Concord woman spends Mother’s Day pleading for her daughters safe return

CONCORD, N.C. — For many families, Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the important women in their lives. But for one woman in Concord, Mother’s Day is marked by a desperate search for her daughter.

Tracie Barbee said her daughter, Jordan Smith, disappeared last April and has not been heard from since.

“It’s the most difficult thing that I think I’ve ever dealt with is just the not knowing. She’s my baby,” Barbee said.

Barbee said not a day has passed that her family and friends have failed to look for her. She told Channel 9 that Smith’s disappearance has made this Mother’s Day very difficult.

Barbee said she and Smith’s 9-year-old son Kohyn celebrated Mother’s Day with an empty seat saved in their household. They said they planted a weeping cherry tree along with a stone marker in remembrance of Smith.

According to her family, Smith was last seen on April 8. They said they have been pleading for her safe return, and are hoping someone out there can provide information that could lead to Smith.

“I think about her basically every day, because she’s my mother, of course. And I really love her. And you know I just can’t get my mind off of her,” Kohyn said.

“It’s my child. If we don’t fight for our child, who do we fight for? And it doesn’t matter what she’s done in her life. None of that matters. She is still a human being and she deserves to be home with me,” Barbee said.

Barbee said she has been determined to find her daughter even if that means acting on her own. She said she even hired a private investigator when she didn’t feel like the police were moving fast enough.

“I’m constantly following up on tips from people on Facebook, phone calls and messages. I’ve done a lot of this investigation on my own,” Barbee said.

The family said they are pleading with the community for any information about the case. Kohyn said he doesn’t understand why people are talking.

“I wouldn’t be mad but that would be upsetting if they didn’t like help or anything,” Kohyn said.

The Concord Police Department said they have been working with the Kannapolis Police Department and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department to find leads in this case. So far, they said they have not had any luck.

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