PORT ANGELES — The family of a Lower Elwha Klallam woman missing since Jan. 10 is offering a $1,000 cash reward for “information that directly leads to face-to-face contact between Leelah Smith and police.”
The reward for the 23-year-old Lower Elwha Klallam tribal member expires either upon police verification of contact with Smith or at 11:59 p.m. March 12 unless otherwise communicated.
Smith’s mother, Keri Ellis, wrote in a text message that the missing person fliers are being amended with the reward and a more recent photograph of Smith and that she continues working with the Elwha Police Department.
Smith has been listed as a Missing Indigenous Person by the Washington State Patrol on behalf of the Lower Elwha Tribal Police Department. She is described as being 5 feet tall, weighing 95 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Her case also is being put into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), which is a national information clearinghouse and resource center for missing, unidentified and unclaimed persons across the United States.
Ellis is asking anyone who has seen her daughter to get in touch with her at 360-461-8719.
Ellis said she believes her daughter is with Theodore A. Rundquist, 36, of Port Angeles, who is known to frequent Port Angeles, Sequim, Kitsap County, Snohomish County, the Seattle suburb of Tukwila and possibly Oregon as well.
In addition to the FBI, a bounty hunter is involved in the search because Rundquist has a bench warrant out for his arrest after he failed to appear for a court hearing on Sept. 22, 2022.
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached at brian.gawley@soundpublishing.com.
