Recovered; Jul 27, 2007

Bossier City Police announced that missing pastor's wife Mary Byrne Smith has been located living in New York state. During a press conference, cops confirmed that Mary did leave of her own accord for personal reasons, but refrained from going into more detail at Mary's request. Police received information that Mary had applied to the Alabama Department of Education for a copy of her Alabama teaching certificate. From that request, detectives found that Mary had applied for a teaching position in New York state, and were able to locate her. Mary was working at a fast food restaurant under an assumed name, and was able to confirm her identity with police by giving them information that only she would know.

Mary confirmed that she left the CenturyTel Center on March 24, and went to a Bossier City pawnshop to sell her wedding ring. Mary then went to a Shreveport bus terminal and purchased a ticket for New York, after asking an employee for a ticket as "far away as she could get." Bossier City Police have alerted Mary's family that she is safe, but honored her request not to give them her exact location. Bossier City Police Chief Mike Halphen said that he encouraged Mary to contact her family, and is confident she will do so. He also stressed to the public that Mary broke no law in leaving- she simply started a new life for herself. Chief Halphen stated that the case is now officially closed.