WYTHEVILLE, (WSLS 10)- The family of a missing Cedar Bluff man held a vigil over the weekend after he mysteriously disappeared two years ago.
Family members of 41-year-old Eric G.Smith gathered and comforted one another by candlelight November 7th, not knowing if they will ever see him again or if he is safe.
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Smith was last seen Friday, November 8th, 2013. According to family, he headed out early that morning to go hunting on his property along West Hurt Buggy Road in Cedar Bluff. When he failed to return home that same evening, family members began searching for Smith and eventually called 911. The Cedar Bluff Police Department responded and initiated a search effort and, with the ongoing assistance of the Virginia State Police, a subsequent investigation into his disappearance.
Smith is 6'1 in height and weighs approximately 210 pounds. He is a white male with brown hair and brown eyes. He had also been a long-time employee of Consol Coal Company.
"Despite extensive searches by ground and air over the past two years, there has been little evidence as to Eric's whereabouts," said Capt. Jerry Davis, Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Wytheville Field Office. "The Cedar Bluff Police Department and state police Special Agents John Santolla and Dave Belcher continue to pursue new leads and tips as they come in and are confident that someone out there has information on this case. They just need that person to come forward. Help us help Eric's family gain a sense of closure for their loved one."
The family, with the help of matching funds from Consol Coal Company, is offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to finding Smith.
Anyone with information about Smith or his whereabouts is asked to call the Cedar Bluff Police Department at 276-963-3975 or the Virginia State Police at (276) 228-3131 or toll-free in Virginia at 1-800-542-8716, or by email at questions@vsp.virginia.gov. Anonymous calls are welcome.