Full Notification

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is releasing the identity of the male individual whose skeletal remains were found by Park Rangers on the beach at San Miguel Island on August 4, 2014.  The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office previously submitted DNA from the remains to the California Department of Justice (DOJ).  On April 13, 2015, the Sheriff’s Office received confirmation from DOJ, establishing that the decedent was a missing person from Sacramento County.  The deceased individual was 63-year-old Richard Martin Smith, who was reported missing in June of 2014.  The female companion Mr. Smith was allegedly traveling with was 57-year-old Monique Krewedl of Sacramento.  Krewedl was also reported missing and has not been found.  Due to the level of decomposition of the body, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau was unable to establish the cause and manner of death and is classifying the cause of death as undetermined.  However, in evaluating the physical evidence that was available, no evidence was found to indicate the death was the result of violence.

Smith and Krewedl were last seen on May 28, 2014, leaving the Channel Island Marina in Ventura in a recently purchased sailboat.  The available information indicated Smith and Krewedl planned to sail back to Northern California.  When they were not heard from again, family members requested the United States Coast Guard search for the missing 34 foot sailboat, which was described as dark blue and white with blue sails and the name XIAO XIANG on the back.  After an extensive search, the boat was not located and the Coast Guard requested the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department conduct an investigation into the couple’s whereabouts.  A missing person’s case was filed for both victims. 

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department is hoping that someone in Santa Barbara County may have seen the couple or the boat and is requesting anyone with information on this case to give them a call at 916-874-5115.