WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Clinton woman disappears, leaving mother searching

Clinton woman disappears, leaving mother searching

CLINTON, SC (WIS) - Twenty-three-year-old Samantha Renee Smith seems to have vanished without a trace.

WIS News 10's Trey Paul went to Smith's hometown of Clinton, where investigators are still baffled, and a mom still prays for answers.

Samantha's mom, Reba Smith, says, "Honest to God I don't know what happened."

She has "no idea. It's just like she disappeared off the face of the earth."

It's been a year to the day since the now 23-year-old vanished.

Her mom says, "Samantha is a great kid. She wants a lot out of life and I want my daughter home."

So where could she be? Police say she dealt with depression and had even run away before. But her mom never expected anything like this. "I couldn't believe it was Samantha. For the fact is, Samantha was a bright, smart, intelligent girl. She knew what she wanted out in life and she was going to get it."

She wanted to be an art teacher.

Police say Samantha was last seen walking on Lela Street. They say a few hours before she and her boyfriend got into an argument at church over religion. They say when she got home, she took off.

Chief John Thomas says, "He drives away in another direction. She walks away in another direction ... so she just disappeared."

Investigators have no suspects. They ruled out Samantha's boyfriend a year ago. But they're hoping this story will change that. So is Samantha's mom, who isn't giving up hope, "The strength that I've gotten is, I feel like Samantha is giving it to me to keep going and to keep looking."

The number for the Clinton Police Department is (864)-833-7512, if you have any information on this case.

Reported by Trey Paul

Posted by Chantelle Janelle