had norvalOur side head and give it to the
Little Rock side. They're supposed tobeen a shirt, the pen from my
(35:06):
job, and a charger that wassupposed to be in the backpack now larger.
The Rock does not list anything inthe backpack, the witness said.
When they opened it to see couldthey identify anybody or was there any identifications,
they said it was just one backpack. When Little Rock gets it.
It's a backpack, it's a shirt, it's I think two shirts, a
(35:30):
pen and a charger, nor therock. Just say it's a backpack,
a whole bunch of things that don'tadd up. That's where we are.
Yeah. So, if anyone outthere that's listening to this podcast episode and
they decide that they want to callin a tip, what law enforcement agency
(35:51):
would they need to contact? Oh? Lord, you still have to call
it Little Rock. They had itout there. It's out there on one
of the sites the number to call. Because you can't call the Novel Rock,
you have to call the Love Police, plumb. Okay. So just
to clarify, there's two police departmentsout there. There's the North Little Rock
(36:12):
and then Little Rock two. Jefferdinstance, Yes, all right, and
then let me ask you about yoursocial media presence. Are you using Facebook
or TikTok or anything like that tohelp get the story out about your son?
I don't have a Facebook patient,Michael. On my birthday, I
just put out there that I wasfive and I have been looking for my
(36:36):
son in one year, and thatI asked social media in the fifty escape
what they helped me to look atmy son and within that two point one
million people have reached after me justin that app alone. That was oh,
June to tenth and and so inlit over a week, and it's
(36:58):
still growing. People are reaching outto me. Four and Little Lark has
reached out to me Channel eleven andwaiting for an interview for me Channel stick
che eleven. I have faced himon missing website a probably five different websites.
That's a great idea. As amatter of fact, that's how I
saw Michael's story. I have placedmy sons anywhere we have walked. My
(37:22):
son came in. We made upflyers. We have walked the street and
put flyers out. They have torethem down, some people not wanting them
up. So anything that you couldthink, we at one point offered a
reward when he first came a missingI mean anything you think that a mother
(37:44):
can do to find her son.I have done it. Like I said,
I have email, I have called, I have spoke, I have
asked because, like I said,I only want his body back. I'm
not interested in with being I'm notinterested is who did or who didn't do.
(38:04):
I'm just listened to my son whenI walk down the street, if
I see someone I feel in myheart my son is to see. If
I see someone that's five seven,one hundred and thirty pounds wet, it
makes me take a second look becauseunless you know for sure, that's always
a little bit of hope that maybehe is alive when I know in my
(38:27):
heart he isn't. I just needsome closure, and it's all I ask
for. That's all I ask thepolice. But just let me have closure
for me and his children because theyhad a Father's Day that they don't have
a father. They don't know wherehe is, okay. And the last
question that I would have for youis for anyone that's out there listening to
(38:49):
this podcast episode, if they knowanything about what happened to your son,
Michael, and you could speak tothat person or persons, what would you
like to say to those individuals?I said, there is a sight out
there that we placed on social mediaand it has a phone number. You
(39:10):
don't have to tell me who youare. You don't have to even tell
me where you live. Just tellme where my son is so I can
go and get him. But allI want I don't want to name.
I don't want to know who wasinvolved. I just want to know where
my son is, Michael Edvards Deith. That's all I want. As a
(39:34):
mother. I tell people all thetime, I'm just a bear that was
in the wood bothering nobody, butsomeone messed with her curb and now I
am a grizzly bear. I willnot stop till I tie my cub so
someone can help me stop. Iwill easily come out the woods and stop.
(39:54):
But until then, I'm a grizzlybear in the woods looking for her
cub. That's all I have tosay. And that concludes Michael's story.
If you haven't already listened to thefirst half, please go back and listen.
Have you seen Michael. He isdescribed as being five foot ten and
weighing around one hundred and thirty pounds. His family is desperately searching for him,
(40:19):
and they do believe that he isdeceased, but they want to locate
him so that they can give hima proper burial and they can stop searching
for him. If you know anythingabout Michael's disappearance, please contact the Little
Rock Police Department at five zero onethree seven one four six zero five.
There is also a reward for anyinformation leading to Michael's whereabouts. I will
(40:45):
also provide this information in the casestory notes. And if you are apparent
law enforcement official, friend, orrelative seeking justice for an unsolved Thomas side
case, please visit my website andcomplete the contact form. You can also
contact me through Facebook. Thank youfor listening.
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