Gabriel Michael Smith 27, [FOUND DECEASED] MSG Ludington, MI

[Grande]

Search expands for Ludington man

Posted: Dec 17, 2007 10:02 AM CST

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LUDINGTON - A Ludington resident has been missing since December 8, and police are expanding their search efforts to find him.

Gabriel Michael Smith, 27, is 6', 190 pounds with short brown hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen near Michael's Bar and Grill in downtown Ludington around 2 a.m. on December 8. Smith was last seen wearing a turquoise Carhart jacket, a black sleeveless t-shirt, dark or black camouflage pants and tennis shoes.

If you have any information, you're asked to contact the Ludington Police at 231-843-3425, or 231-869-5858.

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7506584&nav=menu44_2

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Search for missing Ludington man turns up no clues
Kevin Braciszeski - Daily News Staff Writer

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Gabriel Smith’s family members and friends joined local police and others in searching for him Tuesday afternoon along a route between Ludington’s South James Street and his Fifth Street home.
“We checked all the search area and didn’t find anything. To me, that’s good news,” Ludington Police Chief Mark Barnett said shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Barnett today asked area residents to check their properties, including outbuildings and shrubs, to look for any signs of Smith having been there. He said Smith may have tried to get out of the cold Saturday.

He called for Tuesday’s search after learning Tuesday morning that Smith had last been seen at 2:15 a.m. Saturday outside James Street Station. Barnett said Smith was seen jogging east on Filer Street and Tuesday’s search focused in the area Smith likely would have traveled through to reach his home on the 700 block of Fifth Street. Because more snowfall was expected, police decided to search for Smith before snow covered up anything of interest they might find.

Smith has short brown hair and hazel eyes. He is about 6 feet tall and weighs about 190 pounds. Barnett said he was last seen wearing a green Carhartt jacket, a dark-colored baseball cap and a white T-shirt with writing or a design on the front.

Gabe Smith, 27, of Ludington, has been missing since about 2:15 a.m. Saturday. He was last seen at James and Filer streets.

He works for Whitehall Industries.

He has short brown hair and hazel eyes. He is about 6 feet tall and weighs 190 pounds.

Det. Sgt. Michael Harrie says there is no reason to suspect foul play in this incident.

If you have any information, contact Det. Sgt. Harrie at 843-3425, Mason/Oceana 911 at 869-5858 or the Silent Observer Hotline at 888-Stop-Crime.

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news.php?story_id=38394

[Grande]

Ludington Police search Pere Marquette Bayou for missing man

Created: 12/14/2007 4:55:16 PM
Updated: 12/14/2007 5:11:43 PM

Ludington - A police search team used an underwater robot today, looking for clues in the disappearance of Gabriel Smith, 27, of Ludington. Kent County divers also assisted in the search.

Our news partner, the Ludington Daily News is reporting, the search of Pere Marquette Bayou did not turn up any leads.

Smith was last seen December 8th, and there have been no clues as to his whereabouts.

If you have any information on Smith, contact the Ludington Police.

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=85065

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Weather has hampered search for missing Ludington man
Jennifer Linn - Staff Writer
Friday, December 21, 2007

Ludington Police Chief Mark Barnett was standing on the South Washington Avenue bridge Friday morning looking over the railing into the icy Pere Marquette bayou below.

With temperatures rising, ice in the bayou is starting to thaw. Barnett was looking for signs of missing Ludington man Gabe Smith.

Barnett said searchers have looked everywhere on the surrounding land. He was looking for signs that Smith may have fallen in the water.

Barnett said the ice has made the search difficult.

“The search kind of depends on the weather,” he said.

If current conditions of winds from the east and temperatures in the high 30s continue, it may become easier for police to search the water.

Last week a tug broke up ice in the channel before the Kent County Sheriff’s Office attempted to search the water. The ice was refreezing and sealing up behind them and the search was called off.

An underwater robot was also used to search in the Pere Marquette bayou last Friday afternoon.

Smith has been missing since 2:15 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 when he was seen in the area of James and Filer streets. His truck had been parked at Pomorski’s Tavern and he lives on Fifth Street. To get back to his truck or to home, he may have tried to cross the Pere Marquette at the Washington Avenue bridge, the area police continue to search.

The Ludington Police Department is continuing to search for clues in the disappearance of Smith, 27, of Ludington. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Mike Harrie at 843-3425, Mason-Oceana 911 at 869-5858, or the Silent Observer Hotline at 888-Stop-Crime.

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news.php?story_id=38493

[Grande]

Search continues for Gabe Smith
Friday, December 28, 2007

By Jennifer Linn
Daily News staff writer

Troopers from Michigan State Police Headquarters in Lansing brought a canine unit with a cadaver dog to search for missing Ludington resident, Gabe Smith on Thursday. Ludington Police Chief Mark Barnett said the search turned up nothing that would warrant further attention and was not based on any leads.

“We had the opportunity to have dog come out to do some elimination work along the lake shore, working along the channel, to detect any sign that Gabe may have been there,” he said.

The canine unit searched around the Washington Avenue Bridge from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Thursday. They searched on docks and near boats along the shore.

According to the Michigan State Police’s Web site, cadaver dogs are capable of locating buried or submerged drowned victims and work with various underwater recovery teams.

Earlier this month a tug broke up ice in the channel before the Kent County Sheriff’s Office attempted to search the water. The ice was refreezing and sealing up behind them before the search was called off.

An underwater robot was also used to search in the Pere Marquette bayou.

Smith, 27, has been missing since 2:15 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 when he was seen in the area of James and Filer streets. His truck had been parked at Pomorski’s Tavern and he lives on Fifth Street. To get back to his truck or home he may have been around the Washington Avenue bridge, the area the police continue to search.

The Ludington Police Department is continuing to search for clues in the disappearance of Smith. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Harrie at 843-3425, Mason-Oceana 911 at 869-5858 or the Silent Observer Hotline at 888-Stop-Crime.

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news.php?story_id=38541

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Search continues for Gabe Smith
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
BY JEFF KIESSEL AND JENNIFER LINN
DAILY NEWS STAFF

Michigan State Police troopers and Ludington Police Department officers are continuing their search for missing Ludington man Gabe Smith today.

Smith, 27, has been missing since 2:15 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 when he was seen in the area of James and Filer streets. His truck had been parked at Pomorski’s Tavern and he lives on Fifth Street. To get back to his truck or home he may have been around the Washington Avenue bridge, the area the police continue to search.

Michigan State Police divers were searching Pere Marquette Lake this morning for Smith using side-scan sonar.

Ludington Police Chief Mark Barnett said the Michigan State Police Dive Team is prepared to search the area for as many as three days. The team will be searching all day today and possibly tomorrow.

“This is not based on any information,” Barnett said about today’s search, but he said that section of Pere Marquette Lake would have been a logical place for Smith to have tried to cut across on his way home.

Barnett said the marine patrol will be on site “As long as they need to either find him or rule out the area.”

The Michigan State Police dive team concentrated its search this morning in the waters between the Ludington Boat Club and the east end of Pere Marquette Lake according to Sgt. Larry Schloegl, commander of the Michigan State Police dive team. The dive team consists of six divers and Schloegl.

The team used a Monarch aluminum-hull boat equipped with side-scan sonar to help aid in the search. Divers will enter the water If the sonar picks up anything along the bottom of the lake.

Divers will also enter the water from land near the Ludington Boat Club and Thompson Marina, according to Schloegl.

The amount of time the divers can work under water depends on the depth of the water and the kind of work that they are doing, Schloegl said. He believes the divers near the boat club are using tanks with enough air for 40 to 45 minutes in these conditions.

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news.php?story_id=38662

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Search for Gabe Smith not successful
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
By Jennifer Linn
Daily News Staff Writer

Michigan State Police searched areas of the Pere Marquette Lake yesterday, but did not find anything in the water that led them to believe missing Ludington man Gabe Smith had been there.

Ludington Police Chief Mark Barnett said that after a day of searching, the Michigan State Police are confident that Smith is not in the area of the water searched.

Barnett said with currents and lake surge he’s not ruling the lake out.

Smith, 27, has been missing since 2:15 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 when he was seen in the area of James and Filer streets. His truck had been parked at Pomorski’s Tavern and he lives on Fifth Street. To get back to his truck or home he may have been around the Washington Avenue bridge, the area the police continue to search.

Barnett said the first thing authorities did was search areas they thought Smith may have been in on his way home.

“The most difficult thing is to just search places,” Barnett said. “Where does it start and where does it end?”

Barnett is also encouraging people to recheck any out buildings, RV’s, boats, trailers or porches for any sign of Smith now that the area’s snow has melted.

A Michigan State Police marine patrol searched areas of the Pere Marquette Lake Tuesday by using side-scanning sonar. The sonar is a device that sends out and receives a tone back to create pictures. Barnett said the marine patrol used the sonar in a grid-type fashion to get a detailed view of the lake.

The Ludington Police Department is continuing to search for clues in the disappearance of Smith. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Harrie at 843-3425, Mason-Oceana 911 at 869-5858 or the Silent Observer Hotline at 888-Stop-Crime.

jlinn@ludingtondailynews.com

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news.php?story_id=38673

[KittyMom]

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=85929

Updated: 1/8/2008 11:21:46 AM
Michigan State Police divers are preparing to search Pere Marquette Lake for Gabe Smith this morning, using side scan sonar.

Smith, 27, has been missing since 2:15 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 when he was seen in the area of James and Filer streets. His truck had been parked at Pomorski's Tavern and he lives on Fifth Street. To get back to his truck or home he may have been around the Washington Avenue bridge, the area the police continue to search.

The Ludington Police Department is continuing to search for clues in the disappearance of Smith. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Harrie at 843-3425, Mason-Oceana 911 at 869-5858 or the Silent Observer Hotline at 888-Stop-Crime.

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Police seek new clues in Gabe Smith case
Jennifer Linn - Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Ludington police are reminding residents they are still actively searching for Gabe Smith, a 27-year-old Ludington man who was last seen in December.

Ludington Police Chief Mark Barnett said there have not been any new developments in the case but is reminding people to keep a look out for anything unusual.

“We’re just trying to keep it in the forefront of people’s minds to look around for things that maybe they hadn’t seen during the winter,” Barnett said.

Barnett said there have been no new leads and foul play is still not suspected in Smith’s disappearance.

“The snow’s melting and the weather is getting more people out than had been when it was colder, snowier and icier,” Barnett said.

Smith, has been missing since 2:15 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 when he was seen in the area of James and Foster streets. He is a white male, has short brown hair and hazel eyes. He is about 6 feet tall and weighs 190 pounds. He was last seen wearing a turquoise hooded Carhartt jacket, blue jeans and a baseball cap.

His truck had been parked at Pomorski’s Tavern and he lives on Fifth Street.

Since his disappearance, police have focused numerous searches around the Pere Marquette Lake and the Washington Avenue bridge but have not come up with any clues.

The Ludington Police Department is continuing to search for clues in the disappearance of Smith. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Harrie at 843-3425 or the Silent Observer Hotline at 888-STOP CRIME, (786-7274).

jlinn@ludingtondailynews.com
843-1122 x309

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news.php?story_id=39488

[Pauli]

Missing Ludington Man's Body Found Near Mason Co. Car Ferry
Posted: 3/27/2008

A Mason County car ferry worker spotted the body of a Ludington man missing since last December.

That person discovered the body floating in water near the S.S. Spartan car ferry off the waters of Lake Michigan in Ludington, according to police.

Officers say the Lake Michigan Car Ferry employee spotted the body of Gabriel Michael Smith just after 3 p.m. Thursday.

Police say a medical examiner identified Smith's body -- crews then took it to a Grand Rapids hospital for an autopsy.

Police say Smith was reported missing December 10th and was last seen walking on Foster Street near James Street in the early morning hours of December 8th.

http://www.9and10news.com/category/story/?id=132346



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[packy]

Another young man drowned. I wonder how far the bridge is from where he was last seen, and if it really would be plausible that he would go that route.

I am so sorry, my condolences to the family.

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Body of missing man, 27, found in lake
Friday, March 28, 2008
By Eric Gaertneregaertner@muskegonchronicle.com

LUDINGTON -- The months-long and communitywide search for a Ludington man came to a devastating end Thursday.

The body of Gabriel Michael Smith, a 27-year-old who was missing since December, was found in Pere Marquette Lake, which adjoins Lake Michigan. Ludington Police said an employee of the Lake Michigan Carferry, who was on the SS Spartan, saw the body in the water and called police.

Ludington Police Chief Mark Barnett said an autopsy is scheduled for today and a final report may be ready in a week. Barnett said police have no reason to believe foul play was involved.

Many community members were involved in a coordinated search of the area in December for the missing man. Barnett said 80 to 90 people, including Smith's family and friends, staff from Ludington Area School District and police, helped search the area between where Smith was last seen and his home.

Smith was last seen on Dec. 8 walking east on Foster Street near James Street in Ludington. "We assume he was heading home," Barnett said.

Ludington police officers were assisted at the scene by State Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, Ludington Fire Department and Mason County Sheriff's Department.

http://www.mlive.com/news/chronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1206715515171780.xml&coll=8

[Nut44x4]

Muskegon Chronicle (Michigan)

April 29, 2008 Tuesday

Death called accidental drowning
LUDINGTON -- An autopsy has determined that a 27-year-old Ludington man whose body was found March 27 in Pere Marquette Lake died as the result of an accidental drowning.
Gabriel Michael Smith, of 702 Fifth, was last seen around 2 a.m. on Dec. 8 walking east in the area of Foster and James streets, presumably on his way home from a business district bar.

The autopsy report by forensic pathologist Dr. Stephen D. Cohle also indicated that Smith most likely was intoxicated at the time of his death. Ludington police received the report Friday.

Smith "was known to have been drinking for many hours prior to last being known to be alive," Cohle wrote in his report.

Authorities believe Smith was trying to cut across the ice on a narrow section of the lake when he fell through and drowned.

Smith was reported missing Dec. 10 when he failed to show up for work and also was reported missing by his family.

Family, friends and many members of the community joined authorities in the search for Smith in the area between where he was last seen and his home.

On March 27, an employee of the Lake Michigan Carferry, who was aboard the SS Spartan, saw a body in the water and called police. Dental records led to the official identification of the victim as Smith.

April 29, 2008
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020825&docId=l:783547651&start=10