Connecticut’s oldest missing person’s case: Connie Smith
10-year-old girl went missing more than 70 years ago from Salisbury camp
It was a hot, humid morning on July 16, 1952. Ten-year-old Connie Smith’s friends were headed to breakfast at YMCA’s Camp Sloane in Salisbury, but Connie stayed behind in the tent, saying she wanted to return an ice pack to the camp’s dispensary.
When her friends returned from breakfast, the ice pack was still on Connie’s bed. Most of her belongings were also still in the tent. But there was no sign of Connie. In fact, they would never see Connie again.
Constance Christine Smith, granddaughter of former Wyoming Gov. Nels Smith, grew up and lived on a ranch in Wyoming most of her life, but her maternal grandfather lived in Greenwich. It was her first time at camp, and she had been there for about three weeks before she disappeared.
Her mother visited Camp Sloane for Connie’s birthday around July 13, and the plan was for Connie to stay at camp for another month. She indicated to her mother that she was homesick, but also said she liked being at camp, according to the initial police report. A few days later, she walked off and was never seen again.
Right before she went missing, Connie had rough-housed with her tentmates and sustained minor injuries to her hip in a fall, along with a bloody nose, which is when she was given the ice pack by a camp nurse. Her eyeglasses, which she wore due to nearsightedness, were most likely broken during this incident as well. The broken glasses were left behind in the tent when she disappeared.
Connie was described as a very independent, self-reliant girl, who looked older than her age. At the time of her disappearance, she was 5 feet tall and weighed about 85 pounds.
In fact, when a camp caretaker saw Connie leave the property on her own around 8:15 that morning, he didn’t think twice about it. He told police she looked old enough to be one of the counselors, so he didn’t pay her much attention or see a reason to be concerned.
Connie walked down to Indian Mountain Road, heading north toward the center of Lakeville. It was the first day of a heat wave, with morning temperatures nearing 80 degrees, but Connie was wearing a long-sleeve shirt, a bright red windbreaker and shorts.
A local couple told police Connie was seen picking wildflowers along the side of the road. Two other local residents reported Connie had stopped by their houses to ask directions to Lakeville. Near Route 44 and Belgo Road, about a mile and a half north of the camp, Connie was seen with her thumb in the air, supposedly trying to hitchhike, another witness told police. After that, she disappeared.
Police at the time searched the nearby forests and local trails, volunteer riders searched the area on horseback, and planes were enlisted to fly over Salisbury, but no trace was ever found of Connie. Her parents, Peter and Helen Smith, flew to Connecticut and assisted with the search and offered a $3,000 reward at the time for finding their daughter, or a $1,000 reward for the recovery of her body. Missing person posters were distributed in the area.
Over the years, police received tips from Montreal, Cincinnati, Alabama, Vermont and upstate New York. In 2018, when an unidentified teenage girl’s body was found in Arizona, family and investigators were hoping for some answers and to finally get closure. But DNA testing was inconclusive.
If Connie is alive, she would be 82 years old today. She had blue eyes, blonde hair, flat feet and unusually long arms, according to her NamUs missing person’s file. She also had a scar under her right nostril.
Anyone who may have information about her whereabouts can call the Western District Major Crime Squad at 860-626-7975.