In the late spring of 2024, a devoted mother of four and business co-owner, 41-year-old Valerie Elder Smiley, disappeared from her home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. On June 28th, she was last seen leaving her residence at approximately 2:00 p.m. She was driving her red 2004 Ford Expedition, which had a distinctive 'TSU MOM' sticker on the passenger door and a Tennessee license plate, 079BFQD.
Family members last spoke with her by phone that day, and she mentioned she was on her way home, but she never arrived. She also had plans to attend her twin sons' baseball game that evening, an event she would tragically miss. Her husband reported her missing to the Chattanooga Police Department later that night.
In the days leading up to her disappearance, Valerie had started a new medication for vertigo and an ear infection. Her family noted that the medication seemed to be affecting her, causing her to repeat herself, sleep more, and have less energy. They described her as having a low tolerance for medication and believe she may have become confused and unable to find her way home. This concern grew as her phone began to ping in locations far from her usual routes. The day after she vanished, her phone pinged in Fayetteville, Georgia, and the following day in Union City, Georgia, about 30 minutes away. Her family found this travel highly unusual, as she rarely traveled so far from home and had no known connections to those areas.
Valerie is described as a Black female, 5'5' tall, and weighing 210 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She has a tattoo of her first name, 'Valerie,' in cursive on the outside of her right calf. At the time she went missing, she was believed to be wearing a yellow or beige polo shirt and shorts. Her family, who describe her as a loving and family-oriented person whose sons were her life, were initially unhappy with the initial response from investigators. They have been actively searching for her ever since, holding onto hope for her return. The case is classified as an endangered missing person case and remains unsolved, with the circumstances surrounding her disappearance still unknown.Last Seen: Jun 28, 2024
