Vanessa Dawn Smith was just 15 years old when she vanished without a trace during her routine walk in Winton, California, on May 31, 1997. It was a day like any other when Vanessa set out alone for her stroll around seven o’clock in the evening along a nearby rural stretch of road, bordered by an almond orchard.
However, she never returned home, leaving behind only her walking stick discovered along her usual path. Law enforcement officials suspect she may have been abducted by someone known to her.
At the time of her disappearance, Vanessa Dawn Smith was an active member of the Mennonite Church. Standing at 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 130 pounds, she was described as a white female with distinctive features: freckles, strawberry blond hair, and piercing blue eyes.
Vanessa also dealt with Duane’s syndrome, a condition characterized by paralysis of the retina in her right eye, causing it to drift towards the left. Additionally, she bore a large birthmark spanning from her shoulder to elbow on her right arm, along with a scar on her left ear.