ME ME - Sharon Smith, 25, Bangor, 25 August 1980

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JusticeWillBeServed

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Sharon Smith was last seen on August 25th 1980 and was reported missing by her mother. She had worked an evening shift at the Paramount Lounge, a gritty hotel bar in downtown Bangor. Sharon had a history of leaving in the past but had always returned so the family was not initially worried. Her parents and siblings were in the process of moving to Florida at the time of her disappearance. She had a son and a daughter; their father had custody of the children. The father is now deceased and her son passed away at the age of fifteen.

Her daughter, Mandi began her own search in the 90's and learned of a few different theories on what could have happened. She believes her mother is deceased. Investigators have conducted a few searches throughout the years, with the most recent one occurring last month. Reportedly nothing was found. The man who has been implicated in the disappearance is now deceased. His family believes that he was not involved.

New leads revive family’s 36-year-old mystery: What happened to Sharon Smith?

Stories about what happened the night her mother went missing run the gamut of a jealous boyfriend killing her to gun running, Clark said she discovered.

During her investigation, which is referred to in a recently filed police affidavit, she got a call from an anonymous man who told her Franklin “George” Gilks killed her mother and that “things got carried away, accidents happen.”
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Despite the case remaining unsolved for years, law enforcement investigators didn’t forget about Sharon Smith. Her missing person’s case in the 1990s was handled by now retired Detective Ed Thorne, who interviewed several people who pointed the finger at Gilks. He also interviewed a co-worker of Sharon Smith’s who is believed to be one of the last people to see her alive. The co-worker reported that she stopped by and saw Sharon Smith at the Paramount and that Sharon Smith was supposed to come by her apartment afterward but never showed.

The case file also contains references to two people who told police that Gilks admitted to killing Sharon Smith while at a drinking party, where he was “quite intoxicated.” They reported that Gilks told them he broke Sharon Smith’s neck during an argument.
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After taking over the case, Brock found more leads to pursue, according to the affidavit. He and Detective Tim Shaw searched property records and discovered Gilks had indeed lived in Hermon in his youth, and his mother and brother still lived at the location of his childhood home, 147 New Boston Road. The old barn that once served as the family’s home was torn down 20 years ago and replaced by a rain pond with a small fountain made out of concrete surrounded by rocks and a garden.

Gilks’ family members told police at the time of the search they didn’t believe Gilks had anything to do with Sharon Smith’s disappearance.

The June search for evidence related to Sharon Smith’s case resulted in no evidence being seized, the affidavit filed by Brock at the Penobscot Judicial Center states.

While no items were seized, new leads are now being followed, Sgt. David Bushey, who leads the detective’s division, said Thursday.

“People are starting to call again,” Bushey said. “We don’t have any good solid leads, but we’re creating a list of people to do follow up interviews with. We’ve had a couple people reach out by email as well.”
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Court documents shed new details on search for Sharon Smith

A woman named Cheryll Ingalls who also worked at the Paramount said George Gilks stayed part time with Sharon there and the two dated. Retired Bangor Police Detective Eddie Thorne says Gilks was someone they were looking into at the time.

"There were actually two people...two persons of interest at the time," Thorne said.

But Gilks is the name that comes up in those interviewed by police in the recently released affidavit.

The affidavit states that in Aug. 1996, Henry Jenkins told Penobscot County Sheriff's deputies Sharon was buried on Gilks' land, but he was vague about where it was.

Jenkins also allegedly told investigators that Gilks confided in him that he "had broken Sharon's neck" and then taken her out back to "finish her off." Jenkins said it happened after the two got into a fight about Sharon seeing another man.
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sharon.jpg
 
Charley Project

smith_sharon.jpg
smith_sharon2.jpg


Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
• Missing Since: August 25, 1980 from Bangor, Maine
• Classification: Endangered Missing
• Age: 25 years old
• Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair. Smith may use the last names Beaudoin and/or Clark.

Details of Disappearance
Smith was last seen in Bangor, Maine on August 25, 1980. She worked the evening shift at the Paramount Lounge on Harlow Street that day, then disappeared afterwards. The lounge, which has since been closed, was on the ground floor of a hotel where Smith was renting a room. Authorities later discovered her room door was left open and her purse was inside. Smith has never been heard from again. She left behind two young children; both of them were in their father's care when their mother disappeared. She had been preparing to move to Florida with her parents and five siblings.

Smith's sometime boyfriend, Franklin "George" Gilks, has been implicated in her disappearance. He allegedly told people he had broken her neck and killed her in an argument. When Smith's daughter grew up and attempted to locate her mother, she got an anonymous telephone call from someone who told her Gilks killed Smith and "things got carried away." The caller warned Smith's daughter to "leave things alone" or she could also be killed. Police got an anonymous letter saying Smith was buried at a residence in the 100 block of New Boston Road in Hermon, Maine. Gilks had lived there as a child, and his mother and brother still live at that address. The house Gilks grew up in, a converted barn, has since been torn down. Investigators searched the property with a cadaver dog, and the dog indicated the presence of human remains in the area where Gilks's childhood house had once been. They excavated the front yard, but found nothing of interest.

Gilks died in 2008. Smith's children's father is also deceased, and their oldest child died when he was teens, but her daughter is still hoping for answers in her case. Since her disappearance she hasn't used her Social Security number, and both investigators and Smith's family believe she is dead.
 
My main concern with the Gilks theory is the main source, Henry Jenkins. He has a record a mile long, is an alcoholic and would probably have been prepared to say anything across a table from the police - especially if he had heard the stories about Gilks. http://archive.wcsh6.com/news/article/83823/0/Bangor-Man-Charged-In-Penquis-Fire gives a flavour of his record but it is easy to find more with a quick search. It may be that there are other sources and evidence of Gilks involvement (other than the anonymous letter and the fact that they dated) but certainly Jenkins does not fill me with confidence.

Of course, this is not to say Gilks was not guilty. He had a criminal record including assault so hardly a pleasant individual.
 
Bumping for Sharon
I'm determined to help solve this case. I grew up in the same town and was 14 when she went missing, however, I'd never heard of her as an MP until they were digging up the yard in Hermon.
 
I found this on the Bangor, Maine city missing person website:
http://www.bangormaine.gov/missingpersons
They give a description of Sharon, including aliases and DOB:
[h=2]Sharon Smith (Clarke) (Beaudoin) (date of birth 5/25/55)[/h] [FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Ms. Smith was reported missing September 4, 1980. Sharon was an employee at the Paramount Lounge on Harlow Street in Bangor at the time of her disappearance. She was last seen leaving the Paramount Lounge on foot late one night around August 25, 1980. At the time of her disappearance Ms. Smith was 5’2” 108 lbs. and had blonde hair and blue eyes.
[/FONT]
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I was watching The Coroner:I speak for the dead on ID about the murder of Kathryn Bishop-then there was a commercial (fast forward to 35 minute mark) and Sharon was on there. Showed her missing poster and her mom crying saying why, why did this man do this, we new it was possible but now we know its real. The commercial ended with Real People, Real Stories. -but that was it, never gave a date or anything. So weird but hopefully we might get to see her story told on ID.
 
trigger said:
I was watching The Coroner:I speak for the dead on ID about the murder of Kathryn Bishop-then there was a commercial (fast forward to 35 minute mark) and Sharon was on there. Showed her missing poster and her mom crying saying why, why did this man do this, we new it was possible but now we know its real. The commercial ended with Real People, Real Stories. -but that was it, never gave a date or anything. So weird but hopefully we might get to see her story told on ID.
Click to expand...

Was this a trailer for a show or part of the episode you were watching?
 
Alleykins said:
Was this a trailer for a show or part of the episode you were watching?
Click to expand...

Ok it was the wrong Sharon Smith- when I saw the trailer I thought it was her but no-it’s not her. I kept looking and I found Dance with the Devil on ID on 10/27 at 8pm (est).
 
Bumping for Sharon, nothing new to report. Still no DNA, dental or fingerprints.
How can we light a fire under someone to get this started? I'm thinking she may have fingerprints out there, based on her lifestyle, but I am just guessing.
 
Charley Project updated Jan 26, 2019:

Sharon Sue Smith
  • sharon_smith_1.jpg
  • sharon_smith_2.jpg
Smith, circa 1980

  • Missing Since 08/25/1980
  • Missing From Bangor, Maine
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Date of Birth 05/25/1955 (63)
  • Age 25 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'2, 108 pounds
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Smith may use the last names Beaudoin and/or Clark. She has a tattoo on her left hand.
Details of Disappearance
Smith was last seen in Bangor, Maine on August 25, 1980. She worked the evening shift at the Paramount Lounge on Harlow Street that day, then disappeared afterwards. The lounge, which has since been closed, was on the ground floor of a hotel where Smith was renting a room. Authorities later discovered her room door was left open and her purse was inside.

Smith has never been heard from again. She left behind two young children; both of them were in their father's care when their mother disappeared. She had been preparing to move to Florida with her parents and five siblings.

Smith's sometime boyfriend, Franklin "George" Gilks, has been implicated in her disappearance. He allegedly told people he had broken her neck and killed her in an argument. When Smith's daughter grew up and attempted to locate her mother, she got an anonymous telephone call from someone who told her Gilks killed Smith and "things got carried away." The caller warned Smith's daughter to "leave things alone" or she could also be killed.

Police got an anonymous letter saying Smith was buried at a residence in the 100 block of New Boston Road in Hermon, Maine. Gilks had lived there as a child, and his mother and brother still live at that address. The house where Gilks grew up, a converted barn, has since been torn down.

Investigators searched the property with a cadaver dog, and the dog indicated the presence of human remains in the area where Gilks's childhood house had once been. They excavated the front yard, but found nothing of interest.

Gilks died in 2008. Smith's children's father is also deceased, and their oldest child died when he was teens, but her daughter is still hoping for answers in her case. Since her disappearance she hasn't used her Social Security number, and both investigators and Smith's family believe she is dead.

Sharon Sue Smith – The Charley Project
 
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