AZ AZ - Kenneth Dean Smith, 24, Pima, 20 Dec 1974

[Gardener1850]

Photos taken close to time of disappearance.

Kenneth Dean Smith
Pima County, Arizona
24 year old white male

Hair: Brown; Collar length
Full beard
Blue Eyes
Wore eyeglasses for everything but reading.

Dog bite scar on unknown arm.

Eyewear: Rimless prescription eyeglasses

Height (inches)

Weight (pounds)

[TD="class: view_field"]70.0[/TD]

[TD="class: view_field"]130.0[/TD]

Circumstances:
Kenneth was last heard from in a letter he wrote to his parents in Allenton, Michigan dated 12-20-1974 where he stated he had arrived at the Grand Canyon in Arizona and was planning on going to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in AZ and then possibly onto California. He was never heard from again.

Vehicle make
Vehicle model
Year
Style
Vehicle color
Tag type
Tag number
Tag state
Expiration year
Vehicle comments	Vehicle was outfitted with living quarters.

[TD="class: view_field"]Ford
[/TD]

[TD="class: view_field"]Unknown
[/TD]

[TD="class: view_field"]1974[/TD]

[TD="class: view_field"]Van/Minivan[/TD]

[TD="class: view_field"]Green[/TD]

[TD="class: view_field"]Passenger automobile (regular plates)
[/TD]

[TD="class: view_field"]PXC954
[/TD]

[TD="class: view_field"]Michigan[/TD]

[TD="class: view_field"][/TD]

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/22569/

 

[glamourkitty1922]

He was driving a 1974 green van with Michigan plates PXC954

 

[Coffee56]

Kenneth Dean Smith – The Charley Project

 

[AliceInPain]

"TUCSON - There are currently more than 120 unidentified people buried in the Pima County Cemetery.
Some of those cases are homicides.
The Medical Examiner’s office recently received a grant of over $175,000 to exhume some of the remains for DNA profiling, in hopes of letting families know their loved ones have been found."

"Anderson said in space 112F is John Doe. His remains were found in 1976 near Kitt Peak. It’s one of the graves that will be exhumed.
...
The unknown man is considered a proposed match to Kenneth Dean Smith from Michigan. Smith was last seen December 1974.
Smith told his parents he was leaving the Grand Canyon and was headed to Organ Pipe National Monument"

Gone, but not forgotten: Over 120 unidentified people buried in Pima County Cemetery

 

[renaebri]

"TUCSON - There are currently more than 120 unidentified people buried in the Pima County Cemetery.
Some of those cases are homicides.
The Medical Examiner’s office recently received a grant of over $175,000 to exhume some of the remains for DNA profiling, in hopes of letting families know their loved ones have been found."

"Anderson said in space 112F is John Doe. His remains were found in 1976 near Kitt Peak. It’s one of the graves that will be exhumed.
...
The unknown man is considered a proposed match to Kenneth Dean Smith from Michigan. Smith was last seen December 1974.
Smith told his parents he was leaving the Grand Canyon and was headed to Organ Pipe National Monument"

Gone, but not forgotten: Over 120 unidentified people buried in Pima County Cemetery

Interesting, I wonder if they've done this yet?
I found an update: Pima County medical examiner exhumes 66 bodies to collect DNA, I.D. remains
Looks like they should have began identifying them in January..

 

[Diane Redfern]

Has Kenneth been ruled out?

 

[Oiseaux]

I wonder about UP6622. He was found in a transient camp in Tucson in 2006. Age estimated 49+, 6 feet tall, 134 lbs, long straight grey hair, mustache and beard. He had a "possible scar" on his left elbow from what sounds like a fracture (thanks, Dr. Google). I wonder if that could have been caused by a bad enough dog bite? Any thoughts on this one?

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[Pennysmom1]

Kenneth is still missing

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

updated March 2, 2020

File: White Male Adult (1975)

Two ranch hands were following a truckload of pigs out by Meteor Crater.

azdailysun.com

<<Sumner said that in going through the files, Smith was ruled out as a possible victim in the 1970s, but a DNA sample from the body was booked into evidence. Smith’s mother and sister have provided DNA samples for comparison.

“We want to confirm with the DNA,” Sumner said, adding that it will probably be a couple of months until the results are available.

Sumner has a photo of Smith, and he said that although the body, when it was found, had longer hair than Smith’s photo, Smith is wearing a shirt in the photo similar to the shirt the victim was wearing when the ranchhands found the body.>>

 

[Richard]

December marks 50 years missing.

 

[Otterly]

Kenneth was added to the Doe Network today:

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=6686DMAZ

 

[warpday]

Just want to put a note here. Kenneth's van was found in the Grand Canyon in 2013 off the side of a cliff. It was found by a pilot. The van was mentioned in the book, Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon. This connection was brought to the attention of a sheriff with the Pima County's Sheriff's office and the NPS in 2021. I've been informed that Kenneth's sister was made aware (his parents have passed). Kenneth's body has not been recovered, and they're not expecting they'll find any remains, so his case will remain open. I was also informed that a request was put forth to update his NAMUS profile, but for whatever reason, it has not been updated.

 

[renaebri]

Just want to put a note here. Kenneth's van was found in the Grand Canyon in 2013 off the side of a cliff. It was found by a pilot. The van was mentioned in the book, Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon. This connection was brought to the attention of a sheriff with the Pima County's Sheriff's office and the NPS in 2021. I've been informed that Kenneth's sister was made aware (his parents have passed). Kenneth's body has not been recovered, and they're not expecting they'll find any remains, so his case will remain open. I was also informed that a request was put forth to update his NAMUS profile, but for whatever reason, it has not been updated.

The newest edition I can find of that book is 2012, was it spotted once before 2013 to be in the book, or do you know if there's a more recent edition?

 

[warpday]

@renaebri The sixth edition came out in 2017, and I believe that's the most recent one.

 

[Nate_Bro]

Any more update on the van in the Grand Canyon? Where was it? Was it recovered? I can't find anything except the reference in the book.

I was going to put forward this john doe with initials K.S in california, but is the prevailing theory that he went down with his van?

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[warpday]

Any more update on the van in the Grand Canyon? Where was it? Was it recovered? I can't find anything except the reference in the book.

I was going to put forward this john doe with initials K.S in california, but is the prevailing theory that he went down with his van?

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Last I heard from the authorities, the van was not recovered. It was implied the van was in a precarious position, after being exposed to the elements for fifty years, there's probably not much left out there.

As far as I can tell, there were no press releases or public statements from authorities posted about this connection to the van.
Lastly, Kenneth was never heard from again after leaving the Grand Canyon. I don't believe there is an official theory of what happened to him. He could have dumped the van off the cliff, or someone could have harmed him and dumped the van off the cliff. But yes, there is also a horrible possibility that Kenneth went off the road in winter conditions and died of exposure, stuck on the side of a cliff in his van.