The family of a Laramie man who has been missing for three weeks said they were "devastated" to learn he was found dead in his vehicle Friday, having run off a road in a rural part of Carbon County.
Donnie Smith, 79, who suffered from moderate dementia, was reported missing by family Aug. 24 when he left in his vehicle, leaving his wallet and cellphone at his Laramie home.
Following directions and staying oriented to his surroundings had lately become a problem for him, a family member said, and he sometimes got confused while driving.
Smith’s GMC Envoy was found Friday by a hunter down a ravine off a rural road in the Encampment Wilderness area south of Riverside in Carbon County, according to a release from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
No Foul Play
Smith’s son-in-law, Wade Reher, told Cowboy State Daily on Saturday afternoon that there was no foul play or ill intention suspected, but that Smith had made a mistake while driving that led to an accident.
“It likely happened reasonably soon after he went missing,” Reher said, noting that his father-in-law had driven “fairly far off the beaten path.”
In the three weeks since Smith disappeared, Reher said he and his family have spent countless hours driving routes Smith was known to take, particularly between Laramie and Cheyenne, where the Smiths own a second house.
Smith and his wife, Katherine, have been married for 57 years, and Reher said she’s having a hard time with the news the family learned Friday night.
Outpouring Of Support
Because Smith’s dementia seemed to be getting worse in the weeks before his disappearance, Reher said he was having trouble remembering directions.
The one consolation for he and his family are the outpouring of support from friends, family and the community that has stepped up to help search, distribute flyers and offer words of encouragement and prayers.
“It’s nice to know there’s people out there that care,” he said. “I just want to thank everyone for all of their efforts.”
Reher, who has been married to Smith’s daughter Tonya for 22 years, became emotional when he described the man to whom he was very close.
“Just A Really Good Guy”
Prior to his marrying Tonya, Reher’s father had worked with Smith, and Reher had known him most of his life.
“He was just a really good guy that everyone liked,” Reher said of his father-in-law.
Even at 79, Reher said Smith stayed active.
Along with building and construction projects, Smith had a wide circle of friends and stayed busy doing lots of activities, including tinkering with ham radios.
He and his family are still processing the loss, he said.
“It’s still hitting us,” he said.
Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken did not respond to a Saturday morning request for additional details while Albany County Sheriff Aaron Applehans referred Cowboy State Daily to Carbon County.
“We are saddened by this outcome and offer our sympathies to Donnie's family and friends during this difficult time,” the release said.
Jen Kocher can be reached at jen@cowboystatedaily.com.
