Reachelle Smith is missing under suspicious circumstances. According to the FBI, Reachelle was last seen at home in Minot, North Dakota, by her aunt, who was her legal guardian, at approximately 1 a.m. on May 17, 2006. When the guardian awoke the next morning and found Reachelle gone, the aunt's male roommate stated that Reachelle would be spending a few days with his mother, with whom the child had a grandmother-type relationship.

On May 22, when the aunt awoke to find the roommate missing, along with her own van, she called police to report the missing child and roommate. The roommate was later found dead in the van, by an apparent suicide, outside of Minot. Reachelle was not inside the van and has not been seen since.