E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS20th Century Fox executive and father of UCLA basketball star hasn't been seen in a week. KNBC's Beverly White reports.
Evan Christian Smith is networking as only an Internet-savvy son with a desperate mission can — to find his father, missing film executive Gavin Smith, who disappeared one week ago seemingly without a trace.
"plz Help find my Dad. 6'6 220 pounds. Muscular. blond/grey hair. Black mercedes with a surf rack," reads a recent Tweet by the younger Smith, who is a student at University of Southern California.
The Twitter account and website dedicated to getting out the word and calling for tips have generated an outpouring of interest, support, prayers and retweets, but so far — like the investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department — haven't turned up substantial leads in the case.
Smith, 57, 6-foot-6, 210 pounds — a one-time basketball star at UCLA — was last seen leaving a friend's home in the residential LA suburb of Oak Park on the night of May 1, just a few miles from his home.
Colleagues became alarmed with Smith failed to show up at work. His wife reported him missing by 6 p.m. that evening, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
His car, a black 2000 Mercedes 420E with padded storage racks on the roof and tinted windows, also remains missing.
The Sheriff's Department issued a missing persons alert on Saturday.
"We really don’t have a whole lot more," said Ray Leyva, a commander in the Sheriff’s Department. "We are still asking the public’s help to find the vehicle and or him."
Investigators are also keeping an eye on the social media posts, Leyva said.
Watch US News videos on msnbc.com
Smith has worked for 20th Century Fox's movie distribution department for nearly 18 years, according to the company, which put out a statement on his disappearance.
"We are extremely worried about our friend and colleague Gavin Smith and are actively doing what we can to assist the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department in their search for him," the company said.
Family members said the missing man apparently had not used his credit cards since his disappearance and they were unable to contact his cell phone, which seems to be off, Reuters reported.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
Leave a Comment:
The butler did it.
I hope they find him soon!
Must be so awful to have a loved one missing as though they just dropped off the face of the earth. Hope he is found safe.
Maybe he decided to start a new life somewhere else and staged his own disappearance. It's been known to happen....
Maybe, just maybe, he had an accident and went over a cliff and wont be found for a while just like so many others in California seem to do all the time. I doubt he ran off to start a new life. That is what I'm betting on.
My prayers and thoughts are with the family. May your beloved father and husband be found.
True Ms.GTO ...hopefully he's okay and that is the case...rather than something awful happen to him but it would be nice of him to call his son if he is just off starting his own new life
Wait till the ransom note appears from the Mexican Cartels. The cartels keep kidnapping people and killing them in San Diego. Police and Mayor's office deny everything! Hope I am wrong.
Not only are you wrong, you're a flippin lipton looney tune.
Hopefully someone finds him to bring closure.
6' 6" 220 lbs Blonde hair. This guy is'nt going to just blend in with a crowd, he should stand out like a sore thumb. I hope he's found soon!
Al Qaeda may have him and be fixing to make a movie of their own.
I agree with the over the cliff comment. Sounds like there's enough money to hire a helicopter. Good luck!
He ran off and joined Green Peace in order to prove himself worthy of Elaine's love.
Actually Emily Deschanel already solved this one. He was run down by a studio groundskeeper for damaging her beloved topiary.
Damn duplicates!
This guy was going to expose the truth about John Travolta's sexual orientation. Suddenly he is gone.
Imagine that.
I appreciate the families fear and I hope they are able to conclude what really happened soon and it has a positive outcome. However, I've got on question. That being, why is it that if I disappeared, my son would have to wait more than 24 hours to file a report? Whereinas, here they made the report in less than 24 hours. I'm sorry, but I don't agree with double standards and money/class should not buy oneself extra attention.
My guess is that he went of the shoulder of the road into a ravine. It could be weeks before they find him that part of the county.
My prayers are with both he and his family.
"Prayers are with HIM and his family" ...Would you say...
My prayers are with HE ? Or...My prayers are with HIM ?
Third grade useage of grammar.
I too pray that all will turn out well for the Smith family.
P.S. To be grammatically correct, Deb you are a douche! Now please run to your teacher and tell on Maz so you can feel some sort of validation in your useless life.
If he didn't use his credit card, maybe he accidentally drove over a cliff and they haven't found the car yet.
Is there starting to be kidnappings of people with money in the USA like other countries?
I hope this isnt one of those,and offer you cant refuse.
I agree with the car accident theory...I don't know the L.A. topography at all, only what I hear on the news but there seem to be so many canyons/ravines around there it seems to be a likely scenario. I am sure they have probably already looked in the ones closest to the friend's house (I would think) but perhaps they need to expand the search. Any gas stations he might have stopped at on the way home?? Carjacked?
If his friend lives only a few miles away, shouldn't they look down every cliff and ravine between their homes? He could still be alive. Hope they find him to rescue him alive and well. May he and his family survive any ordeals that they indure during this crisis. Hoping and praying that they find him alive.
Who cares???!!!!
i hope they find him soon alive since sadly the longer time passes when some one is missing the chances grow that the search will be to try and find a body. hope his family get the out come they deserve his return safe and sound.
His wife says he has no enemies.....everybody has enemies....some just don't kow it...#backstabbers....hopefully he will return or the authorities will find out what's really going on...
Aren't there tracking devices on Mercedes? If they can't find the car, something is fishy.