Sherri Papini, a California woman, brought attention back to the unsolved disappearance of her schoolmate, 16-year-old Tera Smith, who went missing in 1998. Despite Papini’s fake kidnapping in 2016 and the subsequent Hulu documentary series about her case, not much focus has been placed on Tera’s disappearance. Both Papini and Tera attended the same high school in the 90s, with Papini graduating in 2001 and Tera, had she lived, would have graduated in 2000.
Tera’s family feels frustration over the lack of attention their daughter’s case has received, especially considering the amount of resources dedicated to Papini’s hoax. Marilyn Smith, Tera’s mother, expressed her disappointment in how long it took authorities to realize Papini was lying about her kidnapping. Despite welcoming Papini into their home after she was “found,” Marilyn feels that Papini’s actions were a slap in the face to their family, who truly lost their daughter.
The Smith family, while grateful for the renewed attention from documentaries about Papini’s case, still hopes for an arrest in Tera’s case after waiting 25 years. Tera disappeared in 1998 after going out for a jog and never returning. Her parents believe she knew the man responsible for her abduction and murder, based on her journal entries and the evidence uncovered over the years.
Troy Zink, Tera’s taekwondo instructor at the time, has been a person of interest in her disappearance. He claimed to have dropped Tera off at an intersection after they fought in his truck, but witnesses later reported seeing them together in the same truck, with Tera appearing distressed. Zink, convicted felon, was only charged for possessing guns during the investigation into Tera’s case. Marilyn believes there is enough circumstantial evidence to arrest and prosecute Zink for Tera’s disappearance.
Despite the challenges and lack of progress in Tera’s case, her family remains hopeful for justice after all these years. The connection between Papini’s fake kidnapping and Tera’s disappearance highlights the complexities and frustrations of missing person cases, especially when justice is delayed. The Smith family’s unwavering determination to find answers and closure serves as a reminder of the enduring impact of unresolved cases on loved ones left behind.
