Candle-lit vigil to be held for Rudy Smith

A candle-lit vigil to mark the 42nd birthday of a man who has been missing for more than a year is to be held next week.

The family of Rudy Smith, who was last seen on July 9 last year, said yesterday they had accepted he was dead.

Cousin Shakira Caines said: “This is just to honour his birthday and the fact it’s been a year since his disappearance.”

Ms Caines added: “We’re still hoping that someone comes forward and says something about what happened. We just want some closure.

“We have come to the conclusion we’re not going to see him any more – but we really want to have some type of closure.

“I know the police stay in contact with his mom, but there has been no progress that we have been made aware of.”

Police said a month after the mystery disappearance that the probe had been ramped up to a full-scale murder enquiry.

Mr Smith left his girlfriend’s house in Devonshire on the evening of July 9, 2012 to return to his Pembroke home – but never arrived.

His bike was recovered from the sea around a week later, off North Shore Road near the Grace Methodist Church.

A helmet recovered from the water at the same time is also believed to have been Mr Smith’s.

Mr Smith’s birthday last year passed with no news and no contact with his family.

Police admitted they suspected Mr Smith had been murdered and his body dumped at sea.

The event is to be held in the parking lot of the Evening Light Church, Parsons Road, Pembroke, next Wednesday, starting at 8.30pm.

It has been organised jointly by Mr Smith’s family and Colford’s Family Against Violence, set up after Colford Ferguson was gunned down in February 2011 as he was doing construction work on a house in Somerset.

No one has been charged in connection with the shooting of Mr Ferguson, who was 29 when he died.

Police said at the time the shooting was gang-related, but that Mr Ferguson was not a gang member.

Music at the event will be provided by Star Lyfe, co-founded by Haile “Star Child” Outerbridge, who was one of two men shot and killed at Belvin’s Variety Store in January.

Mr Outerbridge died alongside Ricco Furbert, 35, in the double slaying.