Local News
AMBER Alert deactivated: Trixie Studer found safe
Authorities believe Trixie may be with a man she met online.
UPDATE: Trixie was found safe.
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We believe that Trixie Studer, who is 14-years-old, may be with a 14-year-old boy named Sam Smith, who was reported missing by the Anson County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina on Thursday.
Sam left his home in Wadesboro, North Carolina, on foot and hasn’t been seen since.
We believe they met through an online gaming app and they have been corresponding for at least a month. Sam has left home before over a month ago in North Carolina in a stolen vehicle and was found then in Georgia and was returned home. He is now gone again.
Trixie deleted all of her social media accounts and reset her phone. We believe she ditched her phone somewhere in the Branch area in Franklin County.
We were able to recover some of her search history and she researched the price of bottled water and gas and researched about license plate readers used by police.
We believe this is why the silver SUV did not have a license plate. Also, when Sam ran away from home the first time a month ago, he removed the license plate from the stolen vehicle he was driving then.
Our agency and the Arkansas State Police are sharing information with the Anson County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina.
Sam Smith is described as a black male, 14-years-old, 5′9″ and 120 pounds, with brown eyes and short black hair. He was last seen in North Carolina wearing blue jeans, a black jacket, and white and blue shoes.
Trixie Studer is described as 5’0 and 100 pounds, short blue hair, green eyes, wears pink glasses, and last seen wearing a brown and white t-shirt and black pants. She had a light blue backpack and a bag. She may have her cat with her which is black with brown spots.
We contacted the N Mart in Caulksville and they found video at N Mart from 8:10 am on Friday morning of what appears to be Sam Smith and the vehicle he is driving, which is a light silver Kia Sorento with black rims and a glass roof. Sam is wearing a gray hoodie. The vehicle was also seen later in the day in Paris.
Sam’s picture is included with this post and we also included another photo of Trixie. We also included some still shots from the N Mart.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
Logan County, AR – An Amber Alert has been activated for 14-year-old Trixie Studer, who was last seen near her home in Ratcliff.
Trixie is described as a white female, approximately 5 feet tall and 100 pounds, with short blue hair, green eyes, and glasses with purple frames.
She was last seen wearing a brown and white t-shirt and black pants.
Authorities believe Trixie may be with a man she met online.
The suspect is described as a Black male driving a newer model silver SUV, possibly a Hyundai or a Honda, with black rims and no license plate.
Trixie was carrying a light blue backpack and another bag at the time of her disappearance.
It’s believed that she may have planned this departure with the individual she met online.
The Logan County Sheriff’s Office is urging the public to be on the lookout for Trixie and the suspect vehicle.
If you have any information regarding their whereabouts, please contact the sheriff’s office at 479-963-3271, extension 2.
Key Information:
- Missing Person: Trixie Studer, 14-year-old white female
- Appearance: 5 feet tall, 100 pounds, short blue hair, green eyes, glasses with purple frames
- Last Seen: Near her home in Ratcliff, Logan County
- Suspect: Black male driving a silver SUV (Hyundai or Honda), black rims, no license plate
- Additional Information: Trixie was carrying a light blue backpack and another bag.
The Arkansas State Police and other law enforcement agencies are actively involved in the search for Trixie Studer. Any assistance from the public is greatly appreciated.
UPDATE: Search efforts have been suspended following the sinking of the commercial fishing vessel Lily Jean off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts, marking another tragic loss for the city’s historic fishing community.
The U.S. Coast Guard was alerted early Friday morning by the vessel’s emergency beacon after it activated in the water; no mayday call was received.
Responders located a debris field, an unoccupied life raft, and one deceased individual in the water.
Six other crew members remain missing and are presumed lost after an extensive air and sea search yielded no additional results.
The Coast Guard cited frigid water temperatures, challenging weather conditions, and the vast search area in its decision to suspend operations.
GLOUCESTER, Mass. — Authorities have identified all seven individuals who lost their lives after the commercial fishing vessel Lily Jean sank approximately 25 miles off Cape Ann, Massachusetts, early Friday morning, marking a devastating loss for Gloucester’s historic fishing community.
The Lily Jean, a commercial fishing vessel measuring between 72 and 80 feet in length and homeported in Gloucester—the nation’s oldest working fishing port—activated its emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) at approximately 6:50 a.m. Friday while returning to port.
No mayday call was received, and subsequent attempts to contact the vessel were unsuccessful.
The U.S. Coast Guard immediately launched a large-scale search and rescue operation, deploying an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and multiple surface assets to the area of the distress signal.
Crews located a debris field and an unoccupied life raft roughly 25 miles offshore near the EPIRB activation site, confirming the vessel had sunk to the ocean floor. One deceased individual was recovered from the water.
The remaining six crew members were later presumed lost after extensive search efforts yielded no additional results.
Officials confirmed that seven people were aboard the vessel at the time of the incident, revising earlier reports that indicated six.
The seven individuals who perished aboard the Lily Jean are:
- John Paul Rousanidis, 33, of Salem/Peabody, Massachusetts
- Sean Therrien, 44, of Lynn/Peabody, Massachusetts
- Freeman Short, of the Marshfield/Scituate area
- Captain Gus Sanfilippo, a well-known and respected Gloucester fisherman
- Paul Beal Sr., deckhand
- Paul Beal Jr., deckhand and son of Paul Beal Sr.
- Jada Samitt, 22, of Virginia
Jada Samitt, the seventh crew member identified, was serving aboard the vessel in the role of a federal fisheries observer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She had recently relocated to Massachusetts to pursue her passion for environmental biology, graduating last year. Family members said joining the Lily Jean crew was her first major professional role at sea and a lifelong dream.
Her aunt, Heather Michaels, described Samitt as a compassionate and driven young woman who deeply respected her captain and dedicated herself fully to her work. “She put her heart and soul into this opportunity,” family members said, noting her commitment to marine conservation and the fishing community.
Officials said the Lily Jean had reported taking on water shortly before contact was lost.
The vessel is now presumed fully submerged.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through Gloucester’s close-knit maritime community.
Ashley Sullivan, a local business owner who knew the vessel’s owner, emphasized the daily risks faced by commercial fishermen. “I hope people really take a moment to understand the sacrifices these men and women make to put food on our tables,” she said. “This is heartbreaking.”
Massachusetts State Senator Bruce Tarr also expressed condolences, highlighting Gloucester’s deep fishing heritage. “Gloucester has a long fishing history, and that history includes tragic loss,” Tarr said. “It appears we are experiencing another of those painful chapters.”
Governor Maura Healey released a statement saying she was “heartbroken over the devastating news out of Gloucester,” adding that her administration has offered full assistance to local officials and the Coast Guard. She extended prayers to the victims’ families and the broader fishing community across Cape Ann and the Commonwealth.
Community members and local businesses have continued to share messages of remembrance and solidarity. Taylor Hunt, a relative of Freeman Short, posted a tribute honoring the crew, writing in part: “The salt has been in our blood for generations… A man is not lost while the sea remembers his name. Fair winds and following seas.”
The Lily Jean had previously been featured on the History Channel series Nor’Easter Men, which documented the dangers and demands of New England’s commercial fishing industry.
While search operations have concluded, the Coast Guard and relevant agencies continue to review the circumstances surrounding the sinking. Officials have stated that further updates will be released as additional information becomes available.
Authorities have urged the public to keep the victims’ families and Gloucester’s fishing community in their thoughts and prayers during this period of profound loss.