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2007 Smith, Mary Byrne March 24 2007; Bossier City 30 YO
Topic Started: Jun 29 2007, 11:19 PM (223 Views)
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http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...NGNEWS/70326018
PHOTO AT LINK

Authorities: No signs of missing Alabama woman

March 26, 2007

By Loresha Wilson
ljwilson@gannett.com

The husband of the Alabama woman who disappeared from CenturyTel Center on Saturday is headed to Bossier City to meet with police investigators.

Meanwhile, officials at CenturyTel are compiling surveillance of the women’s conference to give to police.

Mary Byrne Smith, the mother of two, traveled from Summerdale, Ala., with a friend to attend the Living Proof Live religious conference. She left the friend about 11 a.m. to go to a concession stand, police said. But she never returned.

Now two days later, there is no word on her whereabouts. Police have no evidence indicating Smith is the victim of foul play, but friends and family say it’s out of character for her to leave without contacting someone, Mark Natale, police spokesman, said.

“We haven’t ruled out foul play, but we have no evidence of it,” Natale said. “We are going to brief Mr. Smith on the little information that we have right now.

“We’ve looked over some video taken from the event and there were no signs of Mrs. Smith. ... There was no one else that we know of who saw her but the friend. And we aren’t aware of any connections she had with this area.”

Police are checking the woman’s cell phone records and credit cards. She and her friend drove to Bossier City on Friday and checked into a local hotel, Natale said.

They checked out of the hotel Saturday before going to the conference.

The friend has returned to Alabama, police said.
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http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...NGNEWS/70324013

Woman reported missing from CenturyTel event
March 24, 2007

By John Andrew Prime
jprime@gannett.com

Bossier City police hope the public can help find an Alabama woman who disappeared today from an event at the CenturyTel Center.

Mary Byrne Smith, 30, of Summerdale, Ala., was attending the Living Proof Live event with a friend when she left her friend to use the restroom and get some food at a concession stand. That was at around 11 a.m.

When the event ended an hour later, Smith had not returned, and her friend waited for her at their car in the parking lot. The friend called Bossier City police at about 2 p.m.

Police have no indication of foul play in Smith’s disappearance, but her family and friends say it is not like her to leave without contacting anyone. So they’re concerned for her welfare.

Smith is a white female, 5 feet 3 inches tall, weaighing 100 pounds with brown eyes, brown hair and a tattoo of the sun on her right rear shoulder.

People who have information on her whereabouts should call Bossier City police at (318) 741-8605.


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Woman disappears from Living Proof Live Ministries

Posted on 03/24/2007

An Alabama woman visiting Bossier City for a women's conference is missing. Bossier police need your help finding 30-year- old, Mary Byrne Smith of Summerdale, Alabama. She was last seen attending the Living Proof Live event at the Centurytel Center.

Police say Smith left her friend to go to the concession stand around 11 a-m, but never returned. When the event ended at noon, Smith's friend waited for her at their car then called police.

Smith is a white female, 5 foot 3, weighing 100 pounds, with brown eyes, brown hair, and a tattoo of the sun on her right rear shoulder. If you have information that could help find Smith, call Bossier police at 741-8605.
http://www.ktbs.com/viewnews.cfm?news_id=7...ve%20Ministries


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http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/inde....xml&coll=3

Summerdale pastor's wife missing in Louisiana

Wednesday, March 28, 2007
By DAVID FERRARA
Staff Reporter

The wife of a Summerdale pastor went missing while attending a religious event in northwest Louisiana over the weekend, and on Tuesday authorities, friends and family were still trying to figure out what happened.

Mary Byrne Smith, 30, was last seen about 11 a.m. Saturday, when she went to the restroom at CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, La., according to Bossier City police spokesman Mark Natale.

Smith and a friend, who had stayed in a Bossier City hotel the night before, were among about 14,000 people packed inside the arena for a Christian women's event, Living Proof Live, Natale said.

The event ended about noon Saturday, and Smith's companion, whom authorities declined to identify, stood by her car in the arena parking lot for two hours, hoping Smith would meet her there. Smith's overnight bag was still in the car, Natale said.

She never showed up, and her friend called police. Video surveillance in the arena gave no indication of what might have happened, Natale said.

Investigators have not determined whether foul play was a factor, Natale said.

Smith's husband, the Rev. Jason Lee Smith of First Baptist Church in Summerdale, had been at home with their two children, according to Larry Patterson, director of missions for the Baldwin Baptist Association.

The pastor was in Bossier City on Tuesday, trying to help police search for his wife.

"We don't have any idea where she may be," Natale said. "Nobody has heard from her."

Patterson said he met Tuesday afternoon with a group from the Summerdale church for a prayer meeting.

"We just encourage folks to pray that she'll soon be found and be back with her husband, and they'll be back with their church where they're greatly loved," Patterson said.

He described Mary Smith, who many people know as "Beth," as white, 5 feet 3 inches tall, 100 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Natale said Smith had a tattoo of the sun on the back of her right shoulder and was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt and blue jeans.

Summerdale police Chief Dwain Riebeling said he had talked to an investigator in Bossier City but had not learned further details about Smith's disappearance.

"The search is concentrated right around Louisiana," Riebeling said.

Patterson said many people were concerned for her safety.

"They're very upset," he said. "A lot of crying, a lot of upset folks just not knowing. It's terrible just not knowing what's happened."

Natale asked anyone with information regarding Smith's whereabouts to call Bossier City police at 318-741-8605.


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http://www.wsbtv.com/news/11418248/detail.html

Preacher's Wife Goes Missing

POSTED: 6:17 am EDT March 28, 2007

SUMMERDALE, Ala. -- The wife of a Summerdale preacher has been missing since the weekend.

Mary Byrne Smith was last seen Saturday at a religious conference in Bossier City, Louisiana.

Bossier City detectives said Smith told a friend she was going to get a snack at the concession stand and never came back. Her friend called police when Smith didn't return to her seat after two hours.

Investigators say they don't suspect foul play but they haven't ruled it out.

Smith's husband, Jason, is the pastor at First Baptist Church in Summerdale. The couple has two children.


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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,262385,00.html

Cops at 'Square One' in Hunt for Missing Alabama Pastor's Wife

Thursday, March 29, 2007

By Sara Bonisteel

Six days after an Alabama minister's wife disappeared from a religious conference in Louisiana, police say they haven't gotten very far in their search.

"We're still at square one," Mark Natale, spokesman for the Bossier City Police Department, told FOXNews.com on Thursday. "[We] haven't received any notification from anybody who may have had contact with her."

Mary Byrne "Beth" Smith, 30, disappeared March 24 from Living Proof Live, a women's religious conference, held at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, La., in the northern part of the state. Smith, the wife of the Rev. Jason Lee Smith of the First Baptist Church in Summerdale, Ala., had traveled to the conference with a friend.

Bossier City police have followed up on several fruitless leads and are reviewing videotapes of the crowd from the conference, which drew about 14,000 women.

"We have not located anything on those tapes that would give us reason for concern as far as foul play being involved in her disappearance, but still, as from Day One, we still have not had anything to indicate that she was the victim of foul play," Natale said. "We haven't ruled anything out because frankly we just don't know what happened to her."

This isn't the first time someone has disappeared from the CenturyTel Center, Natale said.

"We've had people at events who have been reported missing but they're usually found a short time later," he said. "But nothing on this magnitude."

Smith, a mother of two, at 11 a.m. told the friend who accompanied her to the conference that she was going to a concession stand, but she never returned to her seat. The conference ended at noon and the friend waited in her car for two hours before reporting her missing, police said.

At the time of Smith's disappearance, evangelist Beth Moore was speaking on the topic of living a life of spiritual victory by growing in one's faith in God. Moore said in a statement that she had prayed with Smith's husband since the woman's disappearance.

"I am tremendously concerned about Mary Byrne Smith and her family," Moore said. "We have never had anything like this happen before at an event but, even if we had, I can't imagine we'd be any less moved."

Smith's husband met with police in Bossier City on Monday and returned Tuesday to his town in coastal Alabama.

A man who answered the telephone at his church Wednesday declined to comment to FOXNews.com on the advisement of investigators.

Natale declined to comment on Smith's personal life.

"There's really nothing that I can discuss information that we have regarding Ms. Smith," he said.

A spokesman for Lifeway Christian Resources, the group that sponsors the Living Proof Live conferences, said they had cooperated with police.

"The investigation is pretty much in their hands," Chris Turner said. "For our part, just being prayerful for her and her family — just hoping some good news turns up really quickly on all that."

Smith is described as a 5-foot-3-inch-tall white woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She weighs about 100 pounds and has a tattoo of the sun on her back.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Bossier City Police Department at 318-741-8605.

"Even the slightest information could be helpful in this, as with any, missing persons case," Natale said.



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Foul play not suspected in disappearance of ministers wife

Thursday, March 29, 2007
By DAVID FERRARA
Staff Reporter

Authorities have obtained new, personal information in the disappearance of a Summerdale pastor's wife and said Wednesday that they do not suspect foul play.

Mary Byrne Smith, wife of the Rev. Jason Lee Smith of First Baptist Church in Summerdale and a kindergarten teacher at Elsanor Elementary School, went missing during a Christian women's conference in northwest Louisiana on Saturday, according to Bossier City, La., police.

Smith, 30, had attended Living Proof Live with a female friend.

Smith left her seat at the CenturyTel Center around 11 a.m. Saturday -- toward the end of the event -- and said she wanted to use the restroom.

She hasn't been heard from since.

"We've obtained information in discussing with family some personal information regarding Ms. Smith that we are considering in our investigation," Bossier City Police spokesman Mark Natale said Wednesday. "That information we received may help paint a better picture as to what happened to her, but it's nothing conclusive."

He declined to elaborate on what police have learned or who provided the details but said, "the information we've received so far does not show foul play."

At a Wednesday night service at the Summerdale church, members of the congregation prayed for the Smith family, said Tommy Reaves, a deacon.

"The family would appreciate it if you would give them some privacy and not ask any questions at this time," Reaves said from a written statement issued to the media following the service. "The Bossier City, La., Police Department will update you on any other findings."

Smith and her friend arrived in Bossier City on Friday night, stayed at a hotel and checked out early Saturday morning. They arrived at the arena about 8 a.m. for the four-hour event and were seated together.

Neither Smith nor her companion met with anyone in Bossier City before or during the conference, according to Natale.

When the Living Proof event ended around noon Saturday, Smith's friend returned to her car and waited for two hours, she told police.

Since then, police have not noticed any use of the credit cards and cell phone Smith was carrying when she disappeared.

Police questioned the pastor Tuesday morning in Bossier City, Natale said. He has since left the city, apparently headed back to Alabama.

Larry Patterson, director of missions for the Baldwin Baptist Association, said he had not heard about the personal information referred to by Natale.

"I talked to the folks at the church, and they didn't have any knowledge," Patterson said. "Apparently they know more over there than we do over here."

"If we lean in any particular circumstance that would be speculating and be highly irresponsible at this point," Natale said. "We're not going to do that until we get more concrete information as to where Ms. Smith is at this time."

Before attending Wednesday's church service, a woman named Jane Davidson, of Fairhope, said she had been a childhood friend of Smith. Davidson called Smith an "awesome" and "bubbly" person who had attended Fairhope High School.

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/inde....xml&coll=3


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http://www.ktbs.com/viewnews.cfm?news_id=8...missing%20woman

No cell phone or credit card activity made by missing woman

Posted on 03/31/2007

Bossier City police said again today they have no reason to believe that the wife of an Alabama minister, who disappeared after a religious conference this past weekend, is the victim of foul play.

But, they did say there has been no activity on her cell phone or credit cards.

Authorities would not disclose specifics but said that "something of a private, personal nature we learned" indicates Mary Byrne "Beth" Smith, 30, was not abducted, Police Department spokesman Mark Natale said.

Smith's family said it is out of character for her to disappear and no one has heard from her, Natale said.

Smith, the mother of two, was last seen Saturday morning at the Living Proof Live women's conference at CenturyTel arena. Police said she told a friend at 11 a.m. that she was going to the concession stand but never returned to her seat. The conference ended at noon and the friend waited at her car for two hours and then called police to report Smith missing.

Smith's husband, the Rev. Jason Lee Smith of First Baptist Church in Summerdale, went to Bossier City on Monday to talk to investigators. He returned to Alabama on Tuesday, police said.
Smith declined requests to talk to the media, Natale said.

Mrs. Smith and a friend had driven to Bossier City for the event. They spent Friday night in Bossier. The friend has also returned to Alabama.

There were 14,000 women at the conference. Police have been reviewing security video from the arena but nothing has indicated what happened to Smith.

Mrs. Smith is described as white, 5-foot-3 and weighing 100 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She has a tattoo of the sun on the back of her right shoulder.


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Officials saying little about missing pastor's wife

Saturday, March 31, 2007
By DAVID FERRARA
Staff Reporter

A week after Mary Byrne Smith, the kindergarten teacher and wife of a Summerdale pastor, disappeared from a religious conference in Louisiana, authorities have provided no further details about what might have happened.

A friend told investigators she last saw Smith, 30, leave her seat at the CenturyTel Center during a Living Proof Live event in Bossier City, La., around 11 a.m. Saturday. No one has reported hearing from her since.

Earlier this week, Bossier City police spokesman Mark Natale said investigators had "personal information" that could provide insight into why she disappeared.

They have said they don't suspect foul play.

Natale hasn't returned repeated phone messages since Wednesday. On Friday, his voice mail stated that "there are no new developments at this time," and said any updates would be offered to the media in news releases.

Friends and family knew the wife of First Baptist Church of Summerdale pastor Jason Lee Smith as "Beth," south Baldwin religious leaders have said. She taught at Elsanor Elementary School.

Beth Moore, an evangelical author and speaker who tours the country, discussed the biblical story of David -- the subject of the conference -- during Saturday's event, according to Chris Turner with LifeWay Christian Resources, which coordinates Beth Moore events.

Moore said in a statement that she has spoken with Smith's husband and prayed with him over the phone.

"I am tremendously concerned about Mary Byrne Smith and her family," Moore's statement read. "We have never had anything like this happen before at an event but, even if we had, I can't imagine we'd be any less moved. ... Mary and her family have been on my mind constantly since I learned about her disappearance."

The Summerdale pastor has insisted, through a deacon at his church, that media not contact him.

Another deacon, Jason Richardson, has said that the pastor was distraught over his wife's disappearance and trying to comfort the couple's two young children.

Mary Byrne and Jason Smith married in January 1997 in Daphne, according to Mobile County Probate Court records, where their marriage was filed. She was 20, and he was 19. At the time, they both listed their home address in Saraland.

Alabama Sen. Bradley Byrne, R-Montrose, said Friday that he is a distant cousin of Smith, but he knew little about the disappearance.

The senator said he has met Mary Smith and knows her mother and father, who are "very concerned about the situation."

"The only thing I'd like to offer is my love and support for the family," he said.



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Many tips, nothing new on missing woman

Sunday, April 01, 2007
By VIRGINIA BRIDGES
Staff Reporter

Police in Bossier City, La. have received about 70 tips from the public about a missing Baldwin County kindergarten teacher and wife of a Summerdale pastor, but none have advanced the investigation into Mary Byrne Smith's mysterious disappearance, a police official said Saturday.

Bossier City Police Department detectives have received the tips since Smith, a 30-year-old Elsanor Elementary teacher, was last seen by a friend at 11 a.m. March 24 when she left her seat at the CenturyTel Center during a Living Proof Live event in that city.

She is married to First Baptist Church of Summerdale pastor Jason Lee Smith.

The tips mainly are from people who said they saw her at the religious event or in town, said Mark Natale, a Bossier City police spokesman.

"They have given us no indications" of happened to her, he said.

People from Baldwin County have also provided information about Mary Smith, he said. Friends and family call her "Beth."

Natale has said that Bossier police have "personal information" that could help explains Smith's disappearance, but he has not elaborated. Investigators have found no evidence of foul play, Natale said, but are not ruling anything out.

"We are leaving all possibilities open," he said Saturday.

Smith, a mother of two young children, and her friend arrived in Bossier City on March 23, stayed at a hotel and checked out early the next morning. They arrived at the arena about 8 a.m. for the four-hour event and were seated together.

Jason Lee Smith has asked through a church deacon that the media not contact him.

Anyone with information that may help officials locate Mary Byrne Smith can contact the Bossier City Police at 318-741-8605.


http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/inde....xml&coll=3

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http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/...mary_smith.html

Mary Byrne Smith Still Missing After More Than A Week

By Chuck Hustmyre

April 2, 2007

BOSSIER CITY, La. (Crime Library) — Mary Byrne Smith was last seen more than a week ago at a women's religious conference. No one has reported hearing from her since.

At 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March 24, the 30-year-old kindergarten teacher from Summerdale, Ala., known to friends as Beth, told a female friend, who was also her traveling companion, that she was going to a concession stand at the CenturyTel Center. She never returned.

After the conference ended at noon, Beth's friend, whom police have refused to identify, waited at her car for two hours before leaving. Beth's travel bag was still inside the car.

The two women arrived in Bossier City, in northwest Louisiana, on Friday, March 23, and spent the night in a local hotel. They checked out the next morning and attended the Living Proof Live conference, which reportedly drew about 14,000 women.

Beth is married to the Rev. Jason Lee Smith, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Summerdale. The couple has been married for 10 years. They have two children.

A graduate of the University of Mobile, Beth has taught elementary school for the last few years.

"We've looked over some video taken from the event and there were no signs of Ms. Smith," Bossier police spokesman Mark Natale told The Times of Shreveport. "There was no one else that we know of who saw her but her friend."

A source familiar with the investigation told Crime Library, "There is absolutely no indication of foul play."

The source, who asked not to be identified, said that although investigators haven't found any activity on Beth's cell phone or credit cards since she disappeared, they are leaning strongly toward the idea that her disappearance was voluntary.

"They think she knows where she is, but her family doesn't," the source said, adding that Beth has a "colorful" past.

In Summerdale, Beth's husband issued a statement through a church deacon in which he refused to discuss the case with the media.

Smith traveled to Bossier City last week and met with investigators, but has since returned home.

Summerdale is a city of about 700 people on Alabama's Gulf Coast.

"The family over here, it's kind of odd," said Summerdale Police Chief Dwain Riebeling. "They want to keep it hushed."

Often, family members of missing people talk frequently with the media. The families use the media to reassure missing loved ones that authorities are looking for them and to plead for information from anyone who may have seen the missing person.

Beth is described as a 30-year-old white female, 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing approximately 100 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt and blue jeans. She has a sun tattoo on the back of her right shoulder.

Anyone with information about Beth's whereabouts is asked to call the Bossier City Police Department at (318) 741-8605.




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Many tips, nothing new on missing woman

Sunday, April 01, 2007
By VIRGINIA BRIDGES
Staff Reporter

Police in Bossier City, La. have received about 70 tips from the public about a missing Baldwin County kindergarten teacher and wife of a Summerdale pastor, but none have advanced the investigation into Mary Byrne Smith's mysterious disappearance, a police official said Saturday.

Bossier City Police Department detectives have received the tips since Smith, a 30-year-old Elsanor Elementary teacher, was last seen by a friend at 11 a.m. March 24 when she left her seat at the CenturyTel Center during a Living Proof Live event in that city.

She is married to First Baptist Church of Summerdale pastor Jason Lee Smith.

The tips mainly are from people who said they saw her at the religious event or in town, said Mark Natale, a Bossier City police spokesman.

"They have given us no indications" of happened to her, he said.

People from Baldwin County have also provided information about Mary Smith, he said. Friends and family call her "Beth."

Natale has said that Bossier police have "personal information" that could help explains Smith's disappearance, but he has not elaborated. Investigators have found no evidence of foul play, Natale said, but are not ruling anything out.

"We are leaving all possibilities open," he said Saturday.

Smith, a mother of two young children, and her friend arrived in Bossier City on March 23, stayed at a hotel and checked out early the next morning. They arrived at the arena about 8 a.m. for the four-hour event and were seated together.

Jason Lee Smith has asked through a church deacon that the media not contact him.

Anyone with information that may help officials locate Mary Byrne Smith can contact the Bossier City Police at 318-741-8605.


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http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/...mary_smith.html

Mary Byrne Smith Still Missing After More Than A Week

By Chuck Hustmyre

April 2, 2007

BOSSIER CITY, La. (Crime Library) — Mary Byrne Smith was last seen more than a week ago at a women's religious conference. No one has reported hearing from her since.

At 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March 24, the 30-year-old kindergarten teacher from Summerdale, Ala., known to friends as Beth, told a female friend, who was also her traveling companion, that she was going to a concession stand at the CenturyTel Center. She never returned.

After the conference ended at noon, Beth's friend, whom police have refused to identify, waited at her car for two hours before leaving. Beth's travel bag was still inside the car.

The two women arrived in Bossier City, in northwest Louisiana, on Friday, March 23, and spent the night in a local hotel. They checked out the next morning and attended the Living Proof Live conference, which reportedly drew about 14,000 women.

Beth is married to the Rev. Jason Lee Smith, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Summerdale. The couple has been married for 10 years. They have two children.

A graduate of the University of Mobile, Beth has taught elementary school for the last few years.

"We've looked over some video taken from the event and there were no signs of Ms. Smith," Bossier police spokesman Mark Natale told The Times of Shreveport. "There was no one else that we know of who saw her but her friend."

A source familiar with the investigation told Crime Library, "There is absolutely no indication of foul play."

The source, who asked not to be identified, said that although investigators haven't found any activity on Beth's cell phone or credit cards since she disappeared, they are leaning strongly toward the idea that her disappearance was voluntary.

"They think she knows where she is, but her family doesn't," the source said, adding that Beth has a "colorful" past.

In Summerdale, Beth's husband issued a statement through a church deacon in which he refused to discuss the case with the media.

Smith traveled to Bossier City last week and met with investigators, but has since returned home.

Summerdale is a city of about 700 people on Alabama's Gulf Coast.

"The family over here, it's kind of odd," said Summerdale Police Chief Dwain Riebeling. "They want to keep it hushed."

Often, family members of missing people talk frequently with the media. The families use the media to reassure missing loved ones that authorities are looking for them and to plead for information from anyone who may have seen the missing person.

Beth is described as a 30-year-old white female, 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing approximately 100 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt and blue jeans. She has a sun tattoo on the back of her right shoulder.

Anyone with information about Beth's whereabouts is asked to call the Bossier City Police Department at (318) 741-8605.



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Church prays for pastor's wife

Monday, April 02, 2007
By DAVID FERRARA
Staff Reporter

SUMMERDALE -- Leading a prayer Sunday morning inside the First Baptist Church of Summerdale, deacon Jason Richardson asked God to watch over the missing wife of the congregation's pastor.

Mary Byrne Smith, who friends and family also know as Beth, disappeared the weekend before while attending a religious seminar 500 miles from here, authorities said.

None of the 70 or so tips authorities in Bossier City, La., have received since Smith, 30, went missing March 24 had led police to her as of Sunday.

"Lord, we lift up Beth to you right now," Richardson said, his hands gripping the pulpit. "I pray that you keep her safe."

The Rev. Jason Lee Smith, who has not spoken publicly since his wife's disappearance, was not present.

Richardson said he expected the pastor back in church soon, but the past week has been "overwhelming."

Smith, a kindergarten teacher at Elsanor Elementary School, left her seat at the CenturyTel Center during a Living Proof Live event conducted by evangelical author and speaker Beth Moore in Bossier City. Smith told a friend who attended the conference with her that she needed to use the rest room, investigators said. She has not been seen since.

Mary Byrne and Jason Smith have been married 10 years and have two young children together, according to court records and friends.

Inside the small house of worship Sunday about a block east of Alabama 59, the roughly 60 people listened quietly to Richardson, a few appearing to wipe tears from their eyes.

Richardson continued with his message, quoting passages from the Bible and sporadically, however indirectly, referring to Mary Smith's disappearance.

"We need you to lead us through this time," he said.

Her name was second from the bottom on the church's prayer list, tucked inside the service program: "Beth Smith and family."

Richardson encouraged the members of the "church family" to remain optimistic. He told his fellow worshipers that churches around the area were praying for the situation, as well.

"We're going to face battles that many of us are not ready for," Richardson said. "Many of us are facing that battle right now. Some of us will hear speculation. We will hear people say things that they have no proof of. We need to be the people that stand with the hand of God."

On their way out, church members hugged Richardson, shook his hand and thanked him for the message.

Sunday afternoon, Bossier City police spokesman Mark Natale said police had no new information on the case. Anyone with information is asked to call the department at 318-741-8605.



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http://www.ktbs.com/viewnews.cfm?news_id=9...0Center%20alone

Still no word from missing Alabama woman

Posted on 04/03/2007



Mary Byrne "Beth" Smith, the Alabama minister's wife and kindergarten teacher who disappeared from a religious conference in Bossier City 10 days ago, remains unaccounted for today, authorities said.

Police thought a woman seen on security tapes leaving CenturyTel Center alone was Smith. But her husband viewed e-mailed pictures sent to him today and said that was not his wife, Police Chief Mike Halphen said.

Smith, the mother of two, was last seen Saturday, March 24, at the Living Proof Live women's conference at CenturyTel. Police said she told a friend at 11 a.m. that she was going to the concession stand, but she never returned to her seat. The conference ended at noon and the friend waited at her car for two hours and then called police to report Smith missing. Her travel bag was in the car.

Bossier police said they plan to release another picture of Smith to see if anyone has seen her.

"There is nothing to indicate otherwise," Halphen said when asked if investigators believe Smith left of her own volition. "At the same time, background information gathered from her family, her husband and the people in her town is that she did not tell anyone she leaving. As far as we know, she came to Bossier City to attend this conference and hasn't been heard from since."

Police continue to say they have no reason to believe Smith, 30, is the victim of foul play. They have not disclosed specifics but said that "something of a private, personal nature we learned" indicates Smith was not abducted.

Smith's family said it is out of character for her to disappear and no one has heard from her, police said.

There were 14,000 women at the conference and about 30 police officers in and around the arena and no one reported seeing anything suspicious, Halphen said.

Smith's husband, the Rev. Jason Lee Smith of the First Baptist Church in Summerdale, Ala., went to Bossier City right after his wife disappeared to talk to investigators. He has returned home to the couple's two children but is in regular contact with detectives here, Halphen said.

Smith has not talked to the media about his wife's disappearance. He did not attend this past Sunday morning's services at his church in the small south Alabama town located east of Mobile. The congregation prayed for his wife's safe return as part of the regular prayer list.


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http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...NGNEWS/70404005

Still no signs of missing woman

April 4, 2007

By Loresha Wilson
ljwilson@gannett.com

Bossier City police have released an updated picture of the Alabama woman who disappeared from a religious conference in Bossier City almost two weeks ago.

Authorities thought a woman seen on security tapes leaving CenturyTel Center was Mary Smith, but her husband viewed the pictures via e-mail and said that wasn’t her. The mother of two was last seen about 11 a.m. March 24, at the Living Proof Live women’s conference. She told her friend she was going to a concession stand but never returned. Police have said there is no reason to suspect Smith is the victim of foul play. But Smith’s family said it’s out of character for her to leave without telling someone.

Her husband, an Alabama minister, drove to Bossier City last week to meet with investigators.


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http://www.ktbs.com/viewnews.cfm?news_id=9...0are%20released

Missing woman had drug problems, about to lose her job

Posted on 04/05/2007

Bossier City police investigating the disappearance of an Alabama minister's wife spoke today of a troubled woman with a drug problem who was about to lose her job as a kindergarten teacher.

Police also issued a public plea for Mary Byrne "Beth" Smith to call or e-mail them and tell them she is OK. Police said she faces no criminal charges.

Police Chief Mike Halphen said there is no evidence of foul play, but detectives are still investigating her disappearance as a missing-person case because something could have happened to her.

"We just want to know she's OK so her family will know and we can quit spending man hours searching for her," Halphen said at a news conference this afternoon.

Halphen's news conference followed one held at the minister's church in Summerdale, Ala., in which Smith's husband and father asked her to contact them.

"We just want to hear from you. We just want to know if you're OK," her husband, Jason Lee Smith said. "We'll come get you. We'll do whatever it takes. We just want you home."

Smith, the mother of two, was last seen Saturday, March 24, at the Living Proof Live women's conference at CenturyTel. Police said she told a friend at 11 a.m. that she was going to the concession stand, but she never returned to her seat. The conference ended at noon and the friend waited at her car for two hours and then called police to report Smith missing. Her travel bag was in the car.

Halphen said detectives have learned that Smith, 30, was about to get fired because she had failed a drug test by testing positive for painkillers. She had fallen at school and cut her head and had asked other teachers if they had painkillers, Halphen said.

Halphen said Smith had also told her two children, who are ages 7 and 10, that she was not a very good role model for them.

Last December, Halphen said, Smith she needed to change her address because she was divorced and needed to get personal mail at school.

Her husband found that out when he went to the school after his wife disappeared and asked for some records, Halphen said.

If Smith left on her own, she would not face charges because she has not filed a police report.

Halphen said he is not trying to embarrass the Smith family by releasing personal information. Smith's father praised police for their work.



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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,264385,00.html

Cops Believe Missing Preacher's Wife May Have Disappeared on Her Own

Thursday, April 05, 2007

The missing wife of an Alabama preacher may have disappeared on her own accord to grapple with personal demons, Louisiana police said Thursday, as her husband spoke publicly for the first time since she vanished nearly two weeks ago.

Detectives learned that Mary Smith was about to lose her job for failing a drug test, Halphen said.

She had asked fellow teachers for pain medication and Loritabs, according to the Times.

Her "strange behavior" prompted the drug test, which came back positive, Halphen said.

Halphen also said that the woman had told colleagues that she was divorced and was a bad role model for her children, aged 7 and 10.

Mary Smith faces no criminal charges, the police chief said.

Her husband delivered a brief statement Thursday in front of his church, the First Baptist Church of Summerdale, Ala., accompanied by his wife's father, Donnie Byrne of Fairhope, Ala., according to a report in the Mobile Press-Register.

"Beth, if you're out there, we miss you. I miss you, the kids miss you," Jason Smith said. "We just desperately want you home."

"If you call us, we'll come," Byrne added. "We'll come get you."

Mary Smith was attending Living Proof Live, a women's religious conference at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City with a friend when she disappeared.

Halphen asked Mary Smith to call or e-mail with her whereabouts.

“We just want to know if she’s OK,” Halphen said. “She can contact us or a member of her family.”

Mary Byrne Smith is described as a 5-foot-3-inch-tall white woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She weighs about 100 pounds and has a tattoo of the sun on her back.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Bossier City Police Department at 318-741-8605.



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Police ask missing pastor's wife for contact

BOSSIER CITY, La. -- Police appealed Thursday for an Alabama minister's wife who disappeared at a religious conference to contact authorities _ if she is able.


Authorities said Mary Byrne Smith, 30, does not face criminal charges. The mother of two was last seen March 24 at the Living Proof Live women's conference in Bossier City.

Police said she told a friend at 11 a.m. that she was going to the concession stand, but she never returned to her seat. The conference ended at noon and the friend waited at her car for two hours and then called police to report Smith missing. Her travel bag was in the car.

During a news conference Thursday, Police Chief Mike Halphen said there was no evidence of foul play, but detectives were still handling Smith's disappearance as a missing person case.

"We just want to know she's OK so her family will know and we can quit spending man hours searching for her," Halphen said.

Halphen's news conference followed one held at the minister's church in Summerdale, Ala., in which Smith's husband, the Rev. Jason Lee Smith, asked her to contact them. Smith is pastor of the First Baptist Church in the coastal town.

"We just want to know if you're OK and we will come get you and do whatever it takes. We just want you home," Jason Smith said. "I love you; the kids love you. We just miss you so much ... I know you may feel like some things are going on in your life, but nothing's too difficult to overcome, and so we just want to hear from you."

Based on interviews with Smith's family and principal of the school where she worked, Bossier Parish authorities found indications of a troubled woman.

"Something very bad was going on with her," Halphen said. "You can draw a lot of conclusions from it _ that possibly something was being planned; possibly there is some mental delusion; possibly it was the drugs."

Halphen said detectives learned that Smith was going to lose her teaching job at the elementary school in Summerdale at the end of the school year because she had failed a drug test by testing positive for prescription drugs.

She had fallen at school and cut her head and had asked other teachers if they had painkillers, Halphen said. Police said the school's principal told them she suspected Smith was under the influence of drugs at school. In February, Smith filed a police report saying her purse had been stolen, but police found it in her desk with prescription medication bottles inside.

Last December, Halphen said, Smith gave school administrators a false address and told her colleagues she had gotten a divorce the month before. Her husband found that out when he went to the school after his wife disappeared and asked for some records, Halphen said. The couple was still married.

If Smith left on her own, she would not face charges because she has not filed a police report, Halphen said.
http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=6332841

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http://www.fox10tv.com/global/story.asp?s=6333133

Family Pleas For Missing Woman To Come Home

April 5, 2007 07:40 PM CDT

By Adam Walser

SUMMERDALE--- The family of Beth Smith broke its silence for the first time in the 12 days since the Summerdale pastor's wife vanished.

"We miss you so much and we desperately want you home," said Beth's husband Jason Smith.

"If you call us Beth, we'll come," said Beth's father Donnie Byrne. "We'll come get you. We want you to come home, honey. We love you."

The family provided more photos of Beth, a kindergarten teacher with two young children.

They also gave the news media new information. "We found out that she possibly has an addiction to prescription medication," Byrne said.

Fox Ten News confirmed that Beth Smith reported her purse stolen from her car while it was parked in the Robertsdale Winn Dixie parking lot. The purse, along with empty pill bottles, was recovered when officers searched her classroom this week.

A Baldwin County School official also tells Fox Ten News that Beth Smith voluntarily took a drug test at the urging of her co-workers. They believed she had displayed unusual behavior in recent weeks.

The Bossier City Police Department has investigated the case since Smith disappeared from at Living Proof Live conference March 24th. The said today that they have no new leads.

Summerdale Police have also started their own investigation into the disappearance.

"If there's anyone out there who knows anything that will help me get my wife back, please call Bossier City Police," said Jason Smith.


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