Washington mom’s disappearance with son baffles authorities, friends and family

Washington mom’s disappearance baffles authorities

SEATTLE — Despite searches by divers, boats and aircraft, investigators have yet to turn up any solid leads in the weekend disappearance of a Washington woman and her 8-year-old son.

Shantina “Kat” Smiley, 29, of Silverdale, and her son were en route from their Kitsap County home to her stepfather’s house in southwest Washington when they vanished. Silverdale is about 16 miles west of Seattle, across the Puget Sound.

The van Smiley drove was found Sunday, abandoned and partially submerged in water on a remote Puget Sound beach in the Olympia area.

“It’s almost like she vanished out of thin air,” said Chelsie Woodard, 32, of Castle Rock, whose father used to be married to Smiley’s mother.

Investigators were talking to people who know Smiley or her son and those who may have met her as she drove through the back roads of Washington state on Saturday night. Her fiance, Robb Simmons said Tuesday that Smiley is a recovering alcoholic who relapsed last week, KING-TV reported.

Simmons said she had been under stress lately. He had been having health issues and fears he might have cancer, and suggested this past week that they get married, he added.

But he said he doesn’t believe the relapse played any role in her disappearance.

“The idea she would stop and drink is not a realistic thing,” he told the television station. “I do not see her doing that, I don’t see her doing that, putting herself at risk, getting in trouble with the law, putting her son at risk.”

Thurston County sheriff’s Lt. Chris Mealy was not immediately reachable Tuesday to discuss Simmons’ comments.

Carie Tonovitz, of Silverdale, said in an e-mail Tuesday that Smiley was a good mother who was very wrapped up in her son’s life. Tonovitz, Smiley and Simmons are den leaders of their sons’ Cub Scout group.

“Kat and Robb are cute to see together, great parents, good people,” Tonovitz wrote. “Kat and Robb are very involved in Scouts, Kat going so far as to sleep on the gym floor a couple of weeks ago with the Cub Scouts. I snuck home because I was unwilling to do that.”

Detectives say they’re trying to learn all they can about Smiley’s emotional state.

“I’m trying to be optimistic. I’m trying to be hopeful,” Simmons told KOMO Radio on Tuesday. “I just want to hear that she’s safe.”

Woodard described her younger stepsister as smart, nice and happy and her nephew as outgoing and energetic. She said she and Smiley had not been in touch recently but planned to catch up when Smiley disappeared.

“She likes to do family things and outdoor type things just like anybody in Washington state,” Woodard said. “There’s nothing out of the ordinary about her.”