Michelle Elizabeth "Mimi" Smith - 15 - missing since 9/26/03

[Doyle]

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/US/GMA031007Missingplayer_coach-1.html

The search is on for Andrew James Garver, 38, and Michelle Elizabeth "Mimi" Smith.
Smith was last seen on Sept. 26, when she slipped a classmate at Beaverton High School a note saying she was running away.
At the same time, police believe that Garver liquidated some of his assets, withdrew money from an account that he shared with his wife and told his 15-year-old daughter he might be moving to California soon.

[Juliana]

Andrew James Garver was MiMi's softball coach. She went too live with Garver and his family after being abused by an assistant softball coach and having problems with her family.

Her family pulled her off the softball team and brought her back home after they began to suspect that Garver was having a relationship with their daughter.

They are still missing.

Here's an article:
http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=61458

[Juliana]

This article gives a little more background on the relationship:

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf?/base/news/1065873928272280.xml

[Doyle]

All families can learn as girl goes missing
http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/metro_west_news/1066478867239340.xml?oregonian?ywcjb

The disappearance of a Beaverton High School girl might have been prevented by quicker follow-up action
http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1066478586239340.xml?oregonian?ede

[blueclouds]

Here's the link:

Sorry, this pedophile is getting away with kidnapping & most likely rape charges...

http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=63357

[turbosleuthing]

Why would they drop the charges just b/c she turned 16. He still took her when she was 15. Is this bizarre or do I not get it?

[dannyodie]

the fact that she is 16 now and 15 then, what difference does any of that make? this man is a creep as far as I am concerned. a child that is in school is considered a minor until they become 18. like " blueclouds said " he probably is getting away with what ever he wishes. if I see him out on the road I ain't calling the police till I fix his face just a little bit.. its too bad that this young girls life has taken the turns it has. parents should hold on to more responsibilities when it comes to there children, I know you can't watch them 24/7, but I watch mine 15/7. I sure do pray that this young lady is at least alive. I really can't believe that a parent of a 15 year old female child would allow her to live with someone that you really don't know. thats kinda like feeding the hungry lion waiting to pounce on the first thing that walks by. has there been any sightings of these two anywhere? seems like the feds could find them, or are they even involved yet? :banghead:

[Gummybear]

Duane "Dog" Chapman, the bounty hunter who captured Andrew Luster, either volunteered or was hired to try and find them but the Oregon authorities said it was a "local matter." I don't know if "Dog" is still looking for them or not. Haven't heard much about it recently.

[WasBlind]

For Michelle

[WasBlind]

For Michelle

[WasBlind]

For Michelle

[Doyle]

Andrew Garver, the Beaverton softball coach who was accused of running off with a 15-year-old girl on his team, surrendered to police Wednesday after a car accident in Knoxville, Tenn. -- almost nine months to the day after they disappeared.

The girl, Michelle Elizabeth "Mimi" Smith, was found with Garver. Smith, a sophomore at Beaverton High School when she disappeared last fall, initially refused to identify herself.

"At first Mimi denied who she was," Beaverton Police Chief David G. Bishop said Wednesday evening. "Mr. Garver admitted from the beginning who he was and that he was wanted."

Bishop said Garver, 39, identified himself to Tennessee authorities at the accident scene and told them he was wanted by the FBI and in Oregon.

Garver, who had been living in Knoxville since he left Oregon, was carrying false identification though he was traveling in the same sport utility vehicle he had in Oregon, a blue Nissan Murano. Garver's SUV had Tennessee license plates that were stolen from a Jaguar, said Robert J. Jordan, special agent in charge of the Portland FBI office.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/front_page/1088078756268430.xml

[dannyodie]

http://knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_2989205,00.html this is an article in the knoxville news paper, seems as if mimi is a bright minded young lady, she could make a lot for her life if she would just forget all of this and do some good for her self. after reading the article, there are lots of people in knoxville that knew her say she was a charming person. god bless this young lady and may the best come her way

[Casshew]

Well, this story had a bit of a happy ending ~ hope she has the support she needs to get back to a normal life for her age.

[Doyle]

She was Shelley Smith, she said, a 20-something student looking for an inexpensive place to stay. She said he was her cousin.

In fact, she was Michelle "Mimi" Smith, just 16, of Beaverton, and he was her 38-year-old softball coach.

They kept a profile low enough so that the elderly couple who rented to them didn't know their tenants were on the run.

Despite a flood of news stories and television segments, nobody in the working-class neighborhood near Knoxville, Tenn., had a clue about their identity.
http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D83FJ0181.html

[amandab]

http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/ap/0205/09_02_coach_sentenced.html

[audrey77]

Good! Now hopefully, he won't attempt to contact her after the 6 years- when she's a legal adult....