WA WA - Shantina Smiley, 29, & Azriel Carver, 8 (fnd deceased), Olympia, Mar 2010 - #2

[sorrell skye]

Sometimes it really bottlenecks from Fort Lewis/Dupont to Nisqually Basin when I go to Olympia or south on Saturdays...

True - but I don't think that she went through Tacoma to hook up with I-5. I thought I read that she went another route from Silverdale to Olympia, and got lost looking for I-5 in Olympia.

 

[Nancee Drue]

Could S. have abandoned her son? Maybe she is hiding out?

 

[RubyRed]

People with more lean muscle mass tend to sink more easily. People with more body fat in proportion to lean muscle mass float more easily.

Generally speaking, adult women have more body fat than adult men (regardless of fitness level - nothing to do with being overweight). This is just generally speaking, though.

So Shantina may have floated out farther in the current (if she drowned, too).

I

nvestigators believe if Smiley hasn't reached Fox Island yet, she soon will. If not, it is very possible that her body may have floated past the south end of the island.

"It's not unusual for a body to travel through a few different counties during a tide change, especially through here because the water moves really fast through some of these channels and we could have a body in Thurston County and through a tide change end up in King County," said Troyer.

A ground search along the beach turned up no sign of Smiley. Divers on a boat searched as well and a Coast Guard helicopter and sheriff's office plane flew overhead

http://www.q13fox.com/kcpq-031810-boy,0,4124385.story?page=2

 

[Miss Optimism]

I feel so bad for this little boy. All of those complaints about his mother and the allegations of abuse- she should have never been with him that night. I don't think its her fiancee's fault at all. He and Azriel's father are in a lot of pain right now and we should have compassion for them.

I have seen so many murderers try to blame alcohol or drugs for what they did. Its completely reckless for the responsibility not to be on the person's actions. Regardless if the mother is alive or dead, she is responsible for killing that precious little boy and that will be what she is forever remembered for.

 

[Chemeria]

JMO!!!

-I dont want to say someone else wasn't involved yet. There is a lot of 'fishy' information coming from the 'boyfriend'

-I wonder if the mom is still alive hiding out somewhere and it was truely just an accident. She was drunk she wondered off to find help while he was asleep she left the doors open for him (trying to be a 'good mom' ?) and when she got back he was gone. Maybe she even went looking for him and hasn't even found out he is dead yet. She panic'd knowing she would get in trouble for drinking and is hiding.

Perhaps she is still drunk somewhere. I dont care if she left her wallet money and EVERYTHING she owned... If alcoholics want to drink MONEY OR NOT they will drink and if she is drunk somewhere hiding ... everyone will hear from her when she sobers up.

again JMO!


I dont know but until she is found.....

 

[sorrell skye]

Thurston County Sheriff's detectives Rod Gray and Tim Arnold along with Sgt. Ken Clark collect evidence Tuesday March 16, 2010 in Tumwater,Wash. from the van of Shantina Smiley, which was found on a beach near Zangle Road Sunday, with no trace of Smiley or her eight year-old son Azriel Carver. (AP Photo/The Olympian, Steve Bloom)

A mark is evident is shown on the passenger side of the abandoned van of Shantina Smiley Tuesday March 16, 2010 in Tumwater,Wash., which was found on a beach near Zangle Road Sunday, with no trace of Smiley or her eight year-old son Azriel Carver. (AP Photo/The Olympian, Steve Bloom)

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-worl..._Son_Missing_JPE_467437c.jpg&superSizeImage=y

TY for those pics, Ruby!

It looks to me like she side-swiped something with some speed, otherwise the scrape wouldn't have gone from the front of the van to the rear of the van before she was able to stop (unless she was intoxicated when she side-swiped whatever it was and her reactions were slowed). I don't think it was another car, since there is no paint on her car. It looks to me like she scraped up against something wooden.

But it would have had to have been something short, or low, based on where the paint is scraped off the van. Someone mentioned the pole near the gravel drive to the beach - which pole & how high is the pole?

 

[impatientredhead]

I feel so bad for this little boy. All of those complaints about his mother and the allegations of abuse- she should have never been with him that night. I don't think its her fiancee's fault at all. He and Azriel's father are in a lot of pain right now and we should have compassion for them.

I have seen so many murderers try to blame alcohol or drugs for what they did. Its completely reckless for the responsibility not to be on the person's actions. Regardless if the mother is alive or dead, she is responsible for killing that precious little boy and that will be what she is forever remembered for.

Az's father who has not seen him in years, who did not step up the plate and take him LAST time her drinking and passing out put him in danger is not going to get one iota of sympathy from me.

Flying out to look for him after he is dead is just a bit to late. He should feel responsible. He brought the boy in the world and then walked away to pursue his comedy career.

 

[RubyRed]

Could S. have abandoned her son? Maybe she is hiding out?

I think she is in the water. This is my opinion only. If I did this to my son, that is sure as heck where I would want to be. I could never live with myself, And there isn't enough booze that could take the pain away.

 

[RubyRed]

TY for those pics, Ruby!

It looks to me like she side-swiped something with some speed, otherwise the scrape wouldn't have gone from the front of the van to the rear of the van before she was able to stop (unless she was intoxicated when she side-swiped whatever it was and her reactions were slowed). I don't think it was another car, since there is no paint on her car. It looks to me like she scraped up against something wooden.

But it would have had to have been something short, or low, based on where the paint is scraped off the van. Someone mentioned the pole near the gravel drive to the beach - which pole & how high is the pole?

bbm

The one in this pic below:

Off Zangle Road NE in North Olympia is a narrow gravel road leading to the beach where the van Shantina Smiley had been driving was found. The entrance to that gravel road is marked by a red arrow. (Photo courtesy of reader Robert Dashiell)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/photos/gal...tina-smiley-disappearance/8910/#ixzz0ifuwqQXy

 

[Miss Optimism]

Az's father who has not seen him in years, who did not step up the plate and take him LAST time her drinking and passing out put him in danger is not going to get one iota of sympathy from me.

Flying out to look for him after he is dead is just a bit to late. He should feel responsible. He brought the boy in the world and then walked away to pursue his comedy career.

Good point. He was completely absent from his little boy's life. Az didn't have a hero in his life to reach out and save him.

 

[billyjoesgirl]

Hi! :moose:
I have been watching this story unfold over the past week, and am just so sad for this little boy. Watching the videos breaks my heart.

I am catching up today on the reading, the mom still hasn't been found yet?
Each day this story gets crazier and crazier.

I know you guys like to shorten usernames, I guess you can just call me "B". Im still new at posting here, but I have been "lurking" on many stories.


ETA: looking at this page, Sorrell I LOVE your Cowboy Kermit!

 

[pghbrandi]

WELCOME "B"!
I was thinking maybe Azriel was the one who knocked on that garage and when nobody answered he ran back down and the water was a lot higher then.
Poor sweet boy.

 

[RubyRed]

This is near the end of the beach access road where the van Shantina Smiley was driving was found. At the end of this graveled road is a very sharp drop-off to the right. The red dot marks the approximate location of the vehicle, which was removed by investigators Sunday. The waterway to the left leads to Boston Harbor. (Photo courtesy of Robert Dashiell)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/photos/gal...appearance/8911/#section_header#ixzz0ifyPMSAN


I'm surprised she didn't crash over the side going down this dirt road.

 

[Beyond Belief]

Have we been able to determine how many ounces was in that wine bottle and actually how much she consumed? And was that purchased at 8 o'clock?

 

[billyjoesgirl]

WELCOME "B"!
I was thinking maybe Azriel was the one who knocked on that garage and when nobody answered he ran back down and the water was a lot higher then.
Poor sweet boy.

As a mom who just made a 6-7 hour trip today myself with my kids, I can't even imagine what was going through her mind. I thought about this mom and little boy all day long. Each time we stopped, put gas, got snacks, it just made me so very, very sad.

BTW, Brandi, thanks for the welcome

 

[PaulR]

Good point. He was completely absent from his little boy's life. Az didn't have a hero in his life to reach out and save him.

Do we know if he got any visitation rights? I know too many fathers who only get to see their children every other weekend. :furious:

 

[PaulR]

True - but I don't think that she went through Tacoma to hook up with I-5. I thought I read that she went another route from Silverdale to Olympia, and got lost looking for I-5 in Olympia.

I saw that comment.

For reference, this would be the route - link.

You can take SR 3 from Silverdale to Shelton, then hop on 101 into Olympia. This avoids (among other things) paying the toll at the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. I'm guessing less traffic as well, though I've never taken that section of 101/3.

 

[sorrell skye]

My 21 yr. old daughter & I just watched this news report on GMA, and we both had the same reaction. I know the link has been posted before, but for reference purposes, I'm posting it again.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TheLaw/shantina-smiley-suffered-alcoholic-replase-fiance/story?id=10122149

Quote of reporter @ the scene:

"It would be hard to wind up here by mistake. The area couldn't be more remote, and is nowhere near her intended destination."

She didn't wind up there by mistake, IMO, and my daughter's opinion (and apparently in the opinion of the reporter, as well). I believe LE made a similar comment. So why was she there? Who knows? Maybe she'd been there before, maybe she wanted to wait there to sober up til morning, maybe she was trying to avoid something or someone. Maybe all three.

When RS said near the end of the interview: "I just want you home baby..." we both felt as if RS & SS may have had a recent serious conflict/argument. We both felt that he was pleading to her to come back home, pleading for her not to leave him, etc...

Shantina hadn't been in contact with her step-family for awhile, but was apparently planning a visit to reunite with them that week-end. She had recently finished school & gotten her degree in medical billing/coding (something to be very proud of). It would have led to employment in a career that could have given her self-sufficiency.

She had everything to live for. Everything to be proud of. Everything to look forward to.

Suddenly she vanishes on her way to visit her step-family.

Suddenly she starts drinking again.

What happened prior to that fateful trip Saturday afternoon?

So many questions, but I just wanted to share my daughter's & my observations, FWIW.

 

[dreamweaver]

This is a complete tragedy.

A tragedy that Shantina was an alcoholic.
A tragedy that Azriel had a hard life in his eight years.
A tragedy that Shantina could not conquer her demons
that day.
A tragedy that Azriel cannot dance in front of security cameras anymore.
A tragedy that Shantina chose to reconnect with her stepfather that day.
A tragedy that Azriel paid a price for.

I cannot blame Shantina for this tragedy.
I know that's not the popular opinion here on WS.
Alcoholism is a disease.
It is not an excuse for poor choices or
reckless behavior, but it is a real
diagnosed disease.

IMO: My thought is she started drinking again quite awhile ago.
She drank before she set out on that trip.
She drank during the trip.
Did she willingly put Azriel in harm's way?
I guess so in the literal sense.

There is no excuse for what happened.
But there is a reason.
And it is all a tragedy.

 

[sorrell skye]

I saw that comment.

For reference, this would be the route - link.

You can take SR 3 from Silverdale to Shelton, then hop on 101 into Olympia. This avoids (among other things) paying the toll at the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. I'm guessing less traffic as well, though I've never taken that section of 101/3.

Thanks Paul (is that one if by land, two if by sea lol?)

That's what doesn't make sense to me - regardless of which route she took, I can't understand how lost she got in Olympia. If you stick to the main roads, you can't get lost. I've driven it several times going to or coming from the peninsula - even in bad weather (pouring rain, fog). Even late at night all by my lonesome.