Missing in Alaska

🚨 MISSING 13-YEAR-OLD: ANCHORAGE POLICE ASK PUBLIC TO HELP FIND TRAVIS SMITH

Gina Hill

Every share matters. Help get Travis Smith home safely.

Anchorage police are asking for the public’s help locating a missing 13-year-old boy. They need Alaskans to help spread the word.

Travis Smith was reported missing on Monday, November 2, 2026. According to the Anchorage Police Department (APD), he was last seen or heard from at approximately midnight near the 5600 block of Alora Loop in Anchorage.

Map showing the area near the 5600 block of Alora Loop in Anchorage, where Travis Smith was last known to be.

Travis is described as:

  • Age: 13
  • Height: 5 feet, 2 inches
  • Weight: Approximately 120 pounds
  • Hair: Short black hair in a bowl cut
  • Eyes: Brown
  • Last known clothing: Unknown
  • Footwear: He was barefoot when last seen.

Police have not provided information about what Travis may have been wearing. His physical description is especially important when sharing the alert.

📢 PLEASE SHARE: SOMEONE MAY HAVE SEEN HIM

A missing-child notice can reach only so many people through official channels. Sharing the information helps extend that reach to friends, neighbors, coworkers, and people who may live or travel near the area where Travis was last seen.

Someone scrolling through a social media feed might recognize his description. Someone else might remember seeing a barefoot boy in the neighborhood. A person who does not know Travis personally could still have information that helps police locate him.

Please don’t assume someone else has already shared the alert. Share it yourself.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) recognizes the public’s ability to quickly spread information and photographs of missing children through social media. The organization encourages people to share verified missing-child posters and include clear instructions for reporting information.

A 2025 study published in the Journal of Applied Communication Research examined 600 missing-person posts on X. Researchers found that timeliness, empathy, and respect were associated with greater engagement. Their research also explored what encourages people to share missing-person messages.

In other words, getting accurate information in front of more people matters. A share cannot guarantee a sighting, but it can put a child’s description in front of someone who might have information.

THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE SEARCH

NCMEC’s 2025 figures offer some perspective on the number of children involved in missing-person cases nationwide:

  • 32,167 missing-child cases were supported by NCMEC during 2025.
  • 29,013 cases were resolved, representing a 90% overall recovery rate.
  • 3,154 cases remained active at the end of the reporting period.

These are national figures, not statistics about Travis’s individual case. But behind every number is a child and a family hoping for a safe return.

📞 HAVE INFORMATION? CONTACT ANCHORAGE POLICE

Anyone with information about Travis Smith’s whereabouts is asked to call Anchorage Police Dispatch at:

311

APD Case Number: 26-0028736

If you believe you have seen Travis, contact police promptly. Do not put yourself or the child at risk by attempting to investigate on your own.

A FEW IMPORTANT THINGS WHEN SHARING

  • Share the original police alert or this verified information.
  • Keep Travis’s description and APD’s contact number with the post.
  • Do not add rumors, unverified sightings, or speculation.
  • Check for an official recovery announcement. If Travis is found, remove or update your posts to protect his privacy.

A SHARE TAKES SECONDS. Its reach can go much farther than you realize.

A family is waiting for answers, and a 13-year-old boy needs to be found.

Please share Travis’s description with your friends, family, neighborhood groups, and social media communities.

Let’s help bring Travis Smith home safely.

Photo courtesy of the Anchorage Police Department. Thirteen-year-old Travis Smith was last seen barefoot near the 5600 block of Alora Loop in Anchorage. With Alaska heading into winter, the urgency of locating him and bringing him home safely is especially great.

SOURCES

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