Clarence Smith, Sr. was 50 when he vanished from Ferriday, Louisiana, on May 7, 1978. He is a Black man described at the time as between 6 feet and 6 feet 3 inches tall, 100 to 200 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Known to some as Buddy, he reportedly told someone the police were chasing him and ran into the woods; he was never seen or heard from again.

No body, clothing, or confirmed witnesses to what happened after he went into the woods have been reported. The case has involved multiple agencies, including the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office and the LSU FACES Laboratory. DNA from his son and daughter has been entered into national databases in hopes of a future match, but little public information about leads or suspects has been released.

Does anyone from Ferriday or the surrounding area remember Clarence, his family, or that night in May 1978?