Update: The Oakland County Sheriff's Office confirms the body of 48-year-old Chirstopher James "Chris" Smith was found today behind a Pontiac church on Wayne Street.
Officials say there were no immediate signs of trauma or foul play, and that an autopsy is planned for Wednesday.
The original story is below:
The family of a beloved Oxford man is desperate for his safe return after he went missing last week.
Chris Smith was last seen leaving McLaren Oakland Hospital in Pontiac on Wednesday around 6:30 p.m., according to his wife Nicole.
She doesn't know if he was admitted and discharged or if he was checked out and just left on his own.
"He really is a gentle giant," Nicole, Chris Smith's wife, said.
Nicole Smith says Chris works for Oxford Community Schools and did so at the time of the mass shooting in 2021.
"Like most people in our area, there's a lot of people that have struggled with what has happened in our town and he is unfortunately part of that," Nicole Smith said.
Nicole Smith says Chris was sober for two decades and then within the past two years started using alcohol to cope.
On Wednesday, she claims he was severely intoxicated and was brought to McLaren hospital in Pontiac by ambulance. She says by the time she found out he was taken to the hospital, he was already gone.
"He was either released or he left," Nicole Smith said. "I am not sure of those details yet."
A spokesperson for McLaren hospital could not confirm whether Smith was ever admitted due to privacy laws.
He said it's possible Smith was seen and not admitted.
A security guard we spoke to outside the hospital told us she checked surveillance footage but did not spot Smith.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office says they are investigating Smith's disappearance but did not have any other information.
"I am genuinely worried because this is not like him to be away for this long. He is a good man, he is a good husband and he is a good father," Nicole Smith said.
She says she does not think he's hiding, but she does believe he may be "sad."
Chris Smith is described as being 6-foot-2 with brown hair and blue eyes.
According to his missing person's flyer, he could be wearing a dark-colored baseball hat, a black hoodie or north face style jacket, khaki cargo pants, two different types of shoes and a lot of necklaces and bracelets.
"There have been hundreds of people out in the community looking for him and that love him. He really is a wonderful person and I would like him to know that he is loved and everyone wants him to come home," Nicole Smith said.
Nicole Smith says her husband did not have a car and only the clothes on his back.
The hospital spokesperson says if he was admitted, they would have ensured he had a ride home per their policy.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Oakland County Sheriff's Office at 248-858-4951.
