Account
Jun 15, 2009
Aug 01, 2024
Jasmine
Collins
33
18 inches
15 lbs
Black / African American
Female
In the summer of 1991, in Akron, Ohio, a young mother and her infant daughter seemingly vanished without a trace. Seventeen-year-old Melissa Collins and her seven-month-old daughter, Jasmine, were last seen on the evening of August 8, 1991. Earlier that day, Melissa's mother had dropped them off at their apartment on Westwood Avenue after a day of running errands, which included picking up studio portraits of baby Jasmine. Around 7:30 p.m., Melissa and Jasmine reportedly left their apartment to walk to a grocery store just a few blocks away. They never returned, and an unsettling silence replaced the daily phone calls Melissa always made to her mother. The circumstances of their departure immediately raised alarms for the family, as Melissa had left behind all of her personal belongings, including her purse and freshly laundered clothes. Crucially, she also left behind all of Jasmine’s baby supplies, including diapers and pre-filled formula bottles in the refrigerator, items a mother would not intentionally leave behind. Melissa was described as a trusting teenager who, despite having run away once before during her pregnancy, had maintained contact with her family to assure them of her safety. This new, abrupt silence was entirely out of character. The apartment, which Melissa was subletting, showed no signs of a planned departure. She had not taken any extra clothing for herself or her baby, nor any of the essential items required to care for an infant. Jasmine also suffered from asthma and required medication, adding another layer of urgency and concern to their sudden disappearance. Melissa's last welfare check was never cashed, further solidifying her family's belief that she did not leave of her own accord. The loving mother and her baby girl had simply walked out for a short trip to the store and were never seen or heard from again. The investigation into the disappearances of Melissa and Jasmine soon focused on a man named Raymond "Sweet Pea" Smith Jr., who was living in the same apartment building. Smith was the last person known to have seen them and claimed he saw them leave for the grocery store. A witness later reported seeing Smith with what appeared to be bloodstains on his clothes a day or two after the mother and child vanished, though this information came too late for police to verify. Melissa had previously expressed fear of Smith to her mother, stating he had made unwanted advances toward her. Tragically, any potential for answers from Smith was lost when he died by suicide in February 1992, six months after Melissa and Jasmine were last seen. He was facing serious criminal charges and reportedly did not want to return to prison. Though considered the primary suspect, he was never formally charged or interviewed by police regarding their disappearance. Over the years, tips have surfaced, including one in 1993 suggesting that Melissa and Jasmine had been murdered and their bodies possibly disposed of in New York City, but these leads have not brought resolution. The case of Jasmine Collins and her mother Melissa remains an open and haunting mystery, a story of a young life and her mother's love cut short, leaving a family with decades of unanswered questions.
Aug 08, 1991
Akron
Ohio
Summit County
No
30368
Akron Police Department
Akron
Ohio
Summit County
44308
Jeffrey Smith
Detective Sergeant
217 South High Street, Ohio
3303752552
Local
Law Enforcement
919305
Akron Police Department
7713
Black
Brown
Brown
No
05/07/2026
