It has been 13 years since 19-year-old Sage Smith vanished from Charlottesville, Virginia, on November 20, 2012. Dateline first featured her story in our ‘Missing in America’ series in 2018.
Last week, on the anniversary of her disappearance, the Charlottesville Police Department held a press conference about the case. “Thirteen years ago today, Dashad ‘Sage’ Smith disappeared. The pain of that loss remains as profound as it was in 2012,” Chief Michael Kochis said. “Sage was someone’s child, a friend, a beloved member of this community. Sage deserves answers and Sage deserves the dignity of the truth.”
The chief also had a big break in the case to share. “Early in this investigation, detectives identified a person of interest: Mr. Erik McFadden, who we believe was the last known person to have been with Sage before Sage disappeared,” Kochis stated. McFadden had agreed to an interview with police shortly after Sage’s disappearance, but before that interview could take place, McFadden himself disappeared. “In 2019, McFadden’s family reported him missing. Recently, detectives uncovered information suggesting that Mr. McFadden might be living in the Los Angeles area.”
Charlottesville PD acted on that lead and traveled to LA last month to locate McFadden, who they say was in the process of trying to change his name. While there, detectives interviewed McFadden. “The information obtained is now being carefully reviewed and incorporated into our ongoing investigative actions,” Kochis said. “This is an important step forward, but we have a lot of work that still remains.”
The chief confirmed McFadden is still a person of interest in Sage’s case, which was reclassified as a homicide in 2016. McFadden had previously told police he’d been in communication with Sage the day she disappeared and they had plans to meet that day, but that the meeting never took place.
“The Dashad ‘Sage’ Smith case remains an active and very fluid investigation,” Chief Kochis said at last week’s news conference. “We continue to pursue new information, re-examine existing evidence with fresh eyes, and work closely with our regional, state and federal partners to explore every possible avenue.”
“We have not forgotten Sage. We will not forget Sage. And we will continue to seek justice with persistence, compassion and transparency to this community,” the chief said.
The department encourages anyone with information, no matter how small, to come forward. “Today, we’re asking for the public’s help. If you have had any contact, any at all, with Mr. Erik McFadden since 2012, if you knew him, lived with him, worked with him, or were in any form of a relationship with him — we need to hear from you,” he said, adding that you may remain anonymous.
Sage Smith is still missing. She is described as being 5’11” and weighing about 130 lbs. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, dark gray sweatpants, a black scarf and gray boots.
If you have any information, please contact the Charlottesville Police Department at 434-970-3373 or send information to [email protected].
