Tasha Marie Smith (29) | Missing | Cambridge | Dec 1, 2010

[Concerned]

Search continues for missing woman

Daughter missing Lindy Smith holds up a poster of her missing step-daughter, Tasha. Peter Lee/Record staff
WATERLOO REGION — The last two weeks have been agony.

There’s been no word, no real leads — no moments of rest.

All Tasha Smith’s family have are questions, worry and a small tinge of hope that someone’s seen something — seen her.

Smith, 28, hasn’t been heard from or seen since Dec. 1, when she walked out of the Concession Street group home where she was living.

She shouldn’t be hard to spot. Her love for dark makeup and unique hairstyles always made her fairly conspicuous. As her stepmother, Lindy Smith, says, Tasha thrives on the dramatic.

She has blond hair that’s shaved on one side and long on the other. She usually dresses in black. She’s around five feet four inches tall and 175 lbs.

But so far, despite the pleas of her family online and the dozens of missing person flyers they’ve handed out across the region, there’s only been silence.

“It’s her Dad’s birthday tomorrow,” Lindy said Tuesday. “We’re just really falling apart here.”

Waterloo Regional Police are treating her disappearance as a missing person case. At any given time, police are usually looking into several of them.

“The longer someone is missing, the more concerning it becomes,” said Sgt. Tom Schroder of the Cambridge detectives branch. “But, we don’t believe Tasha is in any physical danger, from what we understand at this point.”

Police have checked with all of the local agencies and alerted police in Toronto. So far, it’s turned up nothing. One possible sighting at the Conestoga Mall last week couldn’t be confirmed.

Tasha has run away before. She’s taken off with friends or walked away from other places she was supposed to be. But, it was never like this, her stepmother said, her voice breaking up.

She’d never leave without her treasured belongings, which she carried with her even on small outings with the family or shopping trips. They’re all still there in her room.

She’d never go more than two days without calling — even if it was just for help or for cigarettes or some cash to get by.

Smith suffers from a significant mental illness and requires medication. She hasn’t received it in days and her condition is likely deteriorating rapidly, her family said. She only recently moved to the area, where her father and stepmother live, after receiving treatment out of town.

“If she wasn’t ill, if she was just a regular 28-year-old, I would assume she wouldn’t want to be found,” Lindy said.

“With Tasha, with her being younger mentally, she’s vulnerable to suggestions and being led astray. She doesn’t understand right from wrong a lot of the time.”

There’s no waiting around for Tasha to call anymore. Smith’s family has mobilized. Her stepmother has been on the streets handing out missing posters everywhere from soup kitchens to shops.

On Tuesday night, the family was planning to go to Toronto with flyers, hoping someone had seen her there.

“I don’t care how old your child is, when they go missing, it’s the scariest thing,” Lindy said.

“She doesn’t know anything around here. She wouldn’t even know the area without help. That’s what is terrifying us. Someone knows something and no one is telling us.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police at 519-653-7700 ext. 2210 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

mdalton@therecord.com

http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/301299--search-continues-for-missing-woman

Tasha Marie Smith, Age 28 Missing 12/1/10 Cambridge, Ontario Canada

http://swo.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20101210/missing2010-12-10/20101210/?hub=SWOHome

[Concerned]

Missing woman, Tasha Marie Smith, 28

Broadcast time: 16:10 Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Corporate Communications 416−808−7100

The Toronto Police Service is assisting the Waterloo Regional Police by issuing a missing woman news release on their behalf.

The Waterloo Regional Police is requesting the public’s assistance locating a missing woman.

Tasha Marie Smith, 28, was last seen on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, at 8 p.m., at her Cambridge home.

She is described as white, 5'4", 175lbs, blond hair that is shaved on one side and long on the other side. She has a blue skull and the word "punks" in the skull, tattooed on the inside of her right arm just above the wrist. She usually wears black clothing.

Police have received reports that she has been seen in Toronto near the Toronto Eaton Centre.
Police are concerned for her safety.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Waterloo Regional Police at 519−653−7700 ext 2230, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416−222−TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637), or Leave A Tip on Facebook.

Constable Isabelle Cotton, Corporate Communications

[goNgo]

From the Waterloo Regional Police Service website.

http://www.wrps.on.ca/missing-persons/tasha-marie-smith

[jellybean]

These poor dear parents. It is all the more agonizing as Tasha is very vulnerable.  I pray that Tasha will call her family soon, or be returned home safely.

PEACE
JB

[capeheart]

Sure hope that someone gives news on where Tasha is. Prayers for her safe return.

[Chris]

Tasha Marie Smith has been missing from a group home on Concession St in Cambridge Ontario, since Dec 1st 2010. Nothing was missing from her room, treasured items that she always took with her, even if it was just to come to the house for dinner, were still in her room. Tasha has no ID, and had no money on her. Her money is controlled by a Public Guardian, who Tasha called at least once a day, the last call this lady got was the afternoon of Dec 1st and the call was placed from the group home. Tasha has always called her Dad every 2 or 3 days for money, smokes or just to discuss another dream of starting a business..We've never heard from her.  We had reports of sightings in Toronto but we;ve since run down these leads only to find a girl who looks like Tasha. Tasha is originally from North Bay and only moved to Kitchener April of 2010, From June to Nov she ws hospitalized in London Ontario. We have put flyers up in London, Woodstock, Cambridge, Kitchener , Waterloo, Toronto and North Bay. We have contacted food banks, shelters and soup kitchens as well s transit authorities..still we have no real leads.
Tasha suffers from 3 significant mental illnesses, and needs daily meds.
Tasha Marie Smith
DOB..Aug 12 1982
Height approx 5'5
Weight..was on the heavy side approx 170 but after 6 months missing would be considerable smaller.
Eyes Brown
Complexion..has some acne scars
Hair..was short and dyed blonde, after 6 months could be any colour or length, even shaved

Loved heavy eye make up, has a lip piercing and a blue skull with the name PUNX in it's teeth on the inside of her forearm

Tasha was reported missing to the WRPS, Detective 2 division..519-650-8500 extension 2231

[eyeswideopen]

Linda this is a really good Ideal.  I have been watching on this site now for quit a while in case I saw anything about Tasha on here/ Praying she is found safe and soon. This is Debbie.  I will be in Toronto again next week and will chck out queen and bathurst area again. fingers crossed . Best to you and Michael.  I have the family in north bay keeping and eye out as well. Love to you both.

[Mom]

There seems to be 2 threads on the go for Tasha - one in Cambridge and one in Kitchener.
Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo are all smooshed together.

Could we please get these threads merged together so we don't miss out on any important details.
OntarioLinda provided some really good photos on the Kitchener thread.

Thanks so much!  Let's help find Tasha.

[Mom]

Thanks DebbieC... a.k.a. "Speedy Gonzales".

Even though Cambridge/Kitchener/Waterloo have the same Police Force, they are separate entities..... I think the title should still read "Cambridge" because that was where Tasha is missing from.

Thanks again!

[eyeswideopen]

Linda , think it is time to go to the media, city councilors, Mpp, ww5,  The chief of police can help as well if you make accusiations of errors etc on their side.  Message me re our phone conversation please or give me a call let me know if there is any update .  Perhaps you need to get a group together to picket the home she went missing from to get the media , chief of police, Mpp etc involved.  Time to go the exteme.  I am in if you decide to picket or force help Linda, just need to find a way to get over there, I am very rational, insistant and don't go away so do then to get action. Call me.

[Have faith]

Hi Linda,

I can't imagine how frustrated and angry you must be with the lack of caring by the Police.  They just don't understand or care about the mentally ill.
Do you think Tasha may have returned to London?  I could put some posters up where the young, homeless kids hang out, and at the Salvation Army hostels, soup kitchens etc.
Another thing you could do is call the Police Departments in surrounding cities, since they throw the mentally ill in jail if they are acting up.  I assume that the London Psychiatric Hospital has your number and knows to call you if Tasha is transferred there.

If you like, you can send me a private message re the posters.


Have Faith

[goNgo]

Linda,

First off, let me express my deepest sympathies for what you and your husband are going through right now.  To know that your daughter is vulnerable must only exacerbate your concerns.  From what I've gleaned from the news articles and comments you have made, it sounds like Tasha is determined to be her own person.  This makes her vulnerable.  However, this is likely her biggest strength as well. 

If you're comfortable, could you provide a few more details surrounding Tasha's disappearance?  for instance, where specifically is the group home that Tasha disappeared from?  How long was she there and how familiar was she with the area? 

I know I'm grasping at straws, but we have people here who will put the heads together and try to think of more avenues for investigation.

Again, my thoughts are with you and your family under these terribly trying circumstances.

[Annastaisha]

Linda - I agree with eyeswideopen - it is time to go to Investigative Reports, W5 and any and all other news sources and get them to investigate!  Someone with mental disabilities and requiring medication is missing and the police arent in a hurry to take it seriously? The "group" home she was at seems so non-chalant about the disappearance. Start contacting any and all news sources to get the story out so the police are accountable AND so is the group home. I agree with you, that is not the last conversation the worker had with Tasha. Not if there's been problems before.

[Annastaisha]

wow... that is so sad that no one sees it as a big deal... sure, there are a lot of missing people but each one of those missing people has a family and friends that love them! Each and every one deserves to be found. I am disgusted that no one is remotely interested in this.
I am sorry that you have to deal with all of this and may God bless you and continue to give you the strength to keep up the fight in finding Tasha.

[goNgo]

Thanks so much for sharing the additional details, Linda.  This must be sooooo rough on you. 

So, media won't help, beyond what they've already done.  How can we get a higher profile for this case?...i.e. motivation for media to get involved.  What if we could get a celebrity to take up the cause?  The person that comes to mind for me is Mary Walsh, the comedian.  She is an advocate for mental health and I heard her talk in London last year to a large event hosted by the regional Canadian Mental Health Association.  Anyone else have any ideas?

We have to help Tasha's family out.  Where is Tasha?