By Chuck Hustmyre
April 2, 2007 |
Mary Byrne Smith |
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.
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CenturyTel Center |
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.
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Bossier, Louisiana |
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."
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