ARCHIVED ARTICLE: Authorites End Search For Reachelle Smith - 10/27/2006

Authorites End Search For Reachelle Smith
Oct 27 2006 4:09PM

Associated Press

Minot, N.D. (AP) Ward County authorities have ended their search today for young Reachelle Smith of Minot, who's been missing since in May.

About 15 law enforcement officers started the search about ten a-m. and searched until about 3 p-m. The search was focused on an area around the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge northwest of Minot, where the body of 22-year-old Leigh Cowen was found in late May.

Authorities said Cowen claimed to be Reachelle's father. They believe he killed himself, but they found no sign of Reachelle.

Sheriff's Captain Todd Keller says nothing but a few animal bones were
found in today's search.

He says another search won't be planned until there are some new leads in
the case.

Reachelle turned four years old in September. She was last seen at her Minot home on May 16th.

A number of searches earlier involving hundreds of volunteers turned up no trace of her.

ARCHIVED ARTICLE: Authorites Searching Again Today For Reachelle Smith - 10/27/2006

Authorites Searching Again Today For Reachelle Smith
Oct 27 2006 12:00PM

Associated Press

Authorities searching again today for Reachelle Smith

Minot, N.D. (AP) Ward County authorities are searching again today for young Reachelle Smith of Minot, who's been missing since in May.

About a dozen law enforcement officers started the search about ten a-m. It's focused on an area around the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge northwest of Minot, where the body of 22-year-old Leigh Cowen was found in late May.

Authorities said Cowen claimed to be Reachelle's father. They believe he killed himself, but they found no sign of Reachelle.

Sheriff's Captain Todd Keller said earlier this week that authorities have no new leads, but they want to retrace their steps.

Reachelle turned four years old in September. She was last seen at her Minot home on May 16th.

A number of searches earlier involving hundreds of volunteers turned up no trace of her.

ARCHIVED ARTICLE: Authorities To Search Again Today For Reachelle Smith... - 10/27/2006

Authorities To Search Again Today For Reachelle Smith...
Oct 27 2006 7:21AM

Associated Press

Authorities to search again today for Reachelle Smith

Minot, N.D. (AP) Another search is planned today for young Reachelle Smith of Minot, who's been missing since in May.

Sheriff's Captain Todd Keller said earlier this week that authorities have no new leads, but he says they want to retrace their steps.

Reachelle turned four years old in September. She was last seen at her Minot home on May 16th.

Authorities thought she was with 22-year-old Leigh Cowen, who had claimed to be her father. He was found dead on the Upper SourisNational Wildlife Refuge northwest of Minot in late May.

Authorities said he killed himself. But there was no sign of Reachelle.

Keller says today's search will be in the area where Cowen's body was found. And he says it will be scaled down, with about a dozen officers.

A number of searches earlier involving hundreds of volunteers turned up no trace of Reachelle.

ARCHIVED ARTICLE: Mother Marks Reachelle Smith's 4th Birthday - 9/11/2006

Mother Marks Reachelle Smith's 4th Birthday
Sep 11 2006 1:36PM
KXMCTV Minot

This weekend was Reachelle Smith's fourth birthday.

Reachelle is the Minot girl who was last seen in mid-May and has since been the subject of hours and days and weeks of searching.

And that searching will resume in a couple of weeks.

Samantha Smith, Reachelle's biological mother, says a search dog owner from South Dakota
will be making another trip to the Minot area soon to comb more areas where the
young girl's body might have been left.

It'll be the third trip to the region for the dog handler.