More Resources Added to Missing Calabasas Executive Case

May 10, 2012

The mystery of what happened to Fox film executive started May 1 when Gavin Smith left a friend’s house and drove away in his black Mercedes continues.

On Wednesday, Deadline Hollywood reported that unnamed sources within the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said that the case has been reclassified from a missing persons investigation to a criminal homicide. On Thursday, May 10, departmental spokesperson Steve Whitmore clarified that additional detectives had been added to the case. He also said that all missing persons investigations are handled by the homicide bureau and that nothing had been changed in the classification of the case.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has been trying to locate a Gavin Smith since May 2. Smith, 57, a film executive at a Fox office in Calabasas was last seen in Oak Park between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1st.

He reportedly left in a black 2000 Mercedes E500 (the model number on the back of the car was changed to E500 although the car is actually a 420E), that has padded storage racks on roof, tinted windows and a California license plate #6EKT044.

The Smith family will not disclose why Smith was staying with a family friend in Oak Park rather than at his residence in West Hills. The Smith family told ABC News that Smith’s belongings, including a cell phone charger and shaving equipment were left at the friend’s house. Attempts to track Smith’s cell phone and credit cards have proved unsuccessful.

Smith’s wife called police after Smith failed to pickup his youngest son from school.

Smith is described as being 6′ 06″, 210 lbs., and has grey hair with blonde highlights, green eyes, and a goatee. He was last seen wearing purple pants.

On the family website, Smith’s son post, “Hey Everybody this is Evan Smith, Gavin’s eldest son. Thank you so much for visiting the page and report any information or anything at all on this blog so we can all coordinate to help find my DAD!!! You all have been such a help.”

To view the site, go here.