Smith was last seen hitchhiking on Hearn Avenue in Santa Rosa, California on March 16, 1971. She has never been heard from again. She lived in Petaluma, California at the time she went missing.

Around the time of Smith's disappearance, seven females disappeared and were later found murdered. They were all between 12 and 23 years old and all of them were habitual hitchhikers. Smith and another young woman, Jeannette Kamahele, are the only ones that were never been located. Police believed a serial killer was operating in the area, but it's unclear whether Smith was one of the victims. Her case remains unsolved and very little information is available in her disappearance.