OAK HILL, WV (SWVO) – From 1962 to 1964, a mysterious figure known as the “Mad Butcher” cast a dark shadow over southern West Virginia in Fayette County.
In those years, seven men disappeared without a trace.
The region remained uneasy, but true panic didn’t erupt until December 1962, when the first of several grisly discoveries—scattered human remains—shocked the community.
We have covered the first potential victim, Ernest Gwinn, and that story may be found in the comments.
The second potential victim, Sammy Smith was a migrant farm worker from Scarbro.
He had recently returned to the Mountain State at the conclusion of the season and took up a position as a dishwasher at the Four Minute Lunch in Oak Hill.
Sammy was 33 years old at the time of his disappearance with black hair and hazel eyes. He was estimated to have been around 5’8”. On the evening of his disappearance, Sammy completed his shift at the Four Minute Lunch around 12 AM.
It is presumed that he hitched a ride to the Top Hat Drive in (formerly across from WOAY TV), because he was witnessed shortly after his shift getting a cup of coffee from the establishment.
The last sighting of Sammy came from a fellow customer at the drive in around 12:20 AM, who claimed too have seen him walking towards his home in Scarbro after leaving the drive in.
After several days of Sammy not returning home from work, his mother reported him missing to the State Police Detachment in Oak Hill.
To this day, the remains of Sammy Smith have never been found and he is still considered a missing person.
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