WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Mother desperate to know what happened to her missing daughter

Mother desperate to know what happened to her missing daughter

CLINTON, SC (WIS) - Twenty-two-year-old Samantha Renee Smith disappeared late last year, and now authorities are out of leads in the search for her.

Her mother is pleading for clues to Samantha's whereabouts. "All I want to do is find out where she is, what happened to her."

What happened to Samantha Smith is anyone's guess. No one's heard from the 22-year-old in more than six months. Her mother says, "I got a habit of looking at young girls similar to her, thinking, you know, could that be her? When they turn around it's not."

And with each passing day her mom Rebia loses hope - any potential light at the end of the tunnel, flickering. "Honestly, it's not looking good."

Despite a history of depression, Samantha had a lot to live for according to her mom. Samantha wanted to be an art teacher and loved taking  pictures. Those snapshots are especially hard for her mom to look at. "She wanted to do so much."

But as leads run dry, Clinton's police are just hoping "somebody out there will recognize her and get her back home where she belongs," says Chief John Thomas.

Searches of woods behind the home where Samantha was last seen have turned up nothing. Officials say Samantha lived there with her boyfriend, Walt Shockley.

While he isn't considered a suspect, Shockley refused to talk to WIS. Chief Thomas describes him this way, "He's still a person of interest. He will always be a person of interest, until we find her."

Whatever happened, good or bad, Samantha's mother just wants to know, making a plea to anyone who might have answers, "Call Clinton Police Department, let them know where she is so we can bring our family back together."

Police hope to generate leads by holding a press conference Thursday at 11am. SLED is also assisting in the investigation.

Reported by Dan Tordjman

Posted by Chantelle Janelle