Search continues for missing Del City woman

Naketta Smith has not been seen or heard from in two weeks. The family suspects her ex-husband is involved in the disappearance.

Friday, September 26th 2008, 2:38 pm

By: News 9


By Jennifer Pierce, NEWS 9

DEL CITY, Okla. -- Naketta Smith has not been seen or heard from in two weeks. The family suspects her ex-husband is involved in the disappearance.

The family has hired the Texas EquuSearch Mounted Search and Recovery Team. The team drove into Oklahoma from Houston Friday afternoon to meet with Del City police. The founder of EquuSearch, Tim Miller, said the meeting with detectives and family members helped his team map out the best places to search for Smith.

The Texas EquuSearch team turned the Del City VFW hall into a command center. Miller is putting together a plan, and said they will have plenty of resources to search by air, water, and land.

"We can use as many horses, as many four wheelers and as many ground searchers as we can get," Miller said.

Miller also has help from local volunteers and Naketta Smith's family. Her family has been searching various places in Del City in hopes of finding her, alive or dead.

"Each day that passed, looks like it's getting harder, you know, running out of places to look, but we got faith that God is going to lead us to my daughter," Naketta's mother Debra Smith said.

It's been two weeks since the mother of three disappeared. Everyone involved in the search is prepared for the worst.

"We know that if something has happened to her, the sooner she is located the better chance they have to determine the cause of death," Miller said.

Miller knows this first hand. His daughter was abducted and murdered twenty-four years ago.

"After her body was found, I made a promise to God and the lord that we would never let another family be alone again," Miller said.

He never realized he would work over 900 cases, but he continues his work to help families in need of answers.

"I personally know what these families are going through and my heart breaks for them and see if we can bring them some closure to them," Miller said.

The family said they believe Smith's ex-husband, Dontee Johnson, knows what happened to their loved one.

Police are also focusing their investigation around Johnson.The day Smith was reported missing Johnson was found driving her car with her two children inside. Police also said there was evidence of a violent struggle inside Smith's home, specifically in her bedroom.

Police have sent evidence to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation lab for testing.

According to Del City police they don't have evidence that warrants a search at this time.

The Equusearch team and volunteers will meet at the VFW hall in Del City at 8 a.m. Saturday to begin the search.

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