CA CA - Tera Smith, 16, Redding, 22 August 1998

Juliana

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17 year old Tera Smith has been missing from Shasta, CA (where Heather Carpenter lived) since 1998. Sounds like police suspect her 29 year old karate instructer was involved. How do families survive never knowing where their child is?

Here's a link:

http://www.redding.com/specials/Smith/
 
Do you know anything more about the case? The last updated article on the website is from January 2000. It says that her karate instructor wasn't considered a suspect, but that he was being held in jail for an unrelated assault charge. What were the details of the assault charge? This case reminds me of the Rachel Cooke case - both girls were going jogging when they disappeared. I wonder how she came upon her karate instructor when she was out jogging?
So sad, and another family that I wish closure to.
 
I really don't know anything about this case. I've just been scanning the articles listed in the site I linked in my first post.

This link says that Tera had written about her karate instructor in her journal, and I guess the parents think she was having an affair with him. The karate instructor's last name is "Zink".

This Zink guy says that Tera called him and asked him to pick her up near her home the day she disappeared. He said he dropped her off later at another intersection and she hasn't been seen since. Zink says he then went to a secluded hilltop to pray. This Zink guy was married with a child at the time.
 
I tried to read through some of the articles on the website. What a sad story! It reminds me of the Kristin Smart case in the fact that the last person she was seen with isn't talking. I wish there was a way to make these creeps talk! I wonder what he went to pray about for hours on a hilltop? I guess there's some comfort in the fact that it sounds like this guy is in prison for something. I just wish he would give the family some closure!
 
Another, "I picked her up, let her off someplace" case. It sounds like the guy is involved.
 
Smith helps in search for man

Missing girl's dad offers empathy to family

By Lauren Brooks (Contact)
Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Photo by Brad Garrison

OFFERING HOPE AND SUPPORT: Terry Smith of Shasta Lake gives a supportive hug to Michele Kvasnicka on Monday at her mother’s home on Bear Valley Trail in Jones Valley, while Joyce Reginato sits on the porch. Kvasnicka’s son is missing.


matthew_deffebach_updated.jpg
Matthew Deffebach


Terry Smith wants to help find a missing young man. He wants people to be on the lookout. And he wants the man's family to have the support they need.

Smith's daughter, Tera, 16, disappeared on Aug. 22, 1998. She is still missing.


more: http://www.redding.com/news/2007/feb/20/smith-helps-in-search-for-man/
 
Did LE really confiscate Zink's truck? I didn't see that in the articles I read. And was it clean? Maybe too clean? His story clearly doesn't add up. But he HAD to have told someone about it. Maybe one of his male friends knew he was really sleeping with Tera and could at least get him for statutory rape? Any idea if he was convicted of the other charges?
 
Ok, scary information - there are 506 registered sex offenders in Shasta County (where Tera disappeared)
 
http://www.redding.com/news/2008/aug/22/10-years-without-tera/
10 years without Tera

Questions remain about teen who vanished a decade ago

By Jim Schultz (Contact)
Friday, August 22, 2008
Photo by Jakob Schiller / Record Searchlight
Marilyn and Terry Smith are the parents of Tera Smith, the 16 year-old Central Valley High School student who disappeared in August, 1998 and was never found. Jakob Schiller/Record Searchlight

Tera Smith as she looked about 10 years ago.

Photo courtesy of National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
A time-enhanced photograph shows how Tera Smith might have looked three years ago when she would have been 23.

With the face of an angel, Tera Lynn Smith still continues to haunt north state residents.
It was 10 years ago today that the former Central Valley High School homecoming princess disappeared into the unknown.
Smith, who was 16 when she vanished Aug. 22, 1998, may be gone, but she’s not forgotten.
Still, the memory of her fades just a little bit with each passing year.
There are no formal observances to remember today’s bittersweet anniversary, said her 48-year-old-father, Terry, the owner of the Oasis Fun Center in Shasta Lake.
The family will remember her in their own quiet way, he said.
Smith, who has long ago come to the realization that his beautiful daughter is dead, said the pain of her disappearance remains with him.
But it has dulled with time.
“It’s not nearly as sharp as the first couple of years,” he said.
The frustration, however, has not abated.
Smith, who admits to watching on TV an inordinate number of so-called cold case murder investigations, is still hopeful that the entire story will someday come out.
But he’s not overly optimistic. >¦“It becomes less and less likely with time,” he said.
Shasta County Secret Witness is still offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to locating Tera, and the Virginia-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also continues to ask the public for help in finding her.
Tera, who would now be 26, disappeared during the early evening hours after leaving her rural Tarcy Way home dressed to go jogging.
Her then-martial arts instructor, Troy Zink, who is now 39, reportedly told authorities on the night of her disappearance that she had called him at work on her cell phone and asked to meet near her home.
Zink, who has denied any involvement in Tera’s disappearance, told sheriff’s deputies that she asked him for $2,000. When he refused, the teenager became upset and asked for a ride to the intersection of Old Alturas Road and Old Oregon Trail.
It was there, Zink told deputies, that he dropped her off and then drove alone to Hang Glider Hill, west of Shasta Dam, to pray. He claimed he returned to his Redding home about 11:30 p.m., deputies have said.
Smith, as well as countless others, doesn’t believe that story.
“We know what happened,” he said.
Based on journal entries and letters found in Tera’s room after her disappearance, Smith has said he believes his blond-haired, blue-eyed daughter asked Zink to meet her so she could end an affair with him.
Zink, who pleaded guilty in the 1990s to rape and later served a four-year prison sentence for being a felon in possession of firearms, has never been named a suspect by the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office and has never been charged in Tera’s disappearance because of a lack of sufficient evidence.
He has also refused to be questioned by investigators after his initial interview with sheriff’s deputies,
Chuck Zink, Troy Zink’s father, referred a telephone call earlier this week from the Record Searchlight about the 10-year anniversary to Redding attorney Jerrald Pickering II.
Pickering said that he would speak with the family, but did not return the telephone call and was unavailable Thursday for comment.
It’s been a frustrating 10 years for investigators with the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, who continue to investigate tips and leads in hopes of solving the case.
Smith, who believes sheriff’s investigators have exhausted every lead in the case, noted that he contacted detectives in June after receiving a tip that construction workers came upon what appeared to be a grave in the Shingletown area.
The tip was investigated, but it was only a canvas tent and assorted trash that had been buried at the site.
Shasta County sheriff’s Sgt. John Hubbard said Thursday that “hundreds and hundreds” of tips have been investigated since Tera’s disappearance and that three or four tips, or suggestions, were followed up within the past year.
But none panned out.
“It’s a frustrating case,” Hubbard said, adding that his heart breaks for Tera’s parents. “If I could pick a case to be solved, this one is it.”
Despite the dead ends, Smith remains hopeful that evidence might someday be uncovered to reveal the truth.
In the 10 years since his daughter disappeared, his other three children, Trevor, Sierra and Kyra, have married and started families of their own, he said.
He and his wife, Marilyn, now have two grandchildren with a third on its way.
“We’re quietly going ahead with our lives,” Smith said.
But not seeing Tera grow into adulthood is a painful truth, and he admits he sometimes has a difficult time remembering her voice, as well as her smile.
“The memories are fading,” he said. “ And I hate that.”
Reporter Jim Schultz can be reached at 225-8223 or at jschultz@redding.com.
 
IF, Tera's boyfriend did pick her up at the time he said he did, and IF, she broke up with him. And IF, he killed her.
He was not back at home til 11:30p.m. That means he had 5 hours to dispose of a body.
Shasta County is large. There are mountains, lakes, rivers, all around.
Siskiyou County is to the north and if anythng, it is even more forested. There are many small towns there, but vast open spaces as well. Mt Shasta ski area.
Humboldt County is to the west. It is mountainous country, with winding roads and small towns and vast acreage of forests.
Counties to the east and south are the same.
This is extreme northern California.
IF her boyfriend did dispose of her, she could be anywhere in a 100 mile radius.
 
One question I have is where did the boyfriend hang glide at?
There are a couple of sites I found on the internet, about 65 miles from
Redding.
Considering most LE, etc consider the boy friend the POI, but do not have
evidence to arrest him, I would think the boy friend would work be in his comfort zone; His home, his job, his past time of hang gliding.
It will still be a difficult task finding any remains after 10 1/2 years, but it might draw the focus into a smaller area.
 
Was the boy friends car searched? Was the undercarriage and tire wheels searched and dirt, leaf debris, twigs gathered for scientific tests?

Was his wife aware of his relationship with Tera? If so, would she have condoned him hiding evidence of his crime at their home?
Just thinking out loud.

Was the FBI brought into this? Tera was just 16 yrs old.
 
some older articles you might find helpful

http://web.redding.com/specials/Smith/stories/19980825.shtml

August 25, 1998

Family hopes for return of teenager

By Anne Hart
Record Searchlight staff reporter

Parents of a missing 16-year-old are urging anyone with information about their daughter's disappearance to come forward to detectives.

Marilyn and Terry Smith want their daughter back safely.

The Shasta County couple said Monday that their 16-year-old has been missing since about 6 p.m. Saturday.

Tera Smith planned to jog near her Tarcy Way home then go to her job at her parents' business, the Oasis Fun Center, at 7 p.m.

But Tera never showed up at work, said her mother, Marilyn Smith.

A 29-year-old male acquaintance told detectives that he gave Tera a ride and dropped her off the intersection of Old Alturas Road and Old Oregon Trail.

Tera's parents and her three younger siblings wait for any word of the teen-ager's whereabouts.

The Smiths' telephone rings constantly with friends calling to offer support. Relatives came from out of state to help and make certain someone is always at home to answer calls.

But still there is no news of what happened to the Central Valley High School junior and homecoming princess.

Tera is not the typical missing teen-ager case, authorities said. She has no history of running away, doesn't use drugs and comes from a two-parent household.

Tera's parents reported her missing to Shasta County sheriff's deputies within two hours of when she failed to show up at work.

Detectives immediately started to investigate and interview her friends.

"We're concerned about the disappearance of this girl so suddenly and we'd like to do everything we can do to try to locate her," said Shasta County sheriff's Sgt. Mark Von Rader on Monday.

Sheriff's deputies and Redding police have teamed up on the case because the area she was last seen is in both agencies' jurisdictions.

Tera's parents, who have lived in Shasta County for 11 years, said their daughter is not a runaway.

"I don't think she left with the idea of running away," said Tera's mother, Marilyn, 37.

"But something happened that makes her feel like she doesn't have an option," added her father, Terry, 38.

Tera headed out of the Smith house wearing jogging shorts, a white sports bra and new running shoes that her mom just bought her.

The 5-foot, 7-inch tall girl with blond hair was in a good mood and looking forward to Monday when she was to start school. She ran for the school's cross country team and played basketball.

Anyone with information on the case can call sheriff's detectives at 245-6025 or Redding police at 225-4200.

©1998 - 2007 Record Searchlight -Redding.com, The E.W. Scripps Co.
August 26, 1998

FBI joins search for teen

By Anne Hart
Record Searchlight

The teen-age girl has been missing since Saturday after she left her family's home just northeast of Redding to go jogging.

FBI agents joined the search Tuesday for a 16-year-old Shasta County girl who has been missing for four days.

Meanwhile, Tera Smith's parents and her siblings count the hours since the homecoming princess disappeared on Saturday.

Shasta County sheriff's Lt. Harry Bishop said Redding-based FBI agents contacted detectives to offer assistance in the case.

Tera's 10-year-old sister saw Tera leave the family's Tarcy Way house about 6 p.m. Saturday to jog on streets near Old Oregon Trail, Bishop said.

After jogging, Tera was supposed to be at her job at her parents' business, the Oasis Fun Center, at 7 p.m., said her mother. But Tera never showed up.

Tera's parents, Marilyn and Terry Smith, immediately called their daughter's friends, but were unable to find her. The Smiths reported Tera missing to sheriff's deputies at 9:47 p.m. Saturday.

A 29-year-old Redding male acquaintance of Tera's told detectives that Tera called him earlier Saturday evening and asked him to meet her somewhere.

The man told detectives he then drove Tera to the intersection of Old Alturas Road and Old Oregon Trail and dropped her off there at her request.

Ever since then, the Smiths and their other three children have been anxiously waiting for words from Tera.

Marilyn Smith described her eldest child as a friendly, happy girl and also a risk-taker who liked adventure. She said her daughter often wanted more freedom.

Sheriff's deputies are devoting much staff time and resources to the search because Tera does not appear to be a typical runaway. The Redding Police Department is also assisting in the case.

Tera has no history of running away, doesn't use drugs and comes from a two-parent household, detectives said. She took no identification, pocketbook or possessions with her.

The 5-foot-7 girl with blond hair and blue eyes left the house wearing multi-color shorts, a white sports bra and white running shoes that her mother had just bought her.

Detectives searched Shasta College and the intersection of Old Oregon Trail and Old Alturas Road as well as Shasta Dam, a place Tera often visited, Bishop said. A California Highway Patrol helicopter crew flew over the dam, but no clues were found.

Detectives are not ruling out any possibilities in the disappearance.

"At this point, we're still exploring all the avenues," Bishop said.

Tera was to start her junior year Monday at Central Valley High School. Her disappearance has been a common topic on campus during this first week of school.

Principal John Strohmayer said the student body is holding out hope that Tera, a cross-country runner and basketball player, will be back soon.

"They are real optimistic that she will return," Strohmayer said.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Shasta County Sheriff's Department at 245-6025 or Redding police at 225-4200
 
http://web.redding.com/specials/Smith/stories/19980827.shtml

August 27, 1998

Search for girl brings community together

By Anne Hart
Record Searchlight staff reporter

Tera Smith's teachers asked students to come forward with clues about the missing teen-ager and a private party offered a $10,000 reward.

Watching bloodhounds sniff their 16-year-old daughter's pillow and T-shirt to pick up a scent was one of many wrenching scenes the Smith family witnessed this week.

Marilyn and Terry Smith and their other three children have suffered much since Tera Smith disappeared Saturday from her home north of Redding.

Five days and Tera is still missing.

"If she had any idea of what she is putting us through, I don't think she would be doing this," said Marilyn Smith, 37, on Wednesday.

The Smiths said their oldest daughter is not a runaway and they fear she is being held against her will.

A private party posted a $10,000 reward Wednesday for information leading to the safe return of Tera. Tipsters can call Shasta County Secret Witness at 243-2319.

The Smiths have talked to reporters and detectives about the most personal details in their lives. They scrambled to find the perfect photographs of their daughter to make missing-person fliers.

And the Smiths have heard from strangers who telephone to wish them luck and share theories on what happened to their daughter.

"It's a parent's worst nightmare. Just to have a child disappear without knowing what happened or where she is," said Shasta County sheriff's Lt. Harry Bishop.

The 5-foot, 7-inch girl with blond hair and blue eyes left her Tarcy Way home about 6 p.m. Saturday wearing jogging clothes.

A 29-year-old male acquaintance of Tera's told detectives that Tera called him earlier Saturday evening and asked him to meet her somewhere.

The man told detectives he then drove Tera to the intersection of Old Alturas Road and Old Oregon Trail and dropped her off at her request.

Tera's parents reported their daughter missing a few hours after she failed to show up at 7 p.m. Saturday at her job at their business, the Oasis Fun Center.

Since then, FBI agents, sheriff's deputies and Redding police have followed numerous tips, talked to friends and relatives and used tracking dogs to search spots that Tera frequented, including the Shasta Dam area.

Those close to Tera agree with the Smiths that the Central Valley High School junior is not a runaway.

Teacher Laurie Humphrey developed a friendship with Tera when Humphrey taught the girl world history last year.

This week Humphrey posted a missing-person flier on her podium at Central Valley High School, sent her husband to his job with a stack of the fliers and urged her students to come forward with even the smallest clue about Tera's disappearance.

Most school staff members believe Tera was too dependable and generous to leave on her own, Humphrey said.

"She didn't just get up and run away. She did not," Humphrey said. "Something has happened to this girl. She is too caring a person to worry us like this."

In addition to basketball and cross country, Tera volunteered once a week after school last year to help fellow students with special needs. The program was designed to teach special needs students about being in a mainstream classroom, Humphrey said.

"She is trusting and caring. And I think those attributes got her in trouble," Humphrey said.

Detectives asked people who know Tera and have information about her to contact them at 245-6025 or 225-4200.

"We want to talk to anybody who has been associated with her," Lt. Bishop said. "We don't know everyone and I don't think her family knows everyone that she associated with."

In a typical year, some 130,000 juveniles — mostly females — are reported missing in California, according to the state Department of Justice.


©1998 - 2007 Record Searchlight -Redding.com, The E.W. Scripps Co.
 

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