Sage Smith

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Charlottesville Police Department (VA)

Missing From:

Charlottesville, Virginia

Summary:

Nineteen-year-old Dashad "Sage" Smith went missing from Charlottesville in 2012. Initially, Smith's case was classified as a missing person's case, but the department reclassified the case as a homicide in November 2016. McFadden was the last known person to have had contact with Sage before she vanished on November 20, 2012. Recently, detectives uncovered information suggesting that Mr. McFadden might be living in the Los Angeles area.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On November 20, 2012, Sage Smith left her home at 5:30 for a date. She was seen alone at 6:30 talking to someone on the phone. Then possibly sighted one more time at 7:00 at a cafe, again alone. Smith, 19, was last seen around 6:30 p.m. in the 500 block of West Main Street. The department has previously identified now 29-year-old Erik McFadden, an acquaintance of Smith, as a critical person of interest in the case. Smith was supposed to meet McFadden that evening, but what happened after they met remains a mystery. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, dark gray sweatpants, a black scarf and gray boots. Sage Smith left her home at 5:30 for a date.

Additional Details:

The Charlottesville Police Department started their investigation into Sage's disappearance on November 22, 2012. The department has previously identified now 29-year-old Erik McFadden, an acquaintance of Smith, as a critical person of interest in the case. McFadden was supposed to speak with detectives in person, but he did not show up and reportedly left town. McFadden was the last known person to have contact with Smith, and CPD detectives continue to believe that McFadden has crucial information that could help solve this case. McFadden's girlfriend ended up reporting him missing on November 24th—just four days after Sage was last seen. However, he ended up contacting Charlottesville authorities three days after he was reported missing. McFadden told them that he did plan to meet up with Sage on the evening of November 20th, but Sage never showed up. In June 2019, the Charlottesville Police Department filed a missing person's report for McFadden at the request of his mother. Detectives believe he could have traveled to and could be living in cities such as Baltimore, Md., Joppa, Md., Lake City, S.C., Columbia, S.C., Atlanta, Ga., New York City, N.Y., Rochester, N.Y., and other places on the West Coast. On Thursday, the 13th anniversary of her disappearance, police revealed they'd found a person of interest in the case in Los Angeles. Last week, on the anniversary of her disappearance, the Charlottesville Police Department held a press conference about the case. Recently, detectives uncovered information suggesting that Mr. McFadden might be living in the Los Angeles area. Shortly after her disappearance, McFadden called a detective – they believe from New York City – and agreed to do an interview. He said McFadden voluntarily did an hour-long interview with the detectives. Sage was born male and previously identified as gay, but before her disappearance had just started identifying as a transgender woman, using the name Sage. She had long hair, usually worn in braids, and wore women's clothing and wigs. Things were beginning to turn around in the fall of 2012—Sage was no longer a part of the foster system, so she was able to move into her own place in Charlottesville, Virginia. She had recently gotten a new job in that area, and she was looking forward to her future. Sage also had recently come out to her family and friends as transgender. As of May 2020, Sage's case is still being treated as a probable homicide. Investigators have teamed up with the FBI in their search for answers, and there is currently a $20,000 reward for information.

Case Last Updated:

Aug 18, 2026