Found Deceased OR - Terry Smith, 67, & Sharon Smith, 65, Grant Co, 17 Jul 2018

[Tripod]

GRANT COUNTY: Still no signs of missing couple | Elkhorn Media Group
Update as of Aug. 2 and not much new, but sheriff states it is being treated as a crime.

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

GRANT COUNTY: Still no signs of missing couple | Elkhorn Media Group
Update as of Aug. 2 and not much new, but sheriff states it is being treated as a crime.

Thank you for posting this, Tripod.

I find the following encouraging:

“The Grant County Sheriffs Office has taken the lead in this investigation with assistance of the Oregon State Police and the Federal Bureau oflnvestigation.

Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer states, ‘Information from family, friends, neighbors and the public continues to come in and we are appreciative of the response we have received during the inception of this case. It has actually been overwhelming at times. Without information and people willing to talk to us, the investigation would not be where it is today. Even though information we have is circumstantial at this point and the Smith’s are still missing, we are taking this case seriously and treating it as a crime‘.

The Sheriffs Office and FBI have made some contacts in this case and conducted numerous interviews. Due to the fact this case is criminal in nature, those findings cannot be shared publicly.”

 

[Tripod]

Thank you for posting this, Tripod.

I find the following encouraging:

“The Grant County Sheriffs Office has taken the lead in this investigation with assistance of the Oregon State Police and the Federal Bureau oflnvestigation.

Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer states, ‘Information from family, friends, neighbors and the public continues to come in and we are appreciative of the response we have received during the inception of this case. It has actually been overwhelming at times. Without information and people willing to talk to us, the investigation would not be where it is today. Even though information we have is circumstantial at this point and the Smith’s are still missing, we are taking this case seriously and treating it as a crime‘.

The Sheriffs Office and FBI have made some contacts in this case and conducted numerous interviews. Due to the fact this case is criminal in nature, those findings cannot be shared publicly.”

I found that encouraging too, IMHO, as well as the sheriff saying they've had very good response from the public, family and friends.

Reading between the lines, hopefully they have some decent leads to follow. It still seems awfully quiet for a case that seems so mysterious to us. Perhaps it's not as mysterious as it seems, to LE and family.

 

[Tripod]

Another bump for the Smiths!

 

[Tripod]

The Elkhorn Media Group that I linked to previously is working on an update, but seems to indicate there's really nothing new. I'll post link when they publish it.

 

[Tripod]

Nothing so far. Not a peep

 

[Razz]

Say they flew out of an airport and parked in long term parking. How long would it take before someone discovered that the parked truck hadn't been moved in over a month?

 

[Razz]

Say they flew out of an airport and parked in long term parking. How long would it take before someone discovered that the parked truck hadn't been moved in over a month?

I wonder what they'd do with their truck when they traveled back to Hawaii? Did they keep it somewhere?
The groundskeeper was missing during the fire. I'd love to know what he has to say.

 

[Tripod]

Say they flew out of an airport and parked in long term parking. How long would it take before someone discovered that the parked truck hadn't been moved in over a month?

Good question. Even if Terry and Sharon didn't drive their truck, someone else could have parked it elsewhere and possibly did. I would like to think LE has checked into that!

 

[Tripod]

I wonder what they'd do with their truck when they traveled back to Hawaii? Did they keep it somewhere?
The groundskeeper was missing during the fire. I'd love to know what he has to say.

I don't know any facts, but they probably would have left that truck at the home that burned and had someone drive them to the airport. Or maybe they left the truck at a family member's or friend's ? Odd the truck hasn't turned up. Odder still they haven't. Oddest of all is the seeming silence. There might be a lot of local talk, but unless a local comes here, I guess we can't know

 

[Tripod]

There is still no new update from LE or family, that I can find

 

[FlossyMay]

This is the weirdest thing. Where are these people?

 

[Tripod]

This is the weirdest thing. Where are these people?

I agree, Flossy, and I'll keep bumping in hopes there's some info, any info..!

 

[mrsNKY]

I'm baffled by this case. Even more so, the article says they often visit with family nearby yet, I haven't seen any quotes from nearby family in any articles. Well, the sister in Hawaii spoke. I also was thinking; the sister spoke to them at 10; they were going to bed. The neighbor saw the glow at 10:15, fire department didn't discover the house on fire until 12:15? I can't imagine them already asleep in 15 minutes. I also have a hard time thinking they could have been murdered and the fire set in such a short amount of town.

I also wonder if they lived so far away from neighbors, it would be a little difficult for someone to sneak up on them. Even, if they did, who would have known they were still around. Last, didn't the initial report indicate they were watching the house from someone? Well, it looks like that was a comment. Very odd indeed!

 

[Tripod]

I'm baffled by this case. Even more so, the article says they often visit with family nearby yet, I haven't seen any quotes from nearby family in any articles. Well, the sister in Hawaii spoke. I also was thinking; the sister spoke to them at 10; they were going to bed. The neighbor saw the glow at 10:15, fire department didn't discover the house on fire until 12:15? I can't imagine them already asleep in 15 minutes. I also have a hard time thinking they could have been murdered and the fire set in such a short amount of town.

I also wonder if they lived so far away from neighbors, it would be a little difficult for someone to sneak up on them. Even, if they did, who would have known they were still around. Last, didn't the initial report indicate they were watching the house from someone? Well, it looks like that was a comment. Very odd indeed!

I have the same trouble with the apparent phone conversation with the sister and the time the fire was reported, as well.

Initially I thought there was a chance that the fire began accidentally, maybe Sharon was able to wake Terry up or help him get out of the house, and he or she or both were injured. They still were able to get into their truck and drive off for help- then maybe accidentally went off the road. If that happened, I honestly think they would have been found fairly quickly because I'm assuming there's probably only one road they would have taken and that was probably searched.

Just do not know a darn thing

 

[FlossyMay]

Wasn't there a caretaker or such that was also missing in this case?

 

[doodles1211]

I wonder what their finances are like? It could shed some light on possible motive(s).

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

Wasn't there a caretaker or such that was also missing in this case?

“Hinshaw also said the Smiths sometimes let people stay on the 80-100 acre property on Nan’s Rock Road they bought in the mid-1990s, but the man who served as a caretaker for the property was gone at the time of the fire.” (BBM)
Search continues for missing couple

 

[Razz]

I have the same trouble with the apparent phone conversation with the sister and the time the fire was reported, as well.

Initially I thought there was a chance that the fire began accidentally, maybe Sharon was able to wake Terry up or help him get out of the house, and he or she or both were injured. They still were able to get into their truck and drive off for help- then maybe accidentally went off the road. If that happened, I honestly think they would have been found fairly quickly because I'm assuming there's probably only one road they would have taken and that was probably searched.

Just do not know a darn thing

I agree with you Tripod. The conversation with the sister on the phone at ten and then neighbors seeing the glow of fire 15 minutes later is strange.

Could this have been her way of saying goodbye? She knew she and her husband would be dropping off the face of the earth and her sister would probably be the last person she'd want to talk with and say goodbye without really saying goodbye. (Sorry, not sure that makes sense.)

I think they're alive somewhere. But if that's the case, they had to be planning this fire and escape a while ago. Surely by now LE has determined how the fire was started.

 

[Tripod]

You know, Razz, that's a possibility, too. Since we know practically nothing about this couple's lives ( and we certainly aren't entitled), your scenario is one that's going to come up.

I haven't read in any of the few media pieces that Terry and Sharon have adult children, so if they remain missing and aren't found, any homeowner's insurance proceeds would be put into an escrow for the estate, depending on the fire's cause and that investigation. Then I suppose everything else would be dealt with as best it can be legally until 7 years goes by..... Not sure just how that all would work and it's way too early to come to any conclusions without knowing some of the things LE knows.

We certainly have learned from another case or 2 here on WS that there might be other ways to handle the finances/estates of missing people..

I do hope you are right and they are alive and well somewhere!!