William Paul Smolinski Jr., known as Billy, was 31 and living in Waterbury, Connecticut when he disappeared after August 24, 2004. That morning he asked a neighbor to watch his German Shepherd Harley and said he was heading north to look at a car; that was the last confirmed sighting. A few days later his truck was found parked unusually at the end of his driveway with his wallet and keys inside, and his bank accounts and Social Security activity stopped.

Early investigation uncovered a fraught personal situation. Billy had recently broken up with his girlfriend, Madeleine Gleason, and believed she was involved with local politician Chris Sorenson; the day he vanished he left three calls for Sorenson and a message telling him to watch your back.

The family pursued civil action against Gleason, won initially, and that ruling was later overturned by the Connecticut Supreme Court. The family also pushed for changes in how missing persons are tracked, contributing to passage of Billy’s Law. No confirmed location of Billy or conclusive evidence about what happened has been publicly established. Did anyone in Waterbury or the surrounding towns have contact with Billy in late August 2004 or recall seeing his truck after August 24?