Shantina Smiley (left) Remembering Azriel (right)
Almost six months have passed since Shantina Smiley and her 8-year-old son Azriel Carver went missing off a beach in Washington State. Sadly, Azriel’s body was found shortly after they disappeared, but there’s been no sign of Shantina. She has vanished. I spoke with Lt. Chris Mealey from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office recently and he said, “It’s still an open case and if we get information we will move on it as quickly as we can.” He also said that the leads have fizzled out and there is a chance she went into the water with her son, but they have no official confirmation on that.
I confirmed with the Medical Examiner’s office in Tacoma that Azriel’s death is officially ruled an accident and drowning is the cause of death. The area where his body was found is west of Tacoma, Washington, and about 12 miles from where Azriel and his mom’s mini-van was found on a private beach. Azriel’s father flew in from Lancaster to help look for his son initially, and was near the location when Azriel was found. Several memorial services have been held on Grand Island in memory of the child and Shantina.
