ARCHIVED ARTICLE: Year End Review Part 3 - 12/28/2006

Year End Review Part 3
Dec 28 2006 8:07PM
KXMCTV Minot

It's time to continue our look at the top stories of 2006.

This time, Jim Olson reminds us of what was in the news in May and June...

In late May, a tragic story began unfolding with news that a young girl,
3-year old Reachelle Smith of Minot, was
missing and feared abducted by the boyfriend of her custodial mother. But the
story quickly took an ominous turn when the boyfriend was found dead inside a
van at the Upper Souris Wildlife Refuge,
north of Minot. It was determined Lee Cowan had killed himself, but there was no
trace of little Reachelle. Her custodial and biological mothers, who are
sisters, pleaded for information to find their girl.

Hundreds of volunteers spent thousands of hours searching the refuge where
Cowan's body was found and many other locations based on tips and other
information in the case. But despite repeated searches, including efforts
involving the FBI, and a feature story on CBS's Early Show, there's been no sign
of the little girl and the story of Reachelle Smith has yet to reach a
conclusion.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This article, in its entirety, can be read here.]

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: Another Search Planned Friday For Reachelle Smith - 10/25/2006

Another Search Planned Friday For Reachelle Smith
Oct 25 2006 12:00PM

Associated Press

(Don May, KCJB, Minot)

MINOT, N.D. (AP) The Ward County Sheriff's Department plans another search Friday for young Reachelle Smith of Minot, who disappeared in May.

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

The girl who turned four years old in September was last seen at her Minot home on May 16th.

The body of a family friend, 22-year-old Leigh Cowen, was found on the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge northwest of Minot in late May. Authorities said he killed himself. But there was no sign of Reachelle.

A number of searches since then have turned up no trace of her.

Keller says Friday's search will be in the area where Cowen's body was found. He says it will be a scaled-down search, involving about 15 officers.

Keller says authorities are not asking for volunteers, but they're asking hunters to watch for anything suspicious and are asking land owners to check shelterbelts, sloughs and other areas.

ARCHIVED ARTICLE: Bloodhounds To Resume Search For Missing Girl - 9/11/2006

Bloodhounds To Resume Search For Missing Girl
Sep 11 2006 2:03PM

Associated Press

Minot, N.D. (AP) The mother of a missing Minot girl says a South Dakota bloodhound handler will continue to help in the search.

Reachelle Smith has been missing since mid-May and massive search efforts have turned up no trace of her.

Reachelle's mother Samantha Smith says Denny Adams will bring his bloodhounds back to the Minot area in a couple of weeks.

Adams, of Conde, South Dakota, has been involved in two earlier searches.

Reachelle Smith turned four years old over the weekend.

Reachelle was believed to be with a family friend, Leigh Cowen.

He was found dead after an apparent suicide. But there was no sign of Reachelle.

Samantha Smith says she's holding out hope that her daughter is still alive and that whomever may have her remembered her birthday.

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.

ARCHIVED ARTICLE: Bloodhounds Resume Search For Missing Girl - 9/11/2006

Bloodhounds Resume Search For Missing Girl
Sep 11 2006 9:12AM

Associated Press

(Jim Olson/KXMC)

Minot, N.D. (AP) The mother of a missing Minot girl says a South Dakota bloodhound handler will continue to help in the search.

Reachelle Smith has been missing since mid-May and massive search efforts have turned up no trace of her.

Reachelle's mother Samantha Smith says Denny Adams will bring his bloodhounds back to the Minot area in a couple of weeks.

Denny Adams, of Conde, South Dakota, has been involved in two earlier searches.

Reachelle Smith turned four years old over the weekend.Reachelle was believed to be with a family friend, Leigh Cowen.

He was found dead after an apparent suicide. But there was no sign of Reachelle.

Samantha Smith says she's holding out hope that her daughter is still alive
and that whomever may have her remembered her birthday.

ARCHIVED ARTICLE: Reachelle Smith Turns 4 Years Old - 9/10/2006

Reachelle Smith Turns 4 Years Old
Sep 10 2006 11:36PM
KXMBTV Bismarck

Today is Reachelle Smith's fourth birthday.

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

And that searching will resume in the next couple weeks.

Reachelle's mother Samantha Smith says a search dog owner from South Dakota will be making another trip to the Minot area soon to comb more areas in search of clues.

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

And his lack of success in finding anything related to Reachelle has her
mother encouraged.

(Samantha Smith, Reachelle's Mother) "Him not finding anything has been...has
been a joy. But it's been hard. It's a joy because it doesn't point to she's
dead, but it's hard because she's still not home."

Samantha says she hopes Reachelle will be found soon and hopes especially that her daughter's birthday is being remembered by whomever has her.

"We don't know if they're giving her a good birthday party. We don't know if
she'll get any presents, or a hug, or anything. And that's the hardest part for
us is just not knowing."

Minot Police and Ward County deputies say previous searches for Reachelle have turned up nothing.

They also say there are no new leads in the case.