MCINTOSH COUNTY — The skeletal remains of a man who’s been missing since December were discovered in a body of water in McIntosh County on April 14.
2 News has been closely following the story of Zach Smith Sr. after he disappeared from Osage County.
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Smith went missing Dec. 8, 2024, and his luxury car was later found in McIntosh County, and his personal items, including legal documents, were found in Okmulgee County in a box at a local business.
Working to sort through this jurisdictional nightmare is private investigator Eric Cullen with Cullen Investigations.
He was initially hired by the family to help find Smith.
2 News was there in December as Cullen and search and rescue teams combed miles and miles of wooded area on horseback and ATVs searching for any sign of Smith.
We sat down with Cullen after Smith’s remains were discovered.
“So, when we did our search in December, the dog had picked up his scent and tracked it north from the west side of the turnpike on the inside of the private property up several hundred yards before the trail went cold,” said Cullen.
Investigators told 2 News his remains were found about one to two miles away near a body of water.
“We were on the right track that day and I feel like if we would have a little more time and a little more availability to the private property, we probably would have eventually found him,” said Cullen.
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Cullen said many agencies worked countless hours on the Smith case and he tips his hat to one in particular.
“I would like to give the Osage County Sheriff’s Office a lot of credit. This is probably the most involved I’ve seen a law enforcement agency be in an adult that age being missing and not endangered,” said Cullen.
Right now, the Osage County Sheriff said it’s not clear how Smith died.
Both Osage and McIntosh counties will continue to investigate this case.
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