Missing in West Virginia, the Case of Grace Smith
Grace Allison Smith, a 35-year-old mother of two, went missing from Mason County, West Virginia, more than a year ago. Her disappearance remains a mystery, leaving her family restless with so many questions.
It's been over a year since Grace Allison Smith disappeared from Mason County, West Virginia. 35-year-old Gracie is a mother of two who vanished unexpectedly, leaving her family sleepless with many questions but to no avail.
Her family has never stopped searching for her as they marked another painful anniversary of their loss, hoping to find any clue of her whereabouts. One can only imagine the deep sorrow and anguish the family and friends are going through, longing to see her again.
By sharing a message of support to the family and solidarity that the community is still looking for her, you contribute to the cause of finding her. There is nothing more her family needs than closure and peace.
Let us revisit some details about the case, the investigation, and the impact of her disappearance on the community.
Grace Allison Smith was born on September 17th, 1987. She grew up in Point Pleasant, WV, with her two older sisters, Jodi and Jill. Grace attended Chesapeake High School across the Ohio River and Point Pleasant High School in West Virginia. She also studied at the University of Phoenix in Arizona. But moved back to her hometown of Point Pleasant, sometime around 2020 according to her Facebook profile. At the time of her disappearance, Grace lived out of her car in Gallipolis Ferry, 6 miles from Point Pleasant in southern Mason County.
On February 23rd, 2022, Grace drove to her Mother's home around 5:00 p.m. on Three Mile Road in Charleston, West Virginia. She took a shower, did some laundry, and had a serious conversation with her father; about seeking treatment for her addiction as soon as possible. She agreed, and they were all so proud and excited.
Jodi mentioned in an article by Kyani Reid of Dateline NBC that Grace had become addicted about a decade ago during her marriage. She also said that due to prior years, her problem had escalated, especially when she and her husband separated.
Grace agreed with her father to attend a rehab appointment at a treatment facility the following day.
She drove off from her Mother's house at about 8:30 p.m. after being offered some gas money to drive to Gallipolis Ferry.
But when her father tried to reach her by calling early afternoon, her cell phone went straight to voicemail. And unfortunately, no one has heard from her again ever since.
According to Dateline NBC, the family believed Grace was blowing off treatment at first. But when a couple of days passed without Grace ever reaching out to them, they realized something wasn't right.
Two days later, on a Friday, Grace's car was discovered by her estranged husband and mother-in-law in a parking lot near McClintic's public hunting area before being driven to a nearby house where they lived.
They contacted the Smiths, informing them about the vehicle and telling them that it wasn't uncommon for Grace to park her car in that location. Grace's vehicle, a 2007 gold-colored Pontiac, was found abandoned near two large ponds in the Mcclintic Wildlife Management Area, an area locally known as the TNT area, located north of Point Pleasant. Following the discovery, Grace's Mother filed a missing person's report with the Sheriff's Department.
Most of Grace's belongings were left inside her car, the keys were on the hood, but her cell phone was missing. Even a bag of groceries that seemed expired was also found.
Despite the efforts of the Mason County Sheriff's Office and the West Virginia State Police, who used a helicopter to search the TNT area and other places in southern Mason County, they could not find any clues or leads to Grace Smith's whereabouts. The reward for any information that could help locate Grace was raised from $6,000 to $7,500 on June 7th, 2022. The police still don't know what happened to Grace Smith or why she disappeared. Her case to this day is still open and active.
The Clifton F. McClintic Wildlife Management Area, also known as the TNT area, is situated on 3,655 acres of former wartime industrial land, occupied by farmland, woodlands, and wetlands encompassing 31 ponds.
Based on my understanding, the Wildlife Management Area is accessible by the Ohio River Road (highway WV-62) and Fairground Road (CR-12). A Biologist from the Department of Natural Resources Wildlife, Kem Shaw, stated in a WSAZ3 article that the campground shut down several years ago after an ammo storage unit, otherwise known as an "Igloo" exploded and never reopened.
The area is now used for hunting, fishing, hiking, or wildlife sitting, but camping is prohibited.
Sheriff Corey Miller told Dateline that they have been treating Grace's disappearance like they would with a murder investigation, they searched the area where the car was found extensively, but unfortunately, there was no sign of her.
Grace is 5'4'' and weighs 90 lbs. She has blue eyes and short gray hair. She was last seen wearing a blue knee-length coat with a yellow sweater/hoodie underneath, black Ugg boots, and blue jeans. She also has a tattoo of a fairy on her lower back.
The case of Grace Allison Smith is one of many cases that didn't receive much media attention, or at least not for long enough. The surrounding community should help the family through their search; don't let them feel hopeless and frustrated by the lack of support.
"I can't even begin to explain the unbearable pain that will never go away. It's my responsibility to take care of my little sister, I am trying, but I can't unless I know where she is," Jodi recently said.
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Grace Allison Smith, please contact the Mason County Sheriff's Department at (304) 675-3838 or (304) 675-9911.
Grace Allison Smith – The Charley Project
Please Help Find Grace Allison Smith | Facebook
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