Trent Smith Missing Person Case

Aug 25, 2021

Oct 27, 2022

Trent

Smith

76

46

71 inches

230 lbs

American Indian / Alaska Native

Male

In the autumn of 1995, a sense of unease settled over a family in Mesa, Arizona, when one of their own vanished without a trace. Trent Dudley Smith, a 46-year-old male, was last seen on November 25, 1995. Known affectionately by the nickname "Shrimpy," Trent was a member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. On the night he disappeared, he was leaving a local establishment known as CJ's Coyote Bar, situated near the Salt River Indian Community. It was a place he frequented, and the walk home through the familiar river bottom bordering the community was a routine he knew well. A relative saw him leaving the bar that evening, the last known person to do so before he seemingly vanished into the night. Trent was a man with distinct features that his family hoped would make him easily identifiable. At the time of his disappearance, he had shoulder-length brown hair and a mustache. His clothing was described as blue jeans, a corduroy jacket, and a blue flannel jacket. He had several tattoos, including one of a bird with a crown on his left shoulder and another on his right forearm bearing his name and social security number. He also had two amputations: his right middle finger and the toe next to the big toe on his left foot. These details, etched into the memories of his loved ones, became crucial points of reference in the search that would follow. Years have turned into decades, yet the case of Trent Dudley Smith remains unresolved, leaving a void in the lives of his family and community. The initial report was filed with the Salt River Police Department, but the passage of time has yielded few answers. His disappearance is a somber reminder of the many Indigenous people who go missing each year, their stories often unheard and their cases left cold. The investigation into what happened to Trent after he walked away from the bar that November night continues, a quiet but persistent search for a man who has been deeply missed for far too long.

Nov 25, 1995

Mesa

Arizona

Maricopa County

85203

Yes

106730

Salt River Police Department

Scottsdale

Arizona

Maricopa County

85256

John Wyant

Police Detective

10005 East Osborn Road, Arizona

4803627740

Tribal

Law Enforcement

https://www.srpmic-nsn.gov/government/srpd/

1996-960225

1996-01-11

Salt River Police Department

na

Brown

Brown

Brown

07/29/2026