GUILTY CA - Gavin Smith, 57, Oak Park, 1 May 2012

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Kaliste said:
I thought of that exact scenario (Kanan toward Malibu to clear his head and suffering a bad accident) as I've made that drive countless time to clear my own head. Or just because it's a gorgeous SoCal night! Also agree that Sylmar seems like an odd place to end up in. Hoping he turns up safe soon. It's hard not to feel connected to cases nearby.
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ITA, and thank you!

Kanan to Malibu...the coastline...nice drive and destination.

I continue to feel that the fact his car has not been found is the biggest clue, so far.

Over 9 days missing now...

~jmo~
 
From Daily Mail article:
Sheriff says no evidence to suggest foul play, However case has now been classified to homicide due to clues they are not releasing to the public.

Friend was female that he was planning to stay the night with, and last seen by (not sure why I had always assumed male)

Cellphone pings unsuccessful, phone deemed turned off no credit card activity since Tue night.

Wearing purple what I gather workout type pants, so running casual errands or didn't plan to go anywhere fancy! Hopefully we will get some new info today
 
Blondie in Spokane said:
This case has now been classified a homicide per the Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...search-classified-homicide-investigation.html
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Lots of conflicting stuff out there...

On the DM article, one of the comments (which is specific enough to at least merit consideration) says that homicide detectives are merely helping out on the case, which is standard practice; similarly, a few comments on the family's site indicate that the Missing Persons section of LAX's Homicide Division (which the DM article says is handling the case) *always* handles missing persons cases once LAX believes that the disappearance is likely non-voluntary and that investigation is warranted (i.e., the normal/only Missing Persons unit is essentially housed in the Homicide Division).

On the flip side, several links to this article: http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_20592549/body-discovered-angeles-national-forest. Anyone know how close this is to where GS was staying, where he lived and/or the GPS ping referenced by his sister?

Lots of comments on the family site and news articles that GS was definitely not suicidal. Obviously, take that with a grain of salt, but there are no comments suggesting that he was suicidal/particularly depressed.

There are a few RUMORS out there (look in the comments) that he may have used some soft-ish recreational drugs... which would add another possibility of where foul play could have arisen/where he could have been going.
 
I had noticed yesterday that the Missing Notification from the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept lists the Contact info as L.A.S.D. Homicide Bureau. I assumed that Missing Persons cases are handled by this unit as I've seen in other such cases.

Sheriff's Notification

~jmo~
 
Man Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton both in that picture with him. Looks like he had strong ties to basketball and was also very wealthy. Hopefully this isn't a robbery attempt gone sour.
 
This case had the requisite elements for the 'circus treatment' from the start. I was surprised it hadn't grown faster legs but it surely has now. Latest as of this hour, from LA Times:

Authorities said that for now the disappearance remains classified as a missing persons case.

“It’s an adult missing persons case, not a homicide,” said sheriff’s Homicide Bureau Lt. Wes Sutton, noting that missing persons investigators are assigned within his bureau. “At this point, there’s nothing criminal [related] to his disappearance.”

Mystery deepens in disappearance of Hollywood exec Gavin Smith

~jmo~
 
Another article: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...-mysterious-disappearance-baffles-police.html

Only real "new" news is that the Smiths were apparently having financial troubles: "But the Smiths, who had fallen behind on the mortgage of the home they’ve shared for 15 years and could be facing foreclosure, have been trying to sell their house for the last six to eight months."

I have to say that, given that (1) where he disappeared from *is* relevant to the investigation (and why he was there *could be*) and (2) the family issues are already out there given his son's twitter/E!'s prior coverage of it, I'm surprised the family keeps refusing to comment on why he was staying at a friend's. It's just leading to more speculation and to people thinking that the family has something to hide.
 
SeaEclipse said:
Another article: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...-mysterious-disappearance-baffles-police.html

Only real "new" news is that the Smiths were apparently having financial troubles: "But the Smiths, who had fallen behind on the mortgage of the home they’ve shared for 15 years and could be facing foreclosure, have been trying to sell their house for the last six to eight months."

I have to say that, given that (1) where he disappeared from *is* relevant to the investigation (and why he was there *could be*) and (2) the family issues are already out there given his son's twitter/E!'s prior coverage of it, I'm surprised the family keeps refusing to comment on why he was staying at a friend's. It's just leading to more speculation and to people thinking that the family has something to hide.
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Indeed.

And this (bolding mine):

Crisis public relations consultant Howard Bragman, who was hired by the Smiths on May 10, told The Hollywood Reporter that the family is no longer giving interviews. "The family is unified in wanting to find Gavin," Bragman said.

Good case summation at the source article.

Also this, from the Help Find Gavin Smith! facebook:

Dr. Gordon Van Tassel will be leading a search of Malibu Canyon tomorrow (Saturday) morning, May 12th. The group will meet on the South-East corner of Piuma Road and Malibu Canyon Road (County HWY N1 on some maps) @ 7:00AM. There is parking on Piuma Road. Please be aware of all parking signs/laws.
 
shana said:
Indeed.

And this (bolding mine):

Crisis public relations consultant Howard Bragman, who was hired by the Smiths on May 10, told The Hollywood Reporter that the family is no longer giving interviews. "The family is unified in wanting to find Gavin," Bragman said.

Good case summation at the source article.

Also this, from the Help Find Gavin Smith! facebook:

Dr. Gordon Van Tassel will be leading a search of Malibu Canyon tomorrow (Saturday) morning, May 12th. The group will meet on the South-East corner of Piuma Road and Malibu Canyon Road (County HWY N1 on some maps) @ 7:00AM. There is parking on Piuma Road. Please be aware of all parking signs/laws.
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Malibu Canyon???? That is one of the areas we were posting about upthread. There have been several people who were found dead in those canyons, after driving off the road. Some were accidents and some were not.
 
I'm more inclined to consider this a case of a Voluntary Missing, based on details that have been released in recent days.

The fact that the car has not yet been located fits this scenario as well.

That said, I still think the possibility of an accident over a cliff remains valid...but why have so many days passed before intense searches could have been conducted?

There is a time & place for family secrets, but this is not one of them.

~jmo~
 
Comments on the Find Gavin website now state that the GPS signal in Sylmar was a mistake. I'm not sure if that's accurate, but then the GPS ping itself just came from his sister's FB page and has never been mentioned (to the best of my knowledge) in MSM (and this might explain why).

If the Sylmar ping never happened, then that opens up a whole range of options... Given that the car is missing, I'd say it's most likely that he went off a cliff (most likely accidentally... but, possibly, intentionally). Voluntary disappearance is another possibility, but given his distinctive look and noticeable car... I still think it's less likely; he'd have to be just hiding out somewhere.
 
shana said:
Indeed.

And this (bolding mine):

Crisis public relations consultant Howard Bragman, who was hired by the Smiths on May 10, told The Hollywood Reporter that the family is no longer giving interviews. "The family is unified in wanting to find Gavin," Bragman said.

Good case summation at the source article.

Also this, from the Help Find Gavin Smith! facebook:

Dr. Gordon Van Tassel will be leading a search of Malibu Canyon tomorrow (Saturday) morning, May 12th. The group will meet on the South-East corner of Piuma Road and Malibu Canyon Road (County HWY N1 on some maps) @ 7:00AM. There is parking on Piuma Road. Please be aware of all parking signs/laws.
Click to expand...

United in wanting to find him but family will not give any interviews? This is a strange one alright...JMO
 
I seem to have missed it, but did he leave on foot?
Or did he drive off?

This case strikes me as a walk away or an accident.
 
Tristan said:
I seem to have missed it, but did he leave on foot?
Or did he drive off?

This case strikes me as a walk away or an accident.
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From what we 'know', he left in his MBZ sometime around 10 pm. The person with whom he was staying noticed that he was gone on the morning thereafter (car too). I do not believe there are ANY witnesses to his driving-away.

This is the portion of the narrative from the Sheriff's Notification (linked below the quote):

The missing person, Gavin Smith, was last seen at his friend's residence in the Oak Park area (near Simi Valley, Ventura County) between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1st, 2012. He left in the above listed vehicle and has not been heard from since.

Sheriff's Notification ... still not updated since 5/7, btw
 
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