ABSTRACT
Jerry Smith was last seen during the early morning hours of May 1, 2009, and was recovered from the Wabash River 7 days later on May 8, 2009. He grew up in the town of Avon, Indiana. His parents (Robin and Billy Hill) and his girlfriend of 2.5 years (hereafter, “Erika”) would tell you that Jerry was a very kind and social individual, who had several friends, and was well liked by everyone who met him (Figure 5.1). He attended Indiana State University in Terre Haute, where he majored in Insurance and Risk Management within the College of Business. According to one of his professors, Jerry was a leader, an excellent student, and someone with a promising future. In fact, things were looking pretty good for him to secure a position after graduation with an independent insurance agency in Wabash. By all accounts, everyone who hung out with Jerry knew that something was seriously wrong when he went missing since this was so out of character for him. They were all pretty shocked by his death.
