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Dashad 'Sage' Smith Missing: Virginia Police Searching For Transgender Teen
Posted: 11/28/2012 3:56 pm EST Updated: 11/29/2012 9:32 am EST


(http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/266403/slide_266403_1815602_free.jpg?1354136022000)(http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/266403/slide_266403_1815614_free.jpg?1354136022000)

Police in Virginia are searching for a transgender teen who has been missing for more than a week.

Dashad Smith, 19, also known as Sage, Sagey and Unique, was last seen Nov. 20, in the 500 block of West Main Street in Charlottesville. Smith was last seen wearing a black jacket, dark-gray sweatpants, a black scarf and gray boots, police said.

Smith was supposed to meeting a man for a date on the evening she disappeared, her father, Dean Smith, told The Huffington Post.

"I had talked to my son on Nov. 20. I talked to him about 5:00 or 5:30 p.m.," Dean Smith said. "After that he did not answer his phone. His roommate said he was going to meet a guy ... I guess they were going on date or whatever. That's all they have right now. It looks like it's an abduction."

Dashad Smith, who dresses as both a man and a woman, has not contacted her family since she disappeared. She also missed a planned Thanksgiving dinner with her mother, Latasha Grooms.

"He was supposed to come with me, and when I called him the day before Thanksgiving, there was no answer," Grooms told HuffPost. "I kept calling and texting and found out from his roommate that he had not been seen since the previous day."

 ::snipping2::

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/28/dashad-smith-missing_n_2205836.html#slide=1815614

Charlottesville Police Looking for Second Person in Missing Teen Case
Posted: Nov 28, 2012 2:19 PM MST
Updated: Dec 01, 2012 7:54 PM MST

(http://wvir.images.worldnow.com/images/20209341_BG1.jpg)

Charlottesville police are now asking your help to find a second man who has been missing since the disappearance of DaShad Smith.

Police say Erik McFadden had phone contact with 19-year-old DaShad Smith and planned to meet him Tuesday near the Amtrak station.   

Investigators say McFadden told them that meeting never happened. Now, Charlottesville police believe McFadden has suddenly left town.     

If you know anything about where McFadden or Smith may be, you are urged to call Crime Stoppers at 434-977-4000.

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http://www.nbc29.com/story/20209341/charlottesville-police-looking-for-second-person-in-missing-teen-case

Dashad 'Sage' Smith, 19, Missing From Charlottesville, Va For More Than A Week; Erik McFadden Wanted
7:36 AM, Nov 29, 2012

http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/231314/188/Dashad-Sage-Smith-19-Missing-From-Charlottesville-Va-For-More-Than-A-Week-Erik-McFadden-Wanted

Dashad Smith Search Continues
Updated: Sat 2:47 PM, Dec 01, 2012

The family of a Charlottesville teen missing since early last week will hit the streets this weekend to look for answers.

Saturday afternoon at 2:30pm, a group of volunteers will be searching around West Main Street near the Amtrak station looking for any clues that may help find Dashad Smith.

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http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Dashad-Smith-Search-Continues-181610521.html

Updated: Sun 12:04 AM, Dec 02, 2012
Community Searches for Missing Charlottesville Teen


Family, friends and people looking to lend a helping hand gathered near the Amtrak train station in Charlottesville Saturday to find 19-year-old Dashad Smith. He's been missing for 11 days.

"Just wanting it to hurry up and come to an end, hopefully with good news,"said Latasha Grooms, Smith's mother.

 ::snipping2::

http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Community-Searches-For-Missing-Charlottesville-Teen-181711211.html

Dashad Smith's Family to Councilors: City Isn't Doing Enough
 
December 3, 2012

The family of missing Charlottesville man Dashad Smith told city council at its meeting Monday that city officials aren't doing enough to find the 19-year-old.

"The police department has not done what it needs to do to find our child," Kenneth Jackson, Smith's second cousin, told councilors during public comment.

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http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Dashad-Smiths-Family-to-Councilors-City-Isnt-Doing-Enough-181945371.html

Dashad Smith Disappearance May Not Be Taken Seriously By Charlottesville Police Because He Is Transgendered Says LGBT Group
10:18 AM, Dec 4, 2012

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS 19) -- Members of Charlottesville Pride Community Networks say they are concerned that police are not handling the case of missing transgender teen Dashad Smith properly.

"There's definitely a perception on the part of the L.G.B.T. community here in Charlottesville that this issue is not as important; that its being swept up under the rug," said the group's president, Amy Marshall.

She says his lifestyle may be causing his case not to be taken seriously by police. She also feels that stereotypes about his lifestyle may be causing a lack of interest.

"I hate to say it but I think if this person was a blond white girl from UVA we wouldn't be just dismissing this case as just a possible person who would be out not just talking to their family," said Marshall.

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http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/232119/188/Are-Police-Handling-Transgender-Teens-Disappearance-Properly

Community continues for missing Charlottesville teen
Sat Dec 1, 2012

DaShad Laquinn “Sage” Smith was supposed to surprise his younger sisters at Thanksgiving. Instead, his family learned that he had gone missing.

Smith’s roommate called the family that Thursday morning to say Smith never came home after leaving to meet a friend Tuesday evening on West Main Street.

“It was really hard for our family,” Latasha Grooms, Smith’s mother, said.

 ::snipping2::

http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/article_3cb53d6c-3c26-11e2-bd6f-0019bb30f31a.html

https://www.facebook.com/FindSageSmith

http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/article_c3356e5c-3dbb-11e2-9e3f-001a4bcf6878.html
Family member of missing Charlottesville teen questions city's response
Posted December 3, 2012, Updated December 4, 2012

A family member of missing Charlottesville teenager DaShad "Sage" Smith lambasted the city’s response to his disappearance Monday night, saying that the city’s black, poor and gay communities "are not feeling safe."
Kenneth Jackson, of Rice, asked to address the City Council at Monday’s meeting, saying he was once proud of Charlottesville, his hometown.
"But I can’t brag on Charlottesville when my little 19-year-old cousin is missing," Jackson said, adding that the FBI and state police should be called in to help with the search.
He then turned to address city Police Chief Timothy J. Longo, who was sitting in the chamber.
"Chief, the police department has not done what it’s supposed to do to find our child," Jackson said.
In an interview, Longo said his department has brought in outside resources to help with the search for Smith, but he can't lay out details about everything police are doing due to the fact that a suspect may still be at large.
"This is a top priority for us," Longo said. "It will continue to be a top priority until we find this young man and, by the grace of God, bring him home."
Numerous vigils and search parties have been organized since Smith, who is transgendered, went missing on Nov. 20. The teen was supposed to meet city resident Eric McFadden at the Amtrak station on West Main Street, but McFadden told police Smith never showed up. Police now believe McFadden has left town. He is wanted for further questioning, but is not considered a suspect.
Amy Marshall, the president of LGBT group Charlottesville Pride Community Network, also criticized city councilors for taking the time to show up to the city’s first gay-pride festival earlier this year, but failing to show up to a vigil for Smith that was held in Lee Park last Wednesday. All the councilors showed up the festival organized by the Pride group, Marshall said, but just one showed up at the vigil.
"Supporting LGBT equality in Charlottesville is not just about going to the fun events," Marshall said.
Marshall said she appreciates the efforts of community members and police, but there is still a perception that the media and the city at large have not given the case the attention it deserves.
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http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/gay-issues/search-continues-missing-va-teen-sage-smith
Dashad Sage Smith, Transgender Teen, Still Missing in Virginia
December 5, 2012

Sage Smith, a transgender 19-year-old girl from Charlottesville, VA, was last heard from just over two weeks ago, on November 20. Local police are asking for help locating the last person who had contact with Smith, a 21 year-old named Erik Tyquan McFadden, who they believe has left Charlottesville after an initial police interview following the disappearance. On the day Smith is believed to have gone missing, the pair was allegedly supposed to meet at the city’s Amtrak station, but McFadden told police she never arrived. Smith’s father told the Huffington Post that the two were supposed to go on a date that night.

Although McFadden (photo below) has not been named as a suspect or person of interest in the disappearance, police still have questions for him, further complicated by the fact that they now believe he has fled the Charlottesville area.

Kenneth Jackson, a cousin of Smith, expressed outrage at the city’s response to the disappearance. “The police department has not done what it’s supposed to do to find our child,” he said to Police Chief Timothy J. Longo, adding that the FBI and state resources should be utilized in the search.
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http://www.nbc29.com/story/20340925/balloons-released-in-honor-of-missing-persons-birthday
Balloons Released in Honor of Missing Person’s Birthday
December 13, 2012

Thursday night, family and friends marked a missing man's birthday.

DaShad Smith of Charlottesville has been missing for more than three weeks. Thursday was his 20th birthday. Family and friends gathered in Lee Park to let send rainbow-colored balloons in his honor.

Police say Smith, a transgendered teen who also goes by "Sage," was last seen on November 20th near the Charlottesville Amtrak station. Police are also looking for Erik McFadden, who they say had contact with Smith on the same night he disappeared. McFadden told police that meeting never happened, and suddenly left town.

Family and friends say they are still hopeful that Smith will come home safely.
 ::snipping2::
Smith's family and friends have organized a number of events to keep his case in the public eye: a search party around the Amtrak station, a candlelight vigil and march, and now this balloon release. They say they don't want Smith's case to get swept under the rug, and most importantly they want answers.

Anyone with information on this case should call Crime Stoppers at 434-977-4000.

http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Police-Searching-Landfill-for-Clues-in-Dashad-Smith-Disappearance-183812561.html
Police Searching Landfill for Clues in Dashad Smith Disappearance
December 17, 2012

Charlottesville Police are searching a landfill near Richmond looking for clues to the disappearance of 19-year-old Dashad "Sage" Smith.

Lt. Ronnie Roberts reports that the search is focusing on evidence related to Smith's disappearance, but would not specify what evidence might be in the landfill.

Family members hope that authorities can find some type of evidence that will generate leads.

"Part of you wants to think that, I hope that they find, whether it's him, whether its evidence of anything that was thrown away. I hope that they are able to find it," said Dashad Smith's mother, Latasha Smith.

Several unmarked Charlottesville police cruisers and a Charlottesville Fire Department vehicle were parked in the private landfill in eastern Henrico County.
 ::snipping2::

Video and photos at link

http://www.nbc29.com/story/20366182/police-search-for-dashad-smith-in-henrico-county
Police Search for DaShad Smith in Henrico County
December 17, 2012

Charlottesville police took their search for a missing person to Henrico County Monday.  Investigators searched the Old Dominion Landfill for any evidence in the disappearance of DaShad Smith.
 ::snipping2::
Investigators are also looking for Erik McFadden, who was supposed to meet Smith the same night he disappeared.

Police have not said what prompted their search of the Henrico County landfill.

http://wtvr.com/2012/12/17/darshad-laquinn-smith-landfill-search/
Search for missing teen leads to Henrico landfill
December 17, 2012

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) – Investigators from Charlottesville are searching an eastern Henrico landfill for clues into the disappearance of a Charlottesville teenager.
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A Charlottesville police spokesman would not say what specifically investigators were looking for – only that they were hoping to find evidence.
Charlottesville Police Lt. Ronnie Roberts said investigators could be in the area for as many as two days.
CBS 6 senior reporter Wayne Covil said he has seen at least a dozen people walking around a specific area of the landfill. He said police have set up two tents and a light tower. There are also two dogs helping with the search.
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Video & Photos at Link

http://www.nbc29.com/story/20372830/cville-pd-announce-reward-search-landfill-in-hopes-of-finding-missing-person
Police Announce $10,000 Reward for Information on Missing Person

Sounds like LE has something they just can't share yet.

https://twitter.com/Erik_wit_a_K

Erik McFadden's twitter

http://www.formspring.me/merikismoney
http://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/Athlete.aspx?AID=643210
http://pinterest.com/trackkidemc/

Erik McFadden's online presence.  LE should be looking into the computers of these two.

http://www.examiner.com/article/dashad-smith-family-protesting-at-police-station-for-charlottesville-teen
Dashad Smith: Family protested at police station for Charlottesville teen (Photos)
December 29, 2012

he family of a missing 19-year-old teen protested at the Charlottesville police station on Friday because they don't believe the police are doing enough to find him.

Dashad "Sage" Smith from Charlottesville, Virg. has been missing since Nov. 20, 2012. Smith, a transgender teen, planned to meet with a friend, Erick McFadden at the Amtrack station. No one knows if the meeting ever took place as Smith has been missing every since and McFadden has left town.

Lastasha Gardner, Smith's stepmother, is not happy with the police efforts that have been made in the search for her stepson.

"I'm trying to let them know that we're here," Gardner told Newsplex. "We are not going anywhere. We're going to make the city aware that we need the community as a whole to come together."

Smith's family have organized balloon releases on his birthday and held a rally at the Sojourners United Church of Christ last week. Smith's sisters decorated the Charlottesville Downtown Mall Free Speech Wall with notes to their brother, and a Facebook page, FindSageSmith, has over 3500 followers.
More...

http://www.nbc29.com/story/20481124/search-for-dashad-smith-resumes
Search for DaShad Smith Resumes
January 2, 2013

The investigation into the disappearance of a 20-year-old from Charlottesville turns yet again to a landfill just outside of Richmond.

The New Year is bringing about a renewed effort to find DaShad Smith. With few leads, investigators say the landfill is the next logical step. And on the second time, they're digging deeper.

Charlottesville police hope to return to the Henrico County landfill by the end of the week. They're looking for anything that can help explain Smith's disappearance.

Smith, also known as Sage, was last seen in the area of West Main Street in Charlottesville on November 20.

On Wednesday, operators of the Old Dominion Landfill will remove dirt to give investigators even more access to trash that comes in from Charlottesville.

"There's no information that said we absolutely, there's something in this landfill. Unfortunately there was nothing that said, yeah we've got to do this," said Captain Gary Pleasants with the Charlottesville Police Department.

To help with the task, the department is renting three large pieces of construction equipment, including a truck and a front-end loader. This comes after protestors have repeatedly demanded better work from detectives on the case, but at a news conference last month Chief Tim Longo said they're doing all they can.

"That's a tremendous number of resources that we've invested that may yield nothing, but may yield something that may be key to the next step of this investigation," he said.

Since police have no evidence that a crime has been committed, Longo says Smith is still a missing person which means detectives deal with daily legal obstacles.
 ::snipping2::

Video at Link

http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Family-of-Missing-Man-Holds-Another-Protest-Against-Charlottesville-Police-185607412.html
Family of Missing Man Holds Another Protest Against Charlottesville Police
January 3, 2013

Family and friends of missing man, Dashad "Sage" Smith protested in front of Charlottesville City Hall on Thursday. They were voicing their discontent with city officials and law enforcement. They say the key to finding Smith is to obtain state and federal help.

"Trying to hold up the best that I can, but it's just getting harder to hold on to faith," said Dashad's grandmother, Lolita Smith.
 ::snipping2::
Video at Link

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article2180909.html
Hundreds search for missing UVa student
September 20, 2014

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At least three other young women have disappeared in the area in the last five years. Nineteen-year-old Samantha Ann Clarke, who vanished after leaving her Orange County town house in September 2010, and 19-year-old DaShad Laquinn Smith, who disappeared in Charlottesville in November 2012, remain missing.

Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student, disappeared from the University of Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena while attending a rock concert in October 2009. Her remains were found three months later in a rural area. No arrests have been made.

Police have said they do not think Graham's disappearance is linked to any of the other missing women.

But Emily Kilroy, a consultant who also helped search Saturday, said the episodes are "starting to feel like a pattern" that's especially unfortunate in a college town with so many young women.
 ::snipping3::

September 21, 2014 Tweets
https://twitter.com/MattTalhelm (https://twitter.com/MattTalhelm)

Matt Talhelm @MattTalhelm  ·  28m
Tracking dogs are w/ #HannahGraham search teams today along the Rivanna River. @DeliaDAmbra29 is w/ them. Story at 6.

Uh-oh.  I had too many windows open.  My apologies.  I was researching Sage Smith's disappearance at the same time. 

http://www.nbc29.com/story/30531309/charlottesville-police-offer-new-details-in-dashad-sage-smith-case

Charlottesville Police Offer New Details in Dashad 'Sage' Smith Case
 Posted: Nov 16, 2015 4:50 PM EST Updated: Nov 30, 2015 05:07 PM

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va (WVIR) -
Investigators with the Charlottesville Police Department (CPD) are releasing new details about the disappearance case of a transgendered teenager.

Dashad “Sage” Smith vanished from along West Main Street almost three years ago.

Police are now saying the only person of interest in the case likely didn't have a hand in the disappearance.

Investigators working the case have released a new timeline of events from the night Smith vanished. Detectives say Smith left home to meet Erik McFadden at the Amtrak Train Station about 5:40 p.m. on November 20, 2012.
 •5:17 p.m. - Smith sends text message to Erik McFadden, “When r u leaving”
 •5:20 p.m. - McFadden replies, “I already did.  I’m at the Hampton Inn.”
 •5:17 to 5:40 p.m. - Smith and McFadden exchange various text messages.
 •At approximately 5:40 PM Smith leaves his residence.
 •6:08 p.m. - McFadden sends text message to Smith, “Where u at?”
 •6:12 p.m. - McFadden sends text message to Smith, “I’m standing here where r u?”
 •6:18 to 6:37 p.m. - Smith talking on his phone with friend from Northern Virginia. Texts from McFadden come in during this time frame, but it is unknown if Smith read them.
 •6:27 p.m. - McFadden sends text message to Smith, “Bye u stood me up smh”
 •6:35 p.m. - Witness sees Smith walking on 4th Street NW. Smith stops and talks to witness at a bus stop in the 400 block of West Main Street. Smith tells witness he is going to meet someone at the Amtrak Station.
 •6:40 p.m. - Smith walks westbound on West Main Street.
 •7:00 p.m. - Unconfirmed account puts Smith alone at Wild Wing Café, which is next to the train state.
A separate witness said three “cross-dressers” were seen inside the restaurant that evening. No video was available to assist in identifying them or to verify Smith was there. Police also note that there is no one that saw Smith at the train station.

According to a witness, Smith was wearing grey and black rain boots with purple and pink lining, grey sweatpants, and a black jacket with a hoodie.

McFadden told police the meeting never happened.  McFadden had sent an email to his girlfriend saying he did meet with Smith, but added he was scared off by a group of approaching people.

McFadden disappeared a few days later, and has been considered a person of interest in the case.

Police are now backing off of McFadden for several reasons: Investigators don't believe McFadden had the means to dispose of a body. "Phone records indicate that they may not have gotten together at all," said CPD Captain Gary Pleasants.

"Someone somewhere at some point in time saw Dashad that afternoon. Maybe they saw him walking up the street alone. Maybe they saw him walking with someone else. Maybe they saw him get into a car, or go into a building. That's the person we need to hear from," said CPD Chief Tim Longo.
 ::snipping3:: ::snipping3::

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 434-977-4000.

A $20,000 reward is currently being offered in the case.

(https://lgbtqnation-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/2017/03/Screen-Shot-2017-03-31-at-6.45.39-AM-500x348.png)

Search for missing Virginia transgender woman ends, now a homicide case
Friday, March 31, 2017

The 19-year-old was headed to the train station to meet an acquaintance, then-25-year-old Erik Tyquan McFadden, who has gone missing as well. Charlottesville Police recently announced that her missing person case is now a homicide investigation and they’re calling McFadden a person of interest, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.
 
Authorities said that while they don’t have any hard evidence to suggest that Smith is deceased, the length of her disappearance increases that likelihood. A homicide investigation also gives law enforcement greater access to information and resources, such as bank and cell phone records.

 ::snipping3::

The investigation into the disappearance of this young, black transgender woman reeked of unequal treatment, they said.
 
“Would that the police department had pursued community support for Sage’s search and reward fund as vigorously as our FOIA request revealed they had for cis, white Hannah Graham,” they wrote. “Would that the media were moved by Sage’s humanity to see hers as a story worth telling on its own merit rather than in relation to the area’s missing white women, in response to public outcry, or not at all.”
 
And now, nearly five years later, authorities are taking a closer look into what happened to Smith that night. McFadden is again a person of interest. And again, Sage’s grandmother and legal guardian, Lolita Smith, is angry.
 

“Frankly, I don’t understand why they waited so long. It’s been four years. I think the Charlottesville Police Department dropped the ball from day one,” she told the Times-Dispatch. “I’m angry. I don’t understand how some cases can be solved within a matter of days or weeks and my grandchild’s case hasn’t been solved yet.”
 
And while the family is holding out hope that Sage is still alive out there somewhere, they just want answers.