CA CA - John Smith Jr., 37, Santa Cruz, 26 April 1996

[TheArtfulDetective]

John Warren Smith, Jr.



Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: April 26, 1996
Location Last Seen: Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California

Description:

• Date of Birth: September 5, 1958
• Age: 37 years old
• Race: White/Caucasian
• Gender: Male
• Height: 6'1"
• Weight: 165 lbs.
• Hair Color: Brown
• Eye Color: Brown/Hazel
• Nickname/Alias: Squeaky
• Distinguishing Marks/Features: Tattoo of a sun on left shoulder. Unspecified tattoo in unknown location.
• Clothing & Personal Items: Possibly Levi's jeans and short sleeve shirts or T-shirts.
• Identifiers: Dental x-rays available.
• Other: Medical - Suffered from depression.

Circumstances of Disappearance:
Smith was last seen in Santa Cruz, California on April 26, 1996. He has never been heard from again. His black 1985 Toyota pick-up truck was located abandoned alongside Highway 9 at mile marker 26.86 in a mountainous area, with all his belongings left inside. He was nowhere to be found.

Smith, who is described as an artistic person who draws and does wood carvings, was suffering from depression at the time of his disappearance. Few details are available regarding his case and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Investigators:

• Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department: 831-454-2520
  Reference Case#: 96-04782

NCIC Case Number: M927509803
NamUs Number: MP1448

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
1966DMCA - John Warren Smith Jr.
John Warren Smith Jr

 

[Pennysmom1]

1966DMCA - John Warren Smith Jr.

Circumstances of Disappearance​

John's vehicle was located at the roadside with his personal belongings in it.

It was found by highway 9 at mile marker 26.86. It is very mountainous with many deep ravens. There is a trail that goes to this region west to the pacific ocean. The trail follows some ridges and other times follows natural contours of the mountain sides.

He is known for his wood carvings. He was a very artistic man, doing drawings, carvings and special woodwork on houses.

 

[Phoenix Heart]

John Warren Smith, Jr.

View attachment 339558

Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: April 26, 1996
Location Last Seen: Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California

Description:

• Date of Birth: September 5, 1958
• Age: 37 years old
• Race: White/Caucasian
• Gender: Male
• Height: 6'1"
• Weight: 165 lbs.
• Hair Color: Brown
• Eye Color: Brown/Hazel
• Nickname/Alias: Squeaky
• Distinguishing Marks/Features: Tattoo of a sun on left shoulder. Unspecified tattoo in unknown location.
• Clothing & Personal Items: Possibly Levi's jeans and short sleeve shirts or T-shirts.
• Identifiers: Dental x-rays available.
• Other: Medical - Suffered from depression.

Circumstances of Disappearance:
Smith was last seen in Santa Cruz, California on April 26, 1996. He has never been heard from again. His black 1985 Toyota pick-up truck was located abandoned alongside Highway 9 at mile marker 26.86 in a mountainous area, with all his belongings left inside. He was nowhere to be found.

Smith, who is described as an artistic person who draws and does wood carvings, was suffering from depression at the time of his disappearance. Few details are available regarding his case and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Investigators:

• Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department: 831-454-2520
  Reference Case#: 96-04782

NCIC Case Number: M927509803
NamUs Number: MP1448

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
1966DMCA - John Warren Smith Jr.
John Warren Smith Jr

This man is my uncle. DNA tests were done on certain family members yrs back in case they ever found John and they could compare. Im the one who got that arranged. Since his disappearance most of those family members who gave dna are now deceased unfortunately. Its been along time of hearing anything on this case. It's sad. Last time I saw him was Easter weekend 96 that yr when john came out to see his brother in az who he was very close to and his brother was dying of cancer. I saw them then, after that John disappeared after going back to California. This is why Easter is different for me. I wish the case could've been solved before others passed to help healing..i hope one day we'll know the truth ..thanks for having his info out there. I appreciate that. Yrs ago not many links to him were out there..im thankful there are more..

 

[Phoenix Heart]

John Warren Smith, Jr.

View attachment 339558

Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: April 26, 1996
Location Last Seen: Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California

Description:

• Date of Birth: September 5, 1958
• Age: 37 years old
• Race: White/Caucasian
• Gender: Male
• Height: 6'1"
• Weight: 165 lbs.
• Hair Color: Brown
• Eye Color: Brown/Hazel
• Nickname/Alias: Squeaky
• Distinguishing Marks/Features: Tattoo of a sun on left shoulder. Unspecified tattoo in unknown location.
• Clothing & Personal Items: Possibly Levi's jeans and short sleeve shirts or T-shirts.
• Identifiers: Dental x-rays available.
• Other: Medical - Suffered from depression.

Circumstances of Disappearance:
Smith was last seen in Santa Cruz, California on April 26, 1996. He has never been heard from again. His black 1985 Toyota pick-up truck was located abandoned alongside Highway 9 at mile marker 26.86 in a mountainous area, with all his belongings left inside. He was nowhere to be found.

Smith, who is described as an artistic person who draws and does wood carvings, was suffering from depression at the time of his disappearance. Few details are available regarding his case and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Investigators:

• Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department: 831-454-2520
  Reference Case#: 96-04782

NCIC Case Number: M927509803
NamUs Number: MP1448

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
1966DMCA - John Warren Smith Jr.
John Warren Smith Jr

Post in thread 'CA - John Smith Jr., 37, Santa Cruz, 26 April 1996' CA - CA - John Smith Jr., 37, Santa Cruz, 26 April 1996

 

[CrackerC119]

John Warren Smith, Jr.

View attachment 339558

Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: April 26, 1996
Location Last Seen: Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California

Description:

• Date of Birth: September 5, 1958
• Age: 37 years old
• Race: White/Caucasian
• Gender: Male
• Height: 6'1"
• Weight: 165 lbs.
• Hair Color: Brown
• Eye Color: Brown/Hazel
• Nickname/Alias: Squeaky
• Distinguishing Marks/Features: Tattoo of a sun on left shoulder. Unspecified tattoo in unknown location.
• Clothing & Personal Items: Possibly Levi's jeans and short sleeve shirts or T-shirts.
• Identifiers: Dental x-rays available.
• Other: Medical - Suffered from depression.

Circumstances of Disappearance:
Smith was last seen in Santa Cruz, California on April 26, 1996. He has never been heard from again. His black 1985 Toyota pick-up truck was located abandoned alongside Highway 9 at mile marker 26.86 in a mountainous area, with all his belongings left inside. He was nowhere to be found.

Smith, who is described as an artistic person who draws and does wood carvings, was suffering from depression at the time of his disappearance. Few details are available regarding his case and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Investigators:

• Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department: 831-454-2520
  Reference Case#: 96-04782

NCIC Case Number: M927509803
NamUs Number: MP1448

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
1966DMCA - John Warren Smith Jr.
John Warren Smith Jr

If it was a suicide, then why hasn't his body been found? Depression is a broad spectrum and I find it difficult to believe that he would take care to hide his body and leave his family in turmoil. Suicide also tends to be an impulsive thing. It sounds as though he drove for quite some miles to get out to the mountains.

With there being so little information on Mr Warren Smith Junior, it is difficult to determine if there was a possible motive for homicide. Could a robbery have gone wrong? Could Mr Smith Jr have been confronted for his vehicle, killed and the thieves abandoned the vehicle in a bid to flee the scene? The Sherriff's Office gives little information about what the scene where the vehicle was found was like. Were there other tyre marks?

As part of my research in to this case, I intend to look on the maps at any surrounding plots of water, including rivers.

 

[CrackerC119]

Further investigation shows a river, known as San Lorenzo River, runs by and underneath Highway 9. Was this river ever searched?