Name: William Paul Smolinski

Classification: Endangered Missing Adult
Alias / Nickname: Bill, Billy
Date of Birth: 1973-01-14
Date Missing: 2004-08-24
From City/State: Waterbury, CT
Missing From (Country): USA
Age at Time of Disappearance: 31
Gender: Male
Race: White
Height: 71 inches
Weight: 200 pounds
Hair Color: Lt. Brown
Eye Color: Blue
Complexion: Medium

Identifying Characteristics: Pierced left ear, tattoo of a blue "cross" with an orange outline on left shoulder, tattoo of a blue "cross" with the name "Pruitt" in the cross on right forearm, bowlegged.

Jewelry: Small diamond earring worn in left ear, rope style gold chain necklace with a gold "cross" pendent.

Circumstances of Disappearance: Unknown. William was last seen at his residence in the vicinity of the 100 block of Holly St. in Waterbury, CT. All of his personal belongings were left behind.

Investigative Agency: Waterbury Police Department
Phone: (203) 574-6941
Investigative Case #: 04-71025

Print a poster: http://www.projectja...amSmolinski.pdf

An invitation from Billy's family:

"Candle Light Vigil For
William Paul Smolinski Jr. (Billy)
Sunday, August 21, 2005

7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Downtown on the Naugatuck Green, Naugatuck, CT

If you can please join our Family for an evening of prayer. It will be one year that Billy has been missing and your presence would be greatly appreciated. If you are unable to attend please remember Billy in your own personal thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely The Smolinski Family"

http://www.zwire.com

Vigil planned for missing man

07/28/2005

NAUGATUCK - A candlelight vigil for William Paul Smolinski Jr. will take place from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday, August 21, on the Naugatuck Green

The evening will mark one year that Ms. Smolinski, also known as Billy, has been missing. He was last seen Tuesday, August 24, in Waterbury. He has extended family in Watertown.

His family is offering a reward for his return or recovery.

He is described as a white male, six feet tall, 200 pounds with blue eyes, light brown hair cut in a crew-cut style. He has tattoos on his right forearm and left shoulder of a cross.

A Website with information about his disappearance is being run by Guarding Angels of America and may be found at http://www.justice4billy.com/.

Those who wish to donate to the reward fund may mail checks to Naugatuck Valley Savings and Loan, 1009 New Haven Road, Naugatuck, 06770, Attn: William P. Smolinski Jr. Reward Fund.

Those who may have seen Mr. Smolinski or know where he may be are asked to call Sgt. Steve Pedbereznak at 203-574-6911.

Vigil held for man missing one year

Aug. 21, 2005

One year ago this week the search began for a Waterbury man who disappeared without a trace.

There was an extensive search by police and his family, but it has turned up nothing.

Tonight his family and friends gathered in his home town of Naugatuck in hopes that someone might come forward with information on the whereabouts of Billy Smolinski.

by News Channel 8's Darren Duarte

"Our hearts are with you."

It was a time for comforting.

Janice Smolinski says,"The thoughts I am having is just all the love everyone is bringing in and they are giving us the strength to go on."

And it is a time to make the community aware that Billy Smolinski is still missing.

"Someone out there, being at this vigil, will see how much we care about Billy and miss Billy and want him to come home and maybe they will talk," says Grace Smolinski, sister.

Billy Smolinski was last seen on August 24, 2004 in Waterbury.

An all out search by police and his family have yet to provide any clues.

"It is very important closure on this and Billy is out there somewhere and it is really important that he is back here with his family," says Paula Bell, sister.

The family is praying that the vigil in Billy's honor will move them one step closer to finding out what happened.

"It will be one year that he has gone missing, and no one knows where or why. We need to find Billy and bring him home where he belongs."

Anyone with information is asked to call Waterbury police.

http://www.wtnh.com/

Message from the family:

"Family’s Second Christmas Holiday spent without William Paul Smolinski, Jr.


As the Christmas Holiday approaches and you have helped us in the past with your Organization. Our family asks for your help again. Thank you in advance and Merry Christmas, from the Smolinski’s.

It has been 16 months since our loved one and family member William Paul Smolinski, Jr. went missing from Waterbury on August 24, 2004. We are asking that everyone please know that Billy is still missing. Sometimes after a period time passes you may think that Billy may have been found that is not the case!! We need to keep Billy’s! name out in the public eye as much as possible.

Organizations like Yours is one way to let the public know he is still missing and family and friends have been struggling to get National Attention for Billy and other missing adults. There is also a new $15,000 Reward Flyer. We need to keep these flyers posted in busy areas where they can be seen by all.

This is the second Christmas our families dinner table has had an empty seat around it. If everyone could just place one flyer in their place of business or any busy public area what a great Christmas Present it would be for Billy. Billy’s website is: smolinski.4ourangel.com or you can just type in missing William Paul Smolinski, Jr. and click on search and many other website links will appear. We also ask if anyone has any information about Billy’s bizarre disappearance not matter how small a clue it may seem to you please forward your information to the Waterbury Detective Bureau at: 203-574-6942

Merry Christmas Billy wherever you are, your family and friends love and miss you. We are still waiting for you to come back home to us where you belong.

Letters to the Editor, September 25th in the Waterbury Republican-American

Problems of missing adults underreported

My son, Billy Smolinski, has been missing since August 24, 2004. It is discouraging to listen to the media report on the disappearances of beautiful young women, such as Natalee Holloway and Laci Peterson. The only exception is the newlywed Greenwich man who fell overboard from a cruise ship: this story was reported because of the sensationalism. My heart goes out to the families of these missing people, but please do not focus on just them. We have worked hard every day to try to put our son’s name before the public, and society just tends to push aside certain people unless the media takes up their stories. This is very wrong.

There are many missing people, and they all come with a story. When a man in our society goes missing, it is not taken seriously by authorities. In recent months, I have been talking with many moms of missing adults, and they are working tirelessly with the same issues I am. The problem is society! does not realize the numbers of missing adults because the data is not reported. We are a very close-knit, religious family, and I believe my son’s disappearance can only be the result of foul play. He left his wallet, keys, beloved German shepherd and his truck at home. He treasured the fact he owned his home, and family and friends were very important part of his life. Unfortunately, the authorities’ motto is no body, no case. But there are clues if only they would take the time to focus on them. We were told once that there is no such thing as a perfect crime. As a hurting family whose life basically ended one year ago, we cannot stop until we bring Billy home. Maybe I will be able to help other families in the same situation. People, take notice: give your loved ones an extra hug today because they can go missing and you may be placed in the same position so many others families face. My son’s Website is: smolinski.4ourangel.com. It includes many other missing people’s links. I beg the public to wake up and take notice of this growing problem we are facing in this country.
Janice Smolinski, Cheshire


Letters to the Editor, November 20th in the Waterbury Republican-American

Media And Police Treat Missing Men, Women Differently

Living in Waterbury area all of our lives we never expected the situation we were thrown into. I am the mom of the missing man Billy Smolinski and cannot even fathom the way our country has treated the missing in a certain age group, especially the males. We have worked tirelessly trying to get local and national attention for our missing son.

Our sincere thank you to the Waterbury Republican and American for helping us and allowing articles to be printed concerning our situation.

It has been fourteen long months and it distresses me to see Fox News and other similar stations air missing women, just recently a missing female who disappeared nine weeks ago from MA. At the time of her disappearance an aerial search was performed, one hundred well trained officers for ground search and dogs were used, from fingerprinting to luminal tests.

In comparison, our son and family member was treated in a lackadaisical manner. The first two detectives sent just walked around, it took a caring detective to find Billy’s wallet and keys under the seat of his truck which was still in the driveway of his home. Now one man cannot do it all, his hands were tied. My question is why did it take our constant in your face attitude in order to get some results, this is ludicrous.

In comparison, what was done for Billy? No aerial search, ground search was orchestrated by family and friends. NO police officers were involved; search dogs were called in by Paula Billy's sister, again NO police involvement. Luminal test, DNA and dental records were requested for and performed by the caring detective.

Billy is a person just as much as the females. What is wrong when we show there is definitely a problem with Billy disappearing mysteriously, (a behavior without question he would not have done on his own) and still to this day we are shunned and appeased. Our society needs desperate changes. Last weekend a local Connecticut news station televised a missing cat, when we work so hard just to get them to show a quick photo of Billy on the air. This is totally absurd and needs to change.

Maybe it is time to leave your comfort zone, ask yourselves what if this were my child?

If this happened to our family it most definitely can happen to yours. Lets change this attitude and make a difference not only in our city, but statewide and eventually spiral throughout the country. Lets become the state who cares about the people.

ALL IT TAKES FOR EVIL TO FLOURISH IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING

ALL IT TAKES ONE SMALL THING TO MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

Janice Smolinski
Cheshire, Connecticut!

Letters to the Editor, submitted for December publication in the Waterbury Republican-American

Who makes the decision??? Aren't we all humans and Gods children??

Who makes the decision as to whom should be searched for and who is not worth the time of day? Aren't we all humans and Gods ch! ildren? How dare a few authorities make that decision, everyone should have a chance at life. My son William (Billy) Smolinski, Jr. is still missing from Waterbury, CT since August 24, 2004, if things were different we might have had our answers along time ago. We were totally ignored until our insistent request for help was somewhat noticed. We told police from day one when Billy went missing there was a problem. The officer we spoke with would not file a missing person report because of the neighbor’s story of going up north for three days. There was no key to Billy’s house to take care of his German Sheppard, as the neighbor told police Billy requested he feed his dog. Why did the police choose to listen to the neighbor when our family wanted this matter taken care of immediately? There were three days nothing was done and if there was foul play, three days is a long time to create a perfect crime. This was completely against Billy’s nature and we knew he was in danger when we heard of this situation soon after the fact.

Our hearts are broken when watching the news and the two most recent persons reported missing by their families was immediately taken seriously. Within hours the local and state police with canines combed the areas in question. A state police helicopter did an aerial Search with infrared and in BOTH cases they were discovered quickly by the helicopters infrared. I can't help but think if we had the same consideration and police involvement starting from day one when we asked for help would my son be with us today to celebrate the holidays.

Our ground search all weekend back in August of 2004 with family and friends could have been helped by the local and state police, helicopter again could have been vital in our efforts, not to mention all the searchers were in dangerous places where safety became a big concern of ours. NO ONE of authority chose to participate or pay attention; most officers were not even told or aware that a person was indeed missing at that time.

Billy came from a middleclass hardworking family with NO alcohol, NO drugs, and NO arrests. He was a kind hearted man. How could they have turned their heads and pretend we did not even exist. To this day we search tirelessly with law enforcement of many different levels slammed in our faces appeased or passed on to the next authority for them to DEAL with us.!

Thank God there are a few good caring officers but they are the exception not the rule. Hopefully someday, the good Lord will provide us with the answers we so desperately need, but in the meantime if we can help any other family facing this situation maybe we can pave the way so their loved one can be searched for by the proper authorities immediately and be found.

I have come to the realization our answers may never be met, too much time has elapsed, but as Billy’s mom my life is put on hold until I find out what happened to him, that is my promise to you Billy. A sincere thank you to the Waterbury Republican and American for allowing me to express my opinions. If any one is interested in reading more about Billy’s Story you can go on his website at: smolinski.4ourangel.com

Janice Smolinski
Cheshire, CT

It has been 16 months since our loved one and family member William Paul Smolinski, Jr. went missing from Waterbury on August 24, 2004. We are asking that everyone please know that Billy is still missing. Sometimes after a period time passes you may think that Billy may have been found that is not the case!! We need to keep Billy’s name out in the public eye as much as possible.

Newspaper articles like this is one way to let the public know he is still missing and family and friends have been struggling to get National Attention for Billy and other missing adults. There is also a new $15,000 Reward Flyer. We need to keep these flyers posted in busy areas where they can be seen by all. If everyone could just place one flyer in their place of business or any busy public area what a great Christmas Present it would be for Billy.

Billy’s website is: smolinski.4ourangel.com or you can just type in missing William Paul Smolinski, Jr. and click on search and many other website links will appear. We also ask if anyone has any information about Billy’s bizarre disappearance not matter how small a clue it may seem to you please forward your information to the Waterbury Detective Bureau at: 203-574-6942

Merry Christmas Billy wherever you are, your family and friends love and miss you. We are still waiting for you to come back home to us where you belong."

Billy is featured as this week's Sundays of Hope. This is a week of universal prayer for a specific missing person.

For more information and to read a message written by his mother, Janice, please visit http://voice4themiss....-18-11406.html

Thank you.

Kelly Jolkowski, Mother of Missing Jason Jolkowski
President and Founder,
Project Jason
http://www.projectjason.org
Read our Voice for the Missing Blog
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/

International Webcast featuring: East Coast Missing children and adults!

Lorne Boulet, James Farrence Jr., Audrey May Herron, Sharon Ivy Jones, Tina & Bethany Sinclair, William Smolinski Jr., Crystal Soles & Patricia Viola

Saturday Jan 14, 2005
8-10 PM PST
"GINA for Missing Persons"
LIVE INTERACTIVE WEBCAST CONCERT
Featuring: Kelly Fitzgerald (Salem, MA, native)
& Jannel Rap the C Street Band
http://www.kellyfitzgerald.net http://www.jannel.org

Kulak's Woodshed
5230 1/2 Laurel Canyon Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA
818-766-9913
To view click on link below
http://www.kulakswoodshed.com/

Join us and DO SOMETHING about it. If you can't make it to Hollywood you can do something about it anyway; by forwarding and watching! See you one way or another Saturday Night!

When singer/songwriter, Jannel Rap's sister (www.jannelrap.com), Gina Bos, disappeared Oct 17, 2000 she had no idea that this would be a pivitol life changing moment. Gina's story had no scandal, no suspects and lacked the hook and intrigue to get the attention of the national public. Gina Bos had simply vanished after performing at a pub in Lincoln, NE. Six months of slamming doors woke Jannel up in the middle of the night to do what she already does. The concept of using entertainment to get attention for the missing was born. Since Oct 2001, 150 concerts nationwide, 2 nonprofit organizations (http://www.411Gina.org, http://www.411Warrior.org), a TV show called "America Lost and FOUND" and now a monthly international webcast featuring east coast missing.

FEATURED ARTIST & Salem, MA native, Kelly Fitzgerald, just released her first solo CD "So Far." Kelly has shared the stage with such artists as Shelby Lynne, Nancy Griffith, Cheap Trick, Eddie Money, Vonda Shepard, the Gin Blossoms and more...

Thanks for your attention!
Jannel Rap

http://www.411Gina.org
http://www.411Warrior.org
http://www.AmericaLostandFOUND.org

Waterbury family hopes to step up search for missing man
http://www.wtnh.com/...363296&nav=3YeX

(Waterbury-AP, Jan. 14, 2006 3:20 PM) _ The family of a Waterbury man who has been missing for nearly a year and a half wants Governor Rell to compel local authorities to take more actively investigating his disappearance or involve the F-B-I.

More than 750 electronic signatures have been added to an online petition since it was launched two weeks ago by the ChildSeek Network in Oregon and the family of Billy Smolinski Junior.

The petition cites concern by Smolinski's family that police refuse to take the disappearance seriously.

Police say they've handled the case seriously, but cite the lack of new information or leads as hampering progress.

Smolinski, then 31, disappeared from his home in Waterbury on August 24th, 2004, leaving behind his keys, wallet, white pickup truck and German Shepherd.

Waterbury police say an investigation continues.

http://www.waterburyobserver.com

What Happened?
03/08/2006

Story By John Murray

Billy is dead.

That's what his parents think.

After 18 months of tirelessly searching for their missing 32 year old son, Janice and William Smolinski now believe Billy is dead.

"There is no body and no hard evidence," Janice Smolinski said. "But we believe a crime was committed against Billy. There are clues about what might have happened and who might be involved, but from the beginning the Waterbury Police Department has not aggressively investigated Billy's case."

Initial attempts to reach Waterbury Police spokesperson Sgt. Chris Corbett for comment came up empty. A visit to Police Chief Neil O'Leary's office brought a swift response.

O'Leary said "I would never rule out foul play. I don't think he disappeared on his own and is hiding from his family. My gut feeling is something is wrong."

Officially, the Waterbury Police Department hasn't ruled out any scenario regarding Billy's disappearance. They have cited the fact that Billy had personal problems in the days before he disappeared. He was going through a romantic break-up and had recently been laid off from one of his jobs.

O'Leary said several possibilities were explored; did Billy disappear on his own? Was there an accident and his body is still laying in the woods somewhere? Did he commit suicide? Did someone kill him?

"I wouldn't rule out any option," O'Leary said. "Something happened to that kid."
O'Leary, who is not directly involved with the investigation, called Deputy Chief Jimmy Egan into his office. He asked Egan, who supervised the Detective Bureau during a portion of the investigation, to share information about the Smolinski case with the Observer. "Give him everything we've got," O'Leary ordered. "Set up a meeting with the detectives on the case and show him everything."

And then O'Leary excused himself. He had a luncheon date with Waterbury mayor, Michael Jarjura, and was running a few minutes late.

Egan picked up where O'Leary left off.

"We have checked out every lead we've had," Egan said. "We've done as much as we can. I don't know what else we can possibly do. We have explored all the angles, we checked out everything the Smolinskis have asked us to. We have nothing."

But to Janice and William Smolinski, that claim rings hollow. They view the investigation in its entirety, not just when Jimmy Egan and new detectives were assigned to the case.

"From the first day Billy went missing we had trouble getting the Waterbury Police Department to take this case seriously," Janice said. "We begged them to finger print Billy's truck and it was never done. There was a lot of sloppy police work during this investigation, especially in the beginning."

Deputy Chief Egan confirmed that Billy's truck was never fingerprinted and said he wasn't inclined to speculate why. "I wasn't involved in the case in the beginning so I can't tell you why the truck wasn't fingerprinted," he said. "But from the time I got involved we have done everything the Smolinskis have asked us to do. We have investigated every lead that has been brought to our attention."

Egan, however, didn't get involved in the case until a year after Billy Smolinski disappeared. To date there have been six detectives who have worked the case, which is now assigned to detectives Tim Jackson and Gary Angon.

Jackson and Angon got involved after the Smolinski family met with Chief O'Leary in the summer of 2005 to discuss their frustration. He said he would assign two of his top men to the case and they would begin the investigation anew.

"We picked up the case a year after he disappeared," detective Angon said. " We look into anything we find. We have talked to everybody. We went to New York twice to look at bodies. We check the internet to see if his social security number has been used and we keep in touch with the family. We have not been able to find any physical evidence, but we are still looking."

When Billy disappeared from his home on August 24th, 2004, he left behind his truck, his keys, his wallet, and most significantly he left his beloved German Shepard, Harley, unattended and locked inside the house.

"Billy would have never left Harley like that," Janice Smolinski said. "He loved that dog."
The Smolinski family feel like they've been slamming their heads against a brick wall these past 18 months trying to convince local, state or federal investigators that Billy was the victim of a crime.

"No body, no case," said Janice Smolinski. "That's what we've heard for the past 18 months."

That is not a phrase, however, that Egan, Jackson and Angon said would have come from anyone inside the police department. "We aren't ruling out foul play," Egan said. "We just don't know what happened to Mr. Smolinski at this time. We are looking at every option."

But when all the known facts are placed on the table there are enough red flags fluttering around the case to start a flag store.

Consider this; at the time of his disappearance Billy was involved in a love triangle and had left a threatening voice message on the answering machine of his male rival telling him "to watch his back".

The male rival lives on the outskirts of greater Waterbury and is a prominent married businessman. The individual is also an elected public official with power and influence.

Consider that Billy's threatening phone call to his rival was placed the day he disappeared. The Smolinskis believe it was the last phone call Billy ever made. The Waterbury Police Department has a recording of that phone call.

As the family sees it, Billy was caught in an explosive love triangle with his girlfriend and an influential married man - a recipe for disaster. Yet the Smolinskis aren't clairvoyant and readily admit they don't know exactly what happened to Billy. They know in their hearts, though, that Billy didn't disappear on his own. The Smolinskis want Waterbury investigators to be more aggressive in probing into the two remaining pieces of the love triangle.

"We have questioned both individuals several times and do not believe either one of them was involved in Billy's disappearance," Deputy Chief Egan said.

But Janice and William Smolinski, and their daughter, Paula, don't believe the Waterbury Police Department has pursued these leads aggressively enough.

"Yes, they have been questioned," Janice Smolinski said. "But neither one of them was given a lie detector test. Why?"

Deputy Egan said the police can't force individuals to take a polygraph test, and even if they could, that the results would not be admissible in court.

When one stops to ponder several bizarre circumstances surrounding the love triangle, it is easy to see why the Smolinski family has requested further probing.

The woman Billy was dating, Madeleine Gleason, had five children and has been married and divorced three times. Four months before Billy disappeared, Madeleine's 18 year old daughter, Krystal Rapuano, hung herself in the family home in Seymour. Several months after Billy disappeared, another of Madeleine's children, Shaun M. Karpiuk, 27, died of a drug overdose in Waterbury.

At the time of his death Shaun was a construction worker with Top Gun Landscaping and had previously worked as a grave digger in Seymour.

Another of Madeleine's children, Daniel Rapuano, was in prison at the time of Billy's disappearance.

Further consider that for a year after Billy's disappearance Madeleine traveled around Woodbridge, Ansonia, Seymour and Bethany tearing down and vandalizing hundreds of Billy's missing person posters. When you add all that up, at the very least, Madeleine's family is involved with drugs, violence and death.

That Billy's male rival owns and operates a long distance trucking company only adds to the mystery and intrigue. It is not difficult to see why the Smolinskis have lingering questions.

When asked why the long distance trucking business didn't raise any red flags down at police headquarters, detective Angon told the Observer that the business only distributed vegetables to New York.

A five minute internet search, however, revealed that the business specializes in long distance freight trucking and in 2004 had $3.5 million in sales. A telephone call by the Observer to the company's sales department revealed that the company hauls freight throughout New England, over to the Hudson Valley and down to Philadelphia.

"That is a perfect example of what we have encountered throughout the investigation," Janice Smolinski said. "(The Observer) found that out in a few minutes, and the Waterbury Police Department, who have been on the case for 18 months, don't have their facts straight."

Within days of Billy's disappearance the Smolinski family was frustrated with the Waterbury Police Department and decided to take matters into their own hands. They brought in search dogs, organized their own search party and hired private investigators. They have churned the waters looking for Billy and found little more than frustration.
'There have been so many weird and unexplainable things that have happened," Janice Smolinski said. "It's bizarre, and we want the Waterbury Police Department to follow up more aggressively."

Right now the Smolinski family has only questions, no answers.

"We are frustrated with the police," Janice Smolinski said. "We don't know why they aren't following up on the bizarre events that occurred after Billy went missing. We no longer believe Billy is alive, but we want to know what happened to him, and we aren't backing down until we have an answer."

BILLY SMOLINSKI
At the time of his disappearance Billy was 31 years old. He was six feet tall and weighed 200 pounds. His friends and family describe him as physically fit, and photographs back up that assertion. He looks like a man in the prime of his life that would have no trouble taking care of business.

In August 2004 Billy was working three jobs. He was an apprentice heating and air conditioning technician at Midland Company in Newtown, he was a part-time tow truck driver for Durable Towing on Thomaston Avenue in Waterbury, and he mowed lawns and plowed driveways to scratch out extra money needed to pay his mortgage.

Leo Bianchi was Billy's boss at Durable Towing for five years. "Billy was a reliable, fast worker," Bianchi said. "If Billy told me he was going to be there, he was there. He did his job and never called in sick."

After Billy had his hours cut back at Midland, Bianchi offered Billy more hours at Durable Towing. Cash flow, it appeared, was not an issue when Billy vanished.

"I talked to Billy a few days before he disappeared," Bianchi said. "He told me he had some trouble with a girlfriend. I told him 'there are a lot of fish in the sea and don't worry about it.' Billy was a good looking kid and I told him to let it go."

Bianchi also doesn't buy into the theory that Billy voluntarily disappeared. "Billy was a tough kid and didn't take any ****," Bianchi said. "He wouldn't back down if he was up against a giant, and I think he came across the wrong person. I think someone bumped him off."

Billy was raised in Naugatuck and attended Kaynor Tech for three years where he studied to be an electrician. After his junior year Billy decided it wasn't for him, and he transferred back to Naugatuck High School for his senior year.

"After high school Billy spent a few years trying to figure himself out," Janice Smolinski said. " He drove a truck for Wesson Oil, delivered for Gary's Auto Parts and had a few other jobs."

Billy lived at home with his parents until he was 26 years old. When he moved out Billy bought his own home in the south end of Waterbury, at 130 Holly Street. Billy told his parents he didn't want to pay rent when he could start investing in his own home.

Before Billy dated Madeleine Gleason, he was involved in an eight year relationship with Mary Ellen Noble. They had known each other since high school. She said their break-up was a mutual decision and they remained close friends right up until the time Billy disappeared.

"Billy was a great guy," Noble said. "He was spontaneous, crazy and fun loving. Billy was one of those guys who didn't want to grow up."

While they were dating, Billy and Mary Ellen bought a German Shepard puppy at a breeder in Bethany and named him Harley. Mary Ellen lived with her mother in the Town Plot section of Waterbury and Billy lived in the south end of the city.

"We talked about moving in together," Noble said, "but we never figured it out. Harley would go back and forth between our homes. It was like we had joint custody of Harley, he was like our baby."

The week before Billy disappeared he went to Florida with Madeleine Gleason, and Mary Ellen came over to his house every day to take care of Harley.

"I talked with Billy when he was in Florida and he let me know he was not having a good time," Noble said. "He suspected his girlfriend was seeing another man."

Noble said she talked with Billy again when he returned home from Florida and he was upset.

"If you cheated on Billy he would take it really hard," Noble said, "A former girlfriend cheated on him and it was something he wouldn't let go of. Billy told me he had a plan to try and get Madeleine to admit the affair."

At 4:45 AM on the day Billy disappeared he placed a ladder up against Madeleine Gleason's house and knocked on her second floor bedroom window. Gleason told the Waterbury police department that she let him in and they talked.

The Waterbury police cite Billy's unusual early morning behavior as a sign he might have been losing his emotional balance. But to Mary Ellen Noble, who dated Billy for eight years, it was "just Billy being Billy. He knocked on my window many times in the middle of the night," she said. "He wouldn't think anything of it."

The Smolinski family agrees.

"Billy was always doing something like that," his sister, Paula Bell said. "The police don't know Billy the way we do. That was just Billy."

Noble believes Billy set out to have a confrontation with the man he suspected was messing around with his girlfriend. "That would be so Billy," Noble said.

The last time Mary Ellen saw Billy she said he was sad about how things were going with Madeleine, but he seemed fine, and they made plans to go to Six Flags Amusement Park the next weekend. "Billy and I had plans for that Saturday. The last words he said to me were 'Don't forget Saturday, don't forget, don't forget....'' Noble said. "Billy would not have committed suicide. I just know he wouldn't have done that. Something bad happened to him."

Billy's neighbor told the Waterbury police that the day Billy disappeared Billy had asked him to watch Harley for three days because Billy was going up north to look at a car. The following morning when the neighbor went to Billy's house to let Harley out, he couldn't find the house key. The neighbor had Mary Ellen Noble's telephone number and called her immediately.

"Right then I knew there was a big problem," Noble said. "Billy would never have left Harley locked up like that. Never."

Noble called Billy's sister, Paula, and the word spread through the Smolinski family within minutes - something strange is going on with Billy.

"When Mary Ellen called to say Billy had left Harley unattended we knew there was a problem right away," Janice Smolinski said. "We called the police, but since Billy had told the neighbor he would be gone for three days, the police insisted we wait three days before they got involved."

When Billy's sister, Paula, arrived at his house she thought it was odd where his truck was parked. "He never parked his truck at the bottom of the driveway like that," she said. "It was kind of weird, but we still didn't know what we were dealing with yet."

As family and friends convened at Billy's house, his truck was blocking the driveway, so Paula said she got in and moved it up against the house where Billy usually parked it. "I didn't think much about it at the time," she said. "But now I do."

It's possible Billy Smolinski wasn't the last driver of his truck. Several days later, in the middle of the night, Billy's truck was broken into and papers were strewn about the cab.

"We repeatedly asked the Waterbury police to fingerprint Billy's truck," Janice Smolinski said. "And by the time we finally got someone's attention (almost ten days later) they told us it was too late."

After the third day the Smolinskis followed up with the police and two detectives came down and looked around Billy's house. When they heard about Billy's problem with his girlfriend, and his job situation at Midland, they inferred to the family that it might be a suicide.

The family didn't buy it.

The Smolinskis were then told by the Waterbury police that Billy was, as Janice recalls, "out and about."

The police did eventually perform infra-red tests on his house, garage and truck, but found no signs of blood.

The week after Billy disappeared the Smolinskis used the Republican-American newspaper to recruit volunteers to help scour greater Waterbury for Billy, and 200 volunteers showed up on Saturday, Sunday and Monday of Labor Day weekend. The search began at Billy's house and fanned out from there. A psychic called the family to say that Billy had been hit on the head and was bleeding along a river bank. Although the family was skeptical about psychics, volunteers scoured every inch of the Naugatuck River from Watertown to Naugatuck. They found hobo encampments and a dead deer, but no Billy.

Billy's sister, Paula, contacted D.A.W.G.S. (Disaster and Wilderness Ground Searcher Inc), an all-volunteer search and rescue team from Canton for help. The group uses scent dogs to search for lost and missing persons, and they immediately agreed to help. D.A.W.G.S. contacted the Waterbury police to inform the department they would be forming a search in the south end, and the department sent two men to accompany the dogs and their handlers as they made their way through backyards and businesses.

'The police worked with DAWGS," William Smolinski Sr. said, "but they didn't help with the search for Billy all over Waterbury. We had more than a hundred volunteers helping out every day, but not one cop. They didn't seem to care."

Ten days after Billy disappeared his sister went down to police headquarters and said she "went a little snappy" about the lack of attention the police were giving Billy's investigation. A new detective was placed on the case, Sgt. Steve Pedbereznek, and he came down to Billy's house to have a look around.

"Within 15 minutes Steve came back in the house with Billy's keys and wallet," Paula said. "He found them tucked underneath the driver's seat in Billy's truck. Now we knew Billy was in big trouble."


THE GIRLFRIEND
Billy Smolinski met Madeline Gleason several years ago when they both drove school buses in Woodbridge. According to Billy's family, the two began dating in the summer of 2003, more than a year before Billy disappeared. Billy first brought Madeline around the family at a birthday party for his nephew.

"Billy hadn't told us how old Madeleine was," Paula Bell said. "We were all surprised when we met her because she was my mother's age."

The age difference between Billy and Madeleine was 16 years. As the Smolinskis heard more and more about Madeleine they were concerned for Billy's future. She had been married and divorced three times, had five children and was a school bus driver.

"Nobody saw what Billy saw in her," Paula said. "But I'll give her this, Billy was falling in love with her."

Ten months after Billy and Madeleine started dating, Madeleine's only daughter, Krystal, committed suicide at her home in Seymour.

"Billy felt really bad about that," Janice Smolinski said. "And he started spending even more time with Madeleine trying to comfort her."

According to the Smolinski family things between Billy and Madeleine were going pretty good through the summer of 2004. The couple was making plans for Madeleine to move into Billy's home in Waterbury.

"Madeleine didn't like the color of Billy's house and Billy asked his father to help him paint it," Janice Smolinski said. "Billy had stripped the outside of the house before he went to Florida and his father was going to help him when he got back."

The night before he left for Florida Billy brought his dirt bike over to his parent's house because he didn't want anyone to steal it while he was gone. Billy was not a traveler and liked to stay close to home. The last time he was on an airplane was when he was 15 years old and the family flew down to Disney World.

"Billy was apprehensive about flying," Janice Smolinski said. "He borrowed our luggage and we talked about the sites to see around Jupiter Beach. He seemed very happy."

From police accounts, and talking to several of Billy's family and friends, it is clear that the relationship took a hard turn for the worse while Billy and Madeleine were in Florida.

Billy was upset at Madeleine's secretive behavior with her cell phone in Florida - he caught her talking in shower stalls - and he suspected she was in an affair.

The Waterbury police department confirmed that Billy and Madeleine had been arguing in Florida, and on the plane ride home. When they returned home from Florida, Billy talked to his sister and with Mary Ellen Noble. He told them both that he was having problems with Madeleine.

"He told me he had broken up with her," Paula said. "Billy said he was through with her."

Billy told his boss down at Durable Towing that he was devastated.

What really goes on in the mind and heart of a young man coping with loss and disappointment is unclear, but one thing that is certain is that Billy Smolinski was angry with the individual he thought Madeleine was having an affair with. Billy knew the man, and telephone records show that he called him three times the day he disappeared.

The man is a prominent business owner and politician in Woodbridge. According to Deputy Chief Egan the individual was contacted weeks after Billy disappeared and voluntarily brought in his answering machine to police headquarters and shared the threatening message with investigators.

Billy's sister went down to headquarters and listened to the recording and confirmed that it was her brother's voice on the machine.

"He said 'Watch your back, I'm going to get you," Paula said. "It was very short, but it was definitely Billy's voice."

Paula said after listening to the tape she knew Billy had gone to confront the individual and something bad had happened. "Billy was not afraid of confrontation," Paula said. "If you listen to that message you know something happened after that."

The Smolinskis know that Billy was caught in a love triangle, and they also know that Billy would have sought a confrontation.

His father, William, said "Billy wasn't one to start anything, but if someone started something with him, he would finish it. This time it looks like someone got the better of him."

Despite all the indications leading towards a confrontation, for the past 18 months the Waterbury police department had publicly stated that they suspected no foul play in Billy's disappearance.

In a Republican-American article written by Brynn Mandel one year after Billy disappeared, she wrote that "police believe that neither foul play nor medical issues are factors in Billy's disappearance. They noted his job loss and relationship difficulty."

When Janice Smolinski contacted the television show "America's Most Wanted" about broadcasting news about Billy's disappearance, the show's producers contacted the Waterbury police department about the case and were told that investigators didn't suspect any foul play. Unable to run a segment without cooperation from local police, and with no suspected foul play, Billy's story never made the national broadcast.

"At first the police thought it might be a suicide," Janice Smolinski said. "Then they said he was out and about and would probably come home eventually."

That was 18 months ago. Now, in March 2006, the Smolinskis don't think Billy is ever coming back.

The first person inside police headquarters to publicly state that foul play was a possibility is Police Chief Neil O'Leary, who did so during an interview with the Observer on March 2nd.

"We can't rule it out," O'Leary said. 'My gut feeling is something is wrong here."

UNEXPECTED ARREST
Weeks after Billy disappeared the Smolinski family paid the New Haven Register $1200 to print 20,000 flyers that were to be distributed in the newspaper. The family printed a few thousand more flyers which they planned to distribute in restaurants, businesses and in public areas around the state of Connecticut. Several odd occurrences with the flyers began to raise some eyebrows within the Smolinski family.

First, not every town that was supposed to get the flyer, received them. During the first distribution run, strangely, the family said, the town of Woodbridge didn't get the insert in their editions of the Register. The Smolinskis have many friends in Woodbridge who reported that they didn't get the flyer. The Smolinskis complained and the Register promised to re-run the flyer in a few communities, including Woodbridge. This time, once again, the flyers didn't make it into most of Woodbridge.

Why would these raise concerns with the Smolinskis? Because the other two angles of the love triangle work or live in the town of Woodbridge.

At the same time the Smolinskis were having trouble getting the flyers distributed in Woodbridge, a good friend of the family telephoned Janice and said she had witnessed a woman ripping down posters of Billy off utility poles in Amity. The family friend wrote down the woman's license plate number and gave it to Janice. Using an inside connection in law enforcement the Smolinskis had the plate number checked and were stunned when it turned out to be Madeleine Gleason's car. This was a month after Billy vanished.

"We were shocked," Janice Smolinski said. "We couldn't understand why anyone would want to rip down Billy's posters, but his girlfriend? It was bizarre. Why would she do that?"

The Smolinskis investigated and found dozens of posters in Woodbridge, Bethany, Ansonia and Seymour disfigured, shredded or missing. The family placed thousands of posters around Connecticut and the only place they were being vandalized was in the area Madeline Gleason lived and worked in. The Smolinskis decided to replace the posters and asked the private investigators to watch and see what happened.

"They said they couldn't just sit and stare at a pole for days waiting to see if someone came," Janice Smolinski said. "So we decided to do it ourselves."

The first shift was manned by Billy's aunt and uncle, Grace and Bruce Smolinski. During their first shift they were stunned to witness Madeline Gleason and her son pull up to a pole and rip down a poster. They attempted to videotape the moment and experienced difficulty with the zoom, focus and exposure. But the tape clearly shows the pair tearing down Billy's poster.

The Smolinski family replaced the posters and the next night they were torn down again. This time Paula was in the car with her aunt and uncle and they videotaped the incident for a second night.

"We brought the tape down to the Waterbury Police Department and they didn't have much to say about it," Janice Smolinski said. "We didn't understand their reaction, but we continued to keep them informed."

Frustrated they couldn't snag the attention of the Waterbury Police Department, the Smolinskis were determined to engage Madeleine's increasingly bizarre behavior. They believed she knew something about Billy's disappearance and they intended to find out what. Thus began a daily cat and mouse game. The Smolinski family would go around Woodbridge, Seymour, Ansonia and Bethany every day and re hang Billy's posters on telephone poles. Every night they were torn down This went on for several months until Janice noticed one day that the posters were disappearing within minutes, in broad daylight.

"Madeleine and her friend, (Frances Vrabel), started following me and eventually started ripping the posters down right in front of my face," Janice Smolinski said. 'It was a huge insult and I wasn't going to coil back and go home and forget about."

Madeleine's in-your face tactic riled up a soft-spoken woman. "She had the nerve to do that right in my face and I was determined that I wasn't going to back down. I just kept hanging Billy's posters and went about my business. When she tore them down I put up another."

Eventually Paula and Janice witnessed Madeleine and Frances, who are both school bus drivers in Woodbridge, stopping their buses to get out and destroy Billy's posters. Paula shot videotape of the women, and while she was filming Madeleine began to follow them in an empty school bus.

"We couldn't believe what we were watching," Paula said. "Madeleine never helped search for Billy when he went missing. Why was she doing this?"

The bizarre behavior continued almost daily until April 2005 when Madeleine pulled the bus into the Woodbridge Police parking lot. Paula and Janice saw an opportunity to confront Madeleine's behavior with the police, and they followed her inside.

Once inside the police station both Paula and Janice state that Madeleine taunted them, saying that if she had married Billy she would have referred to Janice as "Mommy." After a few "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy" taunts, Paula blew a fuse and lunged at Madeleine and said she was going to kill her. By the time the Woodbridge police sorted through the tangled raw emotion, according to the Smolinskis, they were under threat of arrest on five different charges.

The police report states that Gleason complained that the Smolinskis "have been smothering the areas along her bus route, in front of her residence, the bank she frequents and now at a gym she just joined. Gleason stated that she has been tearing down a portion of these posters because she feels it is too much."

The report also stated that Janice had told Madeleine that she wasn't going to stop hanging Billy's posters until Madeleine broke and told the truth.

"I did say that," Janice said. "I believed she knew something about my son's disappearance and the police weren't doing anything about it. I wasn't going to stop."

According the report the police had some sympathy with the Smolinskis and asked them to stop distributing flyers around Beecher School, but they could continue hanging flyers on poles around town.

Although the police report doesn't reflect this, both Janice and Paula state the Woodbridge Police agreed to let them go if they didn't take the videotape of Madeleine ripping down the posters to the media.

"We didn't know our rights then," Janice said. "So we agreed and we left." But the following day Janice Smolinski was back in Woodbridge hanging up Billy's posters. That night they were torn down again. Day after day Janice and her family faithfully re hung Billy's posters, and night after night they were destroyed.

The Smolinskis consulted with a lawyer who advised them they had every right to hang posters near school property, and the following day, April 10th, Janice once again started hanging posters near the Beecher School entrance.

"The superintendent of schools drove by and asked me what I was doing," Janice said. "I explained my son was missing. She was very nice and said she'd appreciate it if I didn't hang it on that pole anymore, and I never put it there again."

Two weeks later the Woodbridge Police called and asked Janice to come down to Woodbridge. Madeleine's friend, Frances Vrabel, had filed a complaint against Janice for hanging posters by the school. Janice was arrested for first degree harassment.

"It was so backwards," Paula said. "The police tried to make us seem crazy, but we were just trying to find Billy. The only arrest so far in this case has been my mom. She just wants to know what happened to her son and she ends up sitting next to criminals in the New Haven courthouse."

The charges were eventually dismissed, but the event left William Smolinski rattled. "This shakes my belief in the system," he said. "We just want the truth and we're are not getting the truth."

COLLECTING DNA
Janice spends hours every day searching the internet looking for information that might help solve the mystery of Billy's disappearance. She has learned a lot about DNA. It was on the internet she learned about the FBI Laboratory's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). She discovered how CODIS blends forensic science and computer technology into an effective tool for solving violent crimes. CODIS, according to its web site, enables federal, state, and local crime labs to exchange and compare DNA profiles electronically, thereby linking crimes to each other and to convicted offenders.

CODIS began as a pilot project in 1990 serving 14 state and local laboratories. The DNA Identification Act of 1994 (Public Law 103 322) formalized the FBI's authority to establish a national DNA index for law enforcement purposes. In October 1998, the FBI's National DNA Index System (NDIS) became operational. CODIS is implemented as a distributed database with three hierarchical levels (or tiers) - local, state, and national. NDIS is the highest level in the CODIS hierarchy, and enables the laboratories participating in the CODIS Program to exchange and compare DNA profiles on a national level. All DNA profiles originate at the local level (LDIS), then flow to the state (SDIS) and national levels. SDIS allows laboratories within states to exchange DNA profiles. The tiered approach allows state and local agencies to operate their databases according to their specific legislative or legal requirements.

After Billy disappeared the Waterbury police took his razor and hairbrush to collect DNA samples from Billy. They also took blood samples from Janice Smolinski and Paula Bell.

After learning more about DNA, Janice Smolinski called the Waterbury Police Department recently to find out if Billy's DNA was in CODIS. "I was transferred from one person to the next and nobody could answer my question," she said. "Finally I was told to contact Cindy Lopes (a former Waterbury police officer) who now works at the state police forensic lab. When I got hold of her she said that Billy's DNA was not in CODIS. I want to know why."

When the Observer met with Deputy Chief Egan and detectives Jackson and Angon on March 6th inside police headquarters, none of the officers could answer the question about Billy's DNA. Neither of the detectives knew what CODIS was.

Egan called back the following day to say that the police were now going to swab the inside of Janice and William Smolinski's cheeks and send their DNA off to the state lab. Egan readily admitted he was not an expert on DNA and placed Sgt. Joe Rainone on the telephone to help explain the technology.

"We are going to do a buccal swab on the parents and send it to the state lab for a reverse paternity test," Rainone explained. "The results can be used to compare with any unidentified male remains."

Sgt. Rainone said the results would first be plugged into the CODIS system, which would scour Connecticut for any unidentified male remains. Secondly, Sgt. Rainone said the DNA from the Smolinskis would be plugged into the NDIS system, to see if there were a match with any unidentified male remains around the country.

The previous blood samples taken from Janice and Paula sits in storage right now, and will be used for Mitochondrial DNA testing in the near future. According to Sgt. Rainone, who is not involved in Billy's investigation, the new DNA is cutting edge and can be used to seek a DNA match on a tiny piece of skeleton, which is impossible with conventional nuclear DNA testing.

"What about Billy's DNA?" Janice Smolinski wonders. 'The police took his razor and hair brush 18 months ago. Where is that and why isn't Billy's DNA in CODIS right now? It is very confusing, but we don't need to be educated, the police do."

Billy's file is quickly turning into a cold case.

"This whole case is bizarre," Police Chief Neil O'Leary said. "Maybe some media attention might help. Right now we don't have a lot to go on."

Janice Smolinski shrugged her shoulders. "The police don't know where to go from here because they blew it in the beginning," she said. "I hope this is an eye-opener for the police department and next time someone goes missing they take it seriously and do everything they can right away. For 18 months we've been trying to get somebody to pay attention and we've decided we're not going to make any headway without making noise."

On March 6th the Smolinskis went up to Hartford to testify at a public hearing regarding a proposed bill to establish a Missing Persons Day in Connecticut. One of Billy's co-workers at Durable Towing, Dawn Breen, had suggested the idea to state representative Selim Noujaim, and he had followed through. "It seems like it is going to pass," Janice Smolinski said. "It was a very emotional experience. When my husband broke down while reading his comments I looked up and two of the senators were crying."

But Janice Smolinski isn't stopping there. She wants the Connecticut State Legislature to pass a bill that establishes a statewide procedure for dealing with missing persons. "If a person goes missing the police should immediately collect DNA samples," Janice said.

"They should start a search within 24 to 48 hours with dogs and helicopters. Police have to take a missing person report seriously."

Before Billy vanished, Janice Smolinski said she was shy and would avoid confrontation. Now she is trying to confront a system plagued with inconsistency and wants to change the laws in Connecticut.

"I'm doing it for Billy," she said. "We hope no one else in the future has to go through what we are going through."

(Editor's note - attempts to reach Madeleine Gleason for comment for this story were unsuccessful)

Family Website:

http://www.justice4billy.com/

http://www.wfsb.com/...y.asp?S=4925242

Missing Man Mystery in Waterbury

Posted: May 19, 2006

WATERBURY -- A local man from Waterbury has been missing for nearly two years, and his parents say someone is trying stop them from finding out what happened to their son.

Billy Smolinski's parents have taken video that they say proves someone is trying to slow down the investigation.

Eyewitness News has also learned that tracking dogs will return to the place Smolinski was last seen alive.

Smolinski's family believes he was murdered. But with few facts and no evidence or eyewitnesses the case has come to a screeching halt.

Smolinski was last seen at his Waterbury home on August 24, 2004.

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about it," says his father William Smolinski. "Going to work, coming home...it's tough."

Billy told a neighbor he was going up north to look at a car and asked him to let out his dog Harley, he'd leave a key.

When the neighbor didn't find a key or Billy he called a friend.

Billy's truck was parked at the end of his driveway. Inside were his wallet and keys.

"When the neighbor called his girlfriend of eight years because there was no key we knew there was a problem," says Janice Smolinski, Billy's mother. "We called police and said he was missing."

Police would not classify him as missing for three days.

"We did a thorough search of his home," says Chris Corbett of Waterbury Police. "There were no physical signs of a disturbance at the home. There were a number of events that had occurred in his life including a break up with a girlfriend also the loss of his job. There is no sign of foul play and by that I mean no physical signs of evidence and no witnesses."

Neighbors John and Elaine Ramsey remember that week.

"We'd been on vacation and I came home and Billy was over there stripping paint off the side of the house and he'd been doing that for about three days and then I didn't see him," said John Ramsey.

Billy had just returned from a trip to Florida where the family suspects he had found out his girlfriend was cheating on him.

"That's why there's so much more to this case than just 'Billy missing,'" Janice says.

The I-Team has learned that the day Billy disappeared he left a threatening message on the answering machine of the other man. Police confirm they have a tape, but aren't saying who the took it from.

"As part of the investigation we took custody of a tape recording from an answering machine and we have that as evidence," says Corbett

Billy's family started hanging missing posters and they were stunned at what they happened next.

"They pull up behind our car and rip them down right in front of us," said William Smolinski

They say it was Billy's ex-girlfriend tearing down the posters. The family has video of what appears Madeline Gleason and another woman tearing down the signs.

"We were hanging flyers in Woodbridge and they were constantly being torn down sliced slashed," said Janice Smolinski.

And, then another twist as Woodbridge police arrested Billy's mother for trespassing for putting up a missing poster on a poll. You can see it's been torn down but a piece of it remains.

In the arrest affidavit. Mrs. Smolinski was charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct, charges the state's attorney would later drop.

The I-team tried many times to contact Gleason, but were told to come back to her house 'another time.'

Police tell the I-Team they are entering a new phase of the investigation. Later this month K-9's will comb the woods behind Billy's house, searching for clues.

The Smolinskis believe there is someone out there who knows what happened to their son, and they are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with information to call the Waterbury police department.

NOTE: After several unsuccessful attempts to contact Madeline Gleason, I-Team reporter Diana Rocco was able to get in touch with Gleason's attorney -- John Williams -- Seven hours before this story aired. He hung up on us and has not returned calls for comment.

http://www.wtnh.com/...014461&nav=3YeX

Missing Waterbury man's case gets national attention

June 10, 2006

The case of a missing man from the Naugatuck Valley gains national attention.

Billy Smolinski suddenly disappeared from his Waterbury home nearly two years ago.

In all that time his family has never given up hope he will be found and they're joining a national effort to draw attention to his case..

Today's rally was held by the Community United Center (Cue) for Missing Persons at Liberty Park. The North Carolina organization is traveling to 16 Eastern states as part of it's annual Road to Remember tour.

There are those at today's rally who have not seen or heard from loved ones in years, like the Smolinski family whose son Billy disappeared almost two years ago.

But there are those here who have lost loved ones to violence, like the family of Kathy Hardy or Jessica Keyworth. Kathy died in an arson fire a few months ago in Branford. 16-year-old Jessica Keyworth was found dead in Waterbury two years ago in the stairwell of a home. There have been no arrests for any of these crimes.

These events are two fold. They serve as a support system for grieving families, but also put unsolved cases back into the spotlight.

"We're not giving up, you know, it could be another 20 years, and I've devoted my life to finding my son, and if son is out there and they hurt them, I'm not giving up," says Janice Smolinski.

"There's a lot of support because people really understand what you're feeling, it's a special club that you don't want to belong to, but it helps," says Betty Barrett, Lost daughter in arson fire.

Every family member is pleading with the public that if anyone has any information on any of these cases, call police.

Smolinski's case will also be profiled on America's Most Wanted.

Billy's story was featured on the Cool Justice Report blog.

The Story



This is also a must read: Article from the Waterbury Observer

Billy's family and the reporter are being sued by Billy's former girlfriend. This story is bizarre.

Please pray for this family.

IMHO Billy's family has been victimized many times since he disappeared: by LE and the ex-girlfriend.

From the family:

"Today will be two years since that fateful day Billy was taken from us. We will be having an on-line Candle Light Vigil this year. Our family is asking you to please take a few minutes today to remember Billy.

Please visit his web site:
http://www.justice4billy.com/

While visiting his web site please say a prayer and feel free to sign his guestbook. For those of us that were fortunate to have known Billy, please think of a fond memory that you shared with him.

Thanks to everyone,

Bill, Jan, Paula & Smolinski Family"

William Smolinski will be featured on the TV program "Missing".

http://www.usamissing.com

The show will air the week of August 28, 2006, and in most areas, is shown on the following weekend.

Please check out which station airs the program in your area by visiting the following link.

http://www.usamissing.com/findus.htm

Then check out the station's site (provided in the above link) for the exact day and time the show airs.

All the following adults and children will be featured on this episode.

Joanna Rogers, Heather Bennett, Jason Smith, La-Teasha Brooks, Cermen Toney, Diane Aviles Colon, Tommy Adkins, Estela Salgado*, Elizabeth Mondelli, Neil Eddleman, Kristina Bishop, Chelsea Morales, Gerardo Morales, Jason Jolkowski, Angela Ramsey, Danielle Nottingham, Karen Giron Molina, William Smolinski Jr., Ana Leyva, Ashley Martinez, Jerry Tang, Cory White, Brittney Beers, Iumila Vasquez, Tracey Tetso.

*Recently recovered


http://www.usamissin...les/Page733.htm

Newsday.com: News, Entertainment and Sports

Sunday, October 01, 2006

FBI JOINS CASE


FBI steps in to help in case of missing man
October 1, 2006, 2:58 PM EDT

WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) _ The FBI has agreed to help Waterbury police in the case of a man who vanished more than two years ago. Billy Smolinski was 31 years old when he disappeared in August 2004 after asking a neighbor to look after his dog while he took a three-day trip to look at a car.


City police say their investigation has hit a dead end and hope federal authorities can help solve the mystery. "We feel we did all we can do from the local perspective," Police Superintendent Neil O'Leary said. "The case was investigated as thoroughly as it could be." Waterbury police asked for the FBI's help in August, requesting a joint local-federal investigation.

Please continue to read at this link:
blog.myspace.com/billysmolinski

Sunday, October 01, 2006

  WATERBURY PD TO PRODUCE SMOLINSKI MISSING FILE

FOI COMMISSION COMPELS WATERBURY PD TO PRODUCE SMOLINSKI MISSING

PERSON LOVE TRIANGLE FILE

Department Says It Is Reaching Out To the FBI For Help

By ANDY THIBAULT

The Cool Justice Report
The Cool Justice Report

Sept. 29, 2006


EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is available for reprint or citation courtesy of The Cool Justice

Report, The Cool Justice Report

The state Freedom of Information Commission has compelled the Waterbury Police Department to hand-deliver its file on the Billy Smolinski case to the FOI office in Hartford for an in-camera review.

During a hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 26, Waterbury Police legal advisor Gary Roosa said he could deliver the file and an index within one week.

Smolinski, 33, has been missing for more than two years. Foul play is suspected. Smolinski's family complained police did not initially take them seriously and failed to perform basic investigative tasks in a timely manner. Central to the case is a love triangle involving a politician who recently resigned from office.

The in-camera or secret review by FOI Commission staff would lead to a determination of what records can be released to the public. The Sept. 26 hearing followed a complaint filed Aug. 4, Docket # FIC 2006-389, Andy Thibault v. Chief, Police Department, City of Waterbury. The first formal request was made July 28. It was denied Aug. 4, resulting in the complaint.

Such documents are public records unless police can demonstrate they are taking
substantive action to pursue the case. Police must also show that release of the records
would harm an ongoing investigation.

Waterbury Police Lt. Chris Corbett, testifying at the Sept. 26 hearing, could not cite any
recent investigative activity by his department in the Smolinski matter.

Roosa and Corbett pointed to a letter written by Deputy Police Chief James Nardozzi on
Aug. 4, the same day the FOI complaint was filed. In the letter, written to the agent in charge of the New Haven FBI office, Kimberly Mertz, Nardozzi said the Waterbury PD had "exhausted all avenues of investigation available to us."

"Thus," Nardozzi said, "We are requesting the assistance of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation in conducting a joint FBI-WPD investigation into the disappearance of Mr.
Smolinski."

Corbett testified that at least one FBI agent has been looking at the file. But, he could not
say whether any interviews had been conducted.

Based on the letter to the FBI, Roosa sought a continuance of the FOI hearing. The request was denied by the hearing officer, Atty. Mary Schwind, after argument that the mere writing of a letter did not constitute an ongoing investigation.

Andy Thibault, author of Law & Justice In Everyday Life and a private investigator, is an
adjunct lecturer of English and a mentor in the MFA writing program at Western
Connecticut State University. He also serves as a consulting editor for the literary journal
Connecticut Review. Website, http://www.andythibault.com and Blog,
The Cool Justice Report

William Smolinski, Jr. will be featured on the television program "Missing".

Home

The show will air the week of October 2, 2006, and in most areas, is shown on the following weekend.

Please check out whick station airs the program in your area by visiting the following link.

Missing - Links

Then check out the station's site (provided in the above link) for the exact day and time the show airs.

All the following adults and children will be featured on this episode.

Kelli Cox, Ke'Shaun Vanderhorst, Patricia Viola, Chrystle Edmonds, Charles Aaron Smith, Kevin Beights, Terri Slaugenhaupt, Ruth Hoffman, Tyesha Bell, Rachel Ziselman, Ernesto Villarreal, Jacob Miranda, Thalia Miranda, Taylor White, Destanie Trevillion, Jamel Williams, Zulma Flores, Christopher Bacsain, Darsha Robinson, Raed Alfarah, Noah Turner, Rebecca Redick, Claudia Guillen, Brianna Maitland, William Smolinski, Jr.


This Week-Television

Billy is featured on the Cool Justice blog again:

The Cool Justice Report: Smolinski Family Relieved That FBI Is Involved


.......Finally, back in July, the Smolinskis went down to FBI offices in New Haven to give DNA samples. While they were there they left behind long feature articles that had been published in the Waterbury Observer detailing the bizarre circumstances surrounding Billy’s disappearance, and the sluggish investigation by Waterbury detectives. The police work in the case was so sloppy that it was either a bungled investigation, or perhaps there was a connection between Woodbridge and Waterbury.

At the end of the visit the Smolinskis were informed that the articles would be passed along to an agent. The family said they were told that they wouldn’t know if an agent was actively investigating the case or not. They said they were told the FBI likes to work quietly.

Weeks later, on July 28th, Andy Thibault requested information regarding the case from the Waterbury Police Department. His request was denied. But Thibault, an experienced investigative journalist, and a former Freedom of Information (FOI) commissioner, was keen enough to petition for a hearing in Hartford that jammed a spotlight on the efforts of the Waterbury police. The department was forced to release information about the love triangle, or prove that they were conducting an active investigation.......

Please continue to read at the link provided.

From the family:

"Hi Everyone,

On Sunday evening November 19 William (Billy) Smolinski Jr. will be briefly aired on "Without a Trace" approximately somewhere into the middle of the show 10 - 11 PM eastern time on CBS. William (Billy) 31 years old at time of disappearance has been missing since August 24 2004 last seen in Waterbury, Connecticut.

The following morning, Monday, November 20 on CBS "The Early Show" 7 -9AM eastern time there will be an interview taped with Billy's dad,(William) mom,(Janice) and sister (Paula). During the segment there will also be an interview with the FBI. Please tune in
to view. If anyone knows anything please call The Office of the FBI New Haven Connecticut 203 777-6311 or newhaven.fbi.gov

Please pass this on to all your contacts. Thank you from the Smolinski Family"

Here is a video of Billy's segment on the Missing Show, provided courtesy of Jim Viola:

http://www.patriciav...ng_Jan_2007.wmv

Relatives of missing adults work to pass laws across nation - Boston.com

Relatives of missing adults work to pass laws across nation
March 25, 2007

HARTFORD, Conn. --When Janice Smolinski's 31-year-old son Billy disappeared in 2004, there were no Amber Alerts, no urgent police investigations.

Police made the family wait three days to report the Waterbury man's disappearance because a neighbor believed he had left town voluntarily. They had to organize their own search parties and pressure police to fingerprint Billy's truck, his mother said.

When authorities did take the case, they lost or misplaced the family's DNA samples -- including Billy's razor shavings -- three times, Smolinski said.

Two-and-a-half years later, Billy Smolinski is nowhere to be found and his mother has joined a national grass-roots effort to lobby for more consistent laws for handling missing adult cases.

The group's Campaign for the Missing is lobbying this year in Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Oregon, New York, Missouri, Ohio and Indiana.

"Our system isn't working," said Janice Smolinski. "Unfortunately, when adults go missing, they don't really take it seriously."

Of more than 109,000 active records in the National Crime Information Center's Missing Person File as of Dec. 31, 2005, just under half involve adults.

But the National Center for Missing Adults, which handled more than 23,000 reports and helped nearly 25,000 family members in 2005, announced last year that federal budget cuts had forced it to close its Phoenix offices and attempt to relocate to a less expensive space.

Funding was cut to $148,000 last year for the center, which also helped families during Hurricane Katrina.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, in comparison, typically receives more than $35 million a year from the federal government.

Police say they don't have the resources to focus attention on every case, and adults are allowed to disappear voluntarily.

"It's a free country and we've got to remember that," said West Hartford Police Chief James Strillacci, legislative chairman for the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association. "We have wanderlust in our blood and people get up and move once in a while."

Contrary to television crime shows, he said, the FBI rarely assists in missing adult cases.

"We cannot do for everybody that they would like us to do," he said. "We can only do what the law and our budgets allow."

The bills proposed by Campaign for the Missing touch on everything from banning cremation of unidentified remains to informing families about the clearinghouses for missing adults and children.

Each would prevent police from refusing to accept missing persons reports in most circumstances. They spell out data police must collect for a missing person, from eye color to blood type. They would also allow police to flag a missing person -- such as someone with medical problems -- as high risk, triggering more immediate action.

The families of missing adults also want police to enter all collected information, including DNA profiles, into applicable federal databases and provide timely case updates to family members.

They also want more publicity for missing adults.

The Amber Alert program, named for a 9-year-old girl who was kidnapped and killed, allows law enforcement and television and radio broadcasters to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child abduction cases.

But for adults, attention focuses largely on the bizarre or unusual, such as runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks, who fled days before her planned 2005 wedding and made up a story about being kidnapped and sexually assaulted to cover the fact that she got cold feet and went to New Mexico.

When Drew Kesse's 24-year-old daughter, Jennifer, didn't show up for work in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 24, 2006, a police officer suggested the attractive blonde financial analysts had gotten into a fight with her boyfriend and would return soon. More than a year has passed with no sign of her.

"There is absolutely no evidence. She has truly vanished," he said. "It's heartbreaking."

To drum up attention, the families of the missing have become amateur public relations consultants, creating web sites and organizing public events.

Kesse has flown banners over football games and printed playing cards with Jennifer's picture. Well-wishers have paid for eight billboards and posters in 24 bus shelters.

Kelly Jolkowski, whose Nebraska-based Project Jason created the Campaign for the Missing, has organized charity bike rides and appearances on the Montel Williams Show to generate interest in missing people, including her 19-year-old son Jason, who vanished from the family's Omaha driveway in 2001.

"The only thing you can do is get the story out there," she said. "One of these days you're going to hit the right person."

Though Omaha police did a complete investigation of her son's disappearance, Jolkowski said that's not the norm.

"When you have somebody disappear as an adult rather than a minor, it's an entirely different situation," she said. "There's no federal law that mandates them. Unless the state has passed this legislation, they are not mandated to do anything. They don't even have to take the case, period."

Jolkowski said families have told her of local police not aware of the federal DNA database. She has learned of unidentified bodies cremated or buried in unmarked graves without any DNA samples taken.

"It was a chore to get the police to take Molly's case seriously because she was 23," said Keri Dattilo, referring to her cousin Molly Dattilo, who disappeared July 6, 2004 in Indianapolis.

Keri Dattilo said it took six weeks before an investigation began in earnest.

"They could have tracked down more people in the very beginning with a fresh memory," she said. "I think they need to start taking these cases seriously in the beginning. They need to listen to the families."

New Jersey resident Jim Viola's wife, Patricia, disappeared six years ago, the day before Valentine's Day. He has since learned by trial and error what should be done when someone disappears. He didn't know for more than three years that a DNA profile of his wife could be created with a blood sample from his mother-in-law.

By pushing Campaign for the Missing legislation in his state, he hopes to save others from some of the heartache he's suffered.

"I'm basically trying to get New Jersey residents to write to their senator, to get them to understand that this law is for them," he said

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Nation -- Relatives of missing adults push for laws requiring police to search for their loved ones

Relatives of missing adults push for laws requiring police to search for their loved ones

HARTFORD, Conn. – When Janice Smolinski's 31-year-old son Billy disappeared in 2004, there were no Amber Alerts, no urgent police investigations.
Police made the family wait three days to report the Waterbury man's disappearance because a neighbor believed he left town voluntarily. The family organized its own search parties and pressured police to fingerprint Billy's truck, his mother says.

Two and a half years later, Billy Smolinski is nowhere to be found and his mother has joined a national push for more consistent laws for handling missing-adult cases.
The group's Campaign for the Missing is lobbying this year in Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Oregon, New York, Missouri, Ohio and Indiana.

“Our system isn't working,” says Janice Smolinski. “Unfortunately, when adults go missing, they don't really take it seriously.”

Just under half of the more than 109,000 active records in the National Crime Information Center's missing person file as of Dec. 31, 2005, involved adults.

The National Center for Missing Adults, a government-supported organization that handled more than 23,000 reports and helped nearly 25,000 family members in 2005, had its federal funding cut last year to $148,000.

In October, the organization warned it may close its doors if it did not get more funding; it did not return repeated calls recently, and it was not clear whether it was still in operation.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, in comparison, typically receives more than $35 million a year from the federal government.

Police say they do not have the resources to focus attention on every case, particularly because there is nothing in the law to prevent an adult from walking away from his friends and family.

“We cannot do for everybody that they would like us to do,” said West Hartford Police Chief James Strillacci, legislative chairman for the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association. “We can only do what the law and our budgets allow.”

Contrary to TV crime shows, he said, the FBI rarely assists in missing adult cases.

Family members said they believe local police need better training and more resources to track down missing adults. The laws proposed by Campaign for the Missing would require police to accept most missing-persons reports and to collect certain information, such as blood type and eye color.

The families also want to require police to enter all collected information, including DNA, into federal databases and to provide updates to family members. They also want to ban the cremation of unidentified remains.

Kelly Jolkowski helped create the Campaign for the Missing after her 19-year-old son Jason vanished from the family's Omaha, Neb., driveway in 2001.

“The only thing you can do is get the story out there,” she says. “One of these days you're going to hit the right person.”

Jolkowski says she has heard horror stories from families whose local police departments did not know of the federal DNA database. She has also learned of unidentified bodies cremated or buried in unmarked graves without any DNA taken.

In Indianapolis, family members say it took six weeks for a formal police investigation into the disappearance of Molly Dattilo, who disappeared in 2004.

“They could have tracked down more people in the very beginning with a fresh memory,” says Dattilo's cousin, Keri Dattilo. “I think they need to start taking these cases seriously in the beginning. They need to listen to the families.”

Dattilo has not been found.