Eric Grady Smith, 42, of Cedar Bluff, Virginia, left home on foot on the morning of November 8, 2013, saying he was going hunting on the family property. He was dressed in camouflage and carrying a .50-caliber muzzleloader; his wallet, cell phone, and cigarettes were left at home. When he did not return that evening his wife reported him missing and searches of the rugged terrain by law enforcement, search and rescue teams, and volunteers turned up no sign of Eric or the rifle.

Investigators noted unusual behavior in the days before his disappearance: he had just returned from a weeklong business trip to Atlanta, his wife called in sick for him and he stayed on sick leave for five days despite being a mine superintendent usually on call, and he did not contact coworkers during that time. He emailed his employer two days before he vanished saying he felt better and planned to hunt before returning to work. Searches based on tips in 2014 (near Daw Road) and 2016 (a mine in the Red Ash area) produced nothing, and the initial idea of an accidental hunting death was later questioned because of the total lack of physical evidence.

Eric’s family say they do not believe he would have voluntarily abandoned his wife and two daughters. Does anyone who knew Eric or who was in the Cedar Bluff area around November 8, 2013, have information that could help locate him?