A young woman's remains are found in a pond four months after she was last seen In the late summer of 2018, concerns grew for a 26-year-old Caucasian woman, Trish Haynes, who had been out of touch with her family. Originally from Florida, Haynes had been staying in the Grafton, New Hampshire area. The last confirmed communication her family had with her was in May 2018. After weeks of silence, she was officially reported missing.
The search for Trish would come to a grim conclusion in early September 2018.
Investigators pulled a washer and dryer from Grants Pond in Grafton. Inside the appliances, they made the devastating discovery of human remains. It would take several months, but in January 2019, DNA testing confirmed the remains belonged to Trish Haynes. The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office later announced that her death was a homicide. For months, law enforcement kept the discovery of her body confidential, informing only a few close family members and asking them not to speak publicly to avoid jeopardizing the investigation. This secrecy weighed heavily on her family, who had to maintain the pretense that they were still searching for a missing person.
The investigation into Trish Haynes's murder has been active and ongoing, yet no arrests have been made in connection with her death. Public attention has often focused on the couple Trish was reportedly living with at the time of her disappearance, Douglas and Ashley Smith. Friends and acquaintances of Trish came forward with accounts of abuse they allegedly witnessed at the Smith's residence. While both Douglas and Ashley Smith have faced various unrelated criminal charges over the years, they have never been charged in the death of Trish Haynes. Trish's family has continued to advocate for justice, holding rallies to bring attention to her unsolved murder and expressing their frustration with the lack of progress in the case.
