Overview

Date last seen: August 8, 1992
Last seen location: Hollis area, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

Main circumstances:

• Frank Henry Smith disappeared without explanation after last being seen in the Hollis area.
• He failed to report for work on August 10, 1992.
• His home was found unlocked with his wallet and keys left behind.
• His vehicles remained at the residence, and the home’s electrical power had been shut off outside.
• An extensive ground search produced no trace of Smith.
• The case remains unsolved more than three decades later.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Frank Henry Smith Disappearance (1992): The Unsolved Alaska Cold Case

Brief Summary

Date last seen: August 8, 1992
Last seen location: Hollis area, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

Main circumstances:

• Frank Henry Smith disappeared without explanation after last being seen in the Hollis area.
• He failed to report for work on August 10, 1992.
• His home was found unlocked with his wallet and keys left behind.
• His vehicles remained at the residence, and the home’s electrical power had been shut off outside.
• An extensive ground search produced no trace of Smith.
• The case remains unsolved more than three decades later.

Frank Henry Smith’s 1992 Disappearance Remains One of Southeast Alaska’s Enduring Mysteries

Frank Henry Smith was 40 years old when he vanished from the Hollis area on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, in August 1992. Despite an immediate search and decades of investigative efforts, no confirmed sightings, physical evidence, or explanation for his disappearance have emerged.

Smith was reportedly last seen on August 8, 1992. Two days later, when he failed to appear for work, concern quickly grew among family, friends, and coworkers. Authorities checked his residence and discovered several unusual circumstances that suggested he had not planned to leave voluntarily.

His vehicles were still parked at the home, the residence was unlocked, and his wallet and keys had been left on a table inside. Investigators also found that electrical power had been shut off outside the residence. These findings raised immediate questions because people who intentionally leave home rarely abandon essential personal belongings such as identification, money, and vehicle keys.

Law enforcement organized an intensive ground search in the area surrounding Smith’s home. Searchers thoroughly examined nearby terrain but found no evidence indicating where he went or what may have happened to him. No confirmed witnesses have publicly reported seeing Smith after August 8, 1992, and no trace of him has ever been located.

An Unsolved Missing Persons Investigation

Investigators have never publicly announced evidence pointing toward foul play, accidental death, or a voluntary disappearance. Without physical evidence or credible sightings, the case has remained difficult to solve.

Smith was described as:

• 40 years old at the time of his disappearance
• White male
• Approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall
• About 170 pounds
• Brown hair
• Green eyes
• Wore glasses
• Had a scar on his right hand

These identifying characteristics remain important should new witnesses or evidence emerge.

Latest Investigation Information

Frank Henry Smith’s disappearance remains an active unresolved missing person case.

The case continues to be listed in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), allowing investigators to compare his information with unidentified human remains and other missing person investigations across the United States. His NamUs record was created in November 2019, helping expand national awareness of the decades-old disappearance. There have been no publicly announced breakthroughs, identified suspects, or confirmed discoveries connected to the case as of mid-2026.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the investigating law enforcement agency.