Sheriff Expands Search for Missing Fox Exec

The search for missing 20th Century Fox distribution executive and former UCLA basketball player Gavin Smith intensified Tuesday, as the sheriff's department added new resources to the probe.

"The new development is that our department has added new resources to the search for this missing man," sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said. "I am not going to detail exactly what those resources are, but part of it was adding more detectives to the search."

Whitmore said detectives have not found any evidence of foul play in Smith's disappearance. Whitmore declined comment on what may have caused the Fox executive to vanish.

Smith's family has set up a website -- findgavinsmith.com.

"Really what we are looking for is trying to get as many eyes out there looking for him," son Evan Smith said.

The younger Smith, a forward on the USC basketball team, told Fox11 he has "been going crazy on Twitter. I really feel that network itself could really get as many people looking for my dad as possible."

Gavin Smith's sister, Tara Addeo, has been distributing fliers in an effort to find her 57-year-old brother, who was last seen driving away from a friend's home in the 500 block of Kellwood Court in the Ventura County community of Oak Park between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. last Tuesday.

Smith was driving a black 2000 Mercedes-Benz 420E with tinted windows and a roof rack, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The license on the car is 6EKT044.

"We've been looking down the canyons, ravines, little creeks, rivers, all over he place," Evan Smith told Fox11.

He said his dad went missing soon after returning from a motion picture industry trade show in Las Vegas.

"He was over at ShoWest for Fox. All the execs went over there. He had a good time. He came back. He was completely fine. We knew something was up when he didn't pick up my little brother at school and he didn't show up to work that day."

The missing man lives in West Hills and works in Calabasas. He is white, about 6 feet 6 and 210 pounds, with green eyes, gray hair with blond highlights, a goatee, a roughly 4-inch scar on his right inner wrist and a 5- inch scar on one of his calves, according to the sheriff's department.

Smith was a member of UCLA's 1975 national championship men's basketball team, the last title won by legendary Bruin coach John Wooden.

Anyone with information on Smith's whereabouts was asked to contact detectives Abraham or Carnes at (323) 890-5500, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222- TIPS. Anonymous tips can be submitted to http://lacrimestopers.org.

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