Eric Grady Smith, disappeared November 8, 2013, Cedar Bluff, Virginia. 

Revised July 2024

On Friday, November 8th, 2013, 41-year-old, Eric Grady Smith left his home on West Hurt Buggy Road in Cedar Bluff, Virginia, to hunt on his 40-acre property. That was the last time he was seen, and he remains missing.

Who was Eric Smith?

Eric Smith worked for the Consol Coal Company and was the general foreman of the Buchanan No. 1 mine, overseeing over 500 people. He was described as a careful and conscientious person who the workers respected.

In late October 2013, Erwentone went on a business trip to Atlanta, Georgia, for a week. He was supposed to go to work the day after arriving home, but his wife called in sick for him, and he stayed absent on sick leave for the next five days. He also didn't check on how things were going at the mine or talk to any staff there during that period, which was uncharacteristic of his normal behavior, especially as a mine foreman is supposed to be on call at all times for safety reasons.

On Thursday, November 6, Smith emailed Consol Coal to say he was feeling better but would go hunting on Friday and report to work on Saturday.

Eric smith disappears

Eric headed out from his home on W Hurt Buggy Road in Cedar Bluff to hunt on his 40-acre property. For Smith’s mother, Dreama Smith of nearby Wardell in Tazewell County, her son’s disappearance is a complete mystery. “He got up that morning on Nov. 8 and went deer hunting on his own property in Cedar Bluff on Hurt Buggy Road. He was an avid hunter, and that was nothing out of the ordinary.”

Smith told his wife he was going to the top of the ridge to hunt and would be back, she said, adding that his wife then drove to Buchanan County with one of their two daughters to decorate a tree for his wife’s mother. Dreama said, “But when he wasn’t home that evening after dark, she came out and got us.”

That evening, Eric hadn't returned, and with temperatures dropping, his wife first went to see his mother at a local church with her concerns. The congregation then sprang into action to begin the informal search, and subsequently, authorities were notified.

He was wearing camouflage-print hunting clothes, a titanium Timex watch, and a Thompson Center .50 caliber muzzle-loading gun with a stainless steel barrel and camouflage-print stock. Unusually, he left his cell phone behind at his house. 

The search

A Virginia state police helicopter with FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) was used that night, and the next day, November 8, a search began using sniffer dogs.  Several scents leading from the Smith residence were detected but went nowhere. At least one of these trails appeared to return to the home but could have been some days old. 

Cedar Bluff Police Chief David Mills said, “Smith carried a muzzleloader with him, with one shot likely already loaded, so search coordinators brought explosive detection dogs into the search yesterday from the Virginia State Police and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. These dogs are trained to detect material that goes into explosive devices, which includes gunpowder.”

By Sunday afternoon, November 10, around 60 people were involved, including trained search and rescue teams from across the region, coworkers from Consol Energy, fire department members, and other community members. Six air-scent dogs were also used.

Cedar Bluff Police Chief David Mills, coordinator of the search, said the search was much more difficult with Smith wearing high-tech camouflage. “He can be lying down, and he would be impossible to see,” Mills said. The terrain was also a big problem in the search. With thick underbrush and steep hills, it was necessary to cover an area multiple times to be thorough and sure that Smith wasn’t obscured by foliage.

Despite a $20,000 reward for information leading to his location and or recovery, nothing was found or reported.

What happened to Eric Smith?

Eric’s mother said, “Every inch of the woods in the area was combed, and nothing turned up. It was like he vanished into thin air. You just can’t do that.” She also found it puzzling that he left his cell phone and cigarettes inside the house and his wallet in the truck. “He would have taken them with him. He was a mine superintendent, and he was on call 24/7.”

Succumbed to illness or accident - Did he fall into a sinkhole or cave, and that is the reason that neither his firearm nor bones have turned up?

Eric hunted on his property year after year and knew it inside out. His tree stand was less than a mile from his home, so if he was overcome by illness or weakness, it would have been expected that he would have been found quickly. Yet, despite extensive searches, there has never been any sign of Eric, his clothing, or his weapon.

Started a new life - Some believe Smith was never on the property and may have run off, but this seems unlikely as he was close to his family. He didn’t have any obvious personal or work problems at the time of his disappearance, and his loved ones don't believe he would have abandoned his wife, daughters, and career.

Foul play - Others have speculated that his wife may have been involved or accidentally shot by someone hunting in the area where his stand was and hid his body. Perhaps he came across illegal hunters or meth producers who may have harmed him?

Was he intentionally removed from the area?

See the latest Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com

Read other Strange Stories from Virginia

The strange disappearance of J.R. Shoemaker from Kirby in Virginia

The weird disappearance of the Sodder Children in West Virginia

The disturbing case of James Jordan - The Appalachian Trail Murderer

The unsolved murder of Scott Lilly on the Appalachian trail

Sources

http://charleyproject.org/case/eric-grady-smith

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?228348-VA-Eric-Smith-42-Cedar-Bluff-8-Nov-2013

http://www.swvatoday.com/news/richlands_clinch_valley/article_7e3b248c-6433-11e3-b4fb-0019bb30f31a.html

https://www.bdtonline.com/news/into-thin-air-new-lead-in-tazewell-missing-hunter-case-mother-asks-for-prayers/article_2278eefe-db16-11e8-9e9c-93f98fd538f5.html

https://www.bdtonline.com/news/where-is-eric-mystery-of-missing-tazewell-hunter-unsolved/article_3d784698-1bdb-11eb-8bbc-17e6c00d391d.html