Putting cows on the front page since 1885.

Friends, Family Search for Missing Bakers Summit Man

On Jan. 19, Matthew W. Smith, of Bakers Summit, was dropped off at a home just north of Freedom Township in Brooks Mills, Blair Township. That was the last time anyone has seen or heard from him.

On Saturday morning, Feb. 23, a group of people led by Matt's cousin, Crystal Gindlesperger of Baltimore, conducted a search of the woods around the area in Brooks Mills where Matt was last seen.

According to Crystal, Matt was staying with his father in Bakers Summit when an argument on the night of Jan. 19 led to Matt leaving the house.

Crystal said Matt called his brother and asked him for a ride to Brooks Mills. Matt's brother dropped him off and that was the last anyone has seen of him.

"We are reaching out to family, friends, putting flyers up in the community and have created a Facebook page to try to locate him," Crystal said.

Crystal said Matt has some psychological issues which has the family concerned about how well he may be able to take care of himself.

"He has a history of depression and anxiety. We are very worried about his mental stability right now," she said.

Crystal said she is concerned that Matt may have gotten in with a "not-so-nice" crowd and fears he may be doing drugs.

"There are rumors of drug use and some not-so-nice people involved," she said. "If he is having drug issues, we need to get him home and get him help."

Crystal said the last time she saw her cousin was at Christmastime and that he seemed "paranoid" and was dealing with some personal issues.

She said Matt was homeless and would sleep "wherever he could," often at a friend's house or even in cars.

Although Matt could take off for weeks at a time in the past, Crystal said he was always in contact with someone.

"He would go off for a week or so, but we always knew where he was because he was always in contact with someone," she said. "It is not like him to not be in touch."

Crystal was able to gain access to Matt's Facebook account and said there has been no ongoing activity on it since Jan. 19, the night he disappeared.

"No activity on Facebook, and his phone goes straight to voicemail. There is something wrong," she said.

Crystal said the family is so worried and so desperate for answers that an aunt consulted a psychic, who told her Matt was "alive and resourceful."

About 25 people joined the search on Saturday, many of them friends and relatives. Some don't know Matt but just want to help.

Eric Shirokey, a retired U.S. Army veteran, said he wanted to use his military training to help in the search, although he doesn't know Matt.

"I don't know him personally, but I wanted to come because the family needs help getting to the bottom of this," he said. "I am retired army and figured my training could help in the search."

Pam Hinterberter said her stepson is Matt's brother, and that his disappearance has taken a toll on the family.

"It has been horrible for everyone not knowing where he is," she said. "We want to know if he is OK or if something happened."

Although Saturday's search did not turn up anything, Crystal said the family will not give up.

The family is offering a cash reward for information leading to his whereabouts.

"We are begging people to help us find him," Crystal said.

Matt was last seen wearing jeans and a hoodie. He is 30 years old, approximately 5'11'' tall and weighs around 165 pounds. He has blond hair and blue eyes. He has several tattoos, including praying hands on his chest, "Money above all" on his left wrist, "Hustle til death" on his right wrist and "RIP S.L.T." on his left forearm.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Blair Township Police Department at (814) 696- 3846.

"Any information is useful," Crystal said. "Please keep an eye out and keep praying. We won't stop until we find him."

 

Reader Comments(0)