Robert D. Smith was a 70-year-old White/Caucasian man who disappeared from Garfield Plantation in Aroostook County, Maine, on November 18, 1997. Public missing-person records identify him as Robert D. Smith, NamUs case MP53598, and list his last known location as Garfield Plantation, Maine. He was about 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed approximately 214 to 220 pounds, with gray or partially gray hair and blue eyes.
He wore a full set of dentures and had a small scar behind his left ear, details that remain important because they help distinguish him from other missing-person cases and unidentified-person records.
The day Robert vanished began as a hunting trip with his wife in the woods near Garfield Plantation. According to publicly available case summaries, the couple separated while hunting, and Robert failed to meet back up with her afterward. He was reportedly carrying a bolt-action. 30-06 rifle, and he had his wallet and wedding ring with him. He was dressed for the outdoors in visible hunting clothing: an orange hat and orange vest, a blue coat, green pants, green gloves, a white T-shirt, and a blue-and-red flannel shirt. He was also wearing imitation L.L. Bean boots and wire-framed glasses. The practical details of what he wore and carried paint a picture of a man prepared for a day in the Maine woods, not someone expected to vanish without a trace.
After Robert did not return, a search was conducted in the area. Public case information states that the search continued until heavy snow fell several days later, a devastating turn in a wilderness disappearance. In a rural, forested area of northern Maine, snow can quickly cover tracks, obscure evidence, and make already difficult terrain far more dangerous for searchers and for anyone lost outdoors. The record does not describe a confirmed route Robert took after he separated from his wife, nor does it report that his belongings or rifle were recovered. What remains publicly known is painfully limited: he entered the woods during hunting season, did not reunite with his wife, and the weather soon made the search even harder.
The Maine Warden Service, Northeastern Division, is listed as the investigating agency for Robert’s case, with the agency case number recorded as 97-308419. The case was reported on November 18, 1997, the same date as his last known contact, underscoring that his disappearance was recognized immediately and treated seriously. A DNA reference sample from a daughter is listed in public case data as complete through the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory, a sign that family-linked identification resources have been preserved in the event that future information or remains are found.
Robert’s disappearance is the story of a family hunting outing that turned into a decades-long absence. He was last known to be in the woods of Garfield Plantation, separated from his wife while hunting, wearing bright outdoor clothing and carrying the belongings expected of a hunter that day. Search efforts were made, but heavy snow arrived within days and the available public record gives no clear answer about what happened next. The case remains defined by a small number of stark facts: Robert D. Smith was 70 years old, he disappeared on November 18, 1997, from Garfield Plantation in Aroostook County, Maine, and his family was left without the certainty of knowing how his day in the woods ended.Last Seen: Nov 18, 1997
