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Etta Smith: The Psychic Whose Vision Led to a Murder Investigation Breakthrough
Etta Smith gained national attention in December 1980 for her involvement in the high-profile case of missing nurse Melanie Uribe in Los Angeles, California. Smith, who had no prior experience as a psychic detective, had a spontaneous vision that helped locate Uribe’s body. Her psychic insight brought critical information to the investigation, but it also led to her wrongful arrest, raising questions about the role of psychics in law enforcement investigations.
Etta Smith’s Early Life
Little is known about Etta Smith’s early life. At the time of the Melanie Uribe case, she worked as a Los Angeles shipping clerk. Before the case, she had not been widely known for her psychic abilities, and she was not professionally involved in psychic work.
The Melanie Uribe Case
On December 15, 1980, nurse Melanie Uribe went missing after failing to show up for work in Los Angeles. While the police were searching for her, Etta Smith, who was listening to a news broadcast about the case, suddenly had a vivid vision. In this vision, she saw the body of a woman lying in a remote area in the Angeles National Forest, covered by brush and partially hidden.
Believing that her vision was connected to Uribe’s disappearance, Smith went to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and reported what she had seen. Initially, the police were skeptical, but Smith was determined to follow through. She decided to visit the location herself, and with the help of her children, she went to the area she had envisioned.
To the shock of Smith and her family, they found Melanie Uribe’s body in the exact spot described in her vision. Uribe had been beaten to death after being abducted during a robbery.
Wrongful Arrest and Legal Complications
Despite Smith’s accurate tip, her discovery of the body led the LAPD to suspect her involvement in the crime. The police found it suspicious that a civilian could provide such precise information about the location of the body, and they arrested her on suspicion of murder. Smith was interrogated and held in custody for several days while the police investigated her claims.
Smith was eventually cleared of involvement when the real perpetrators—three men—were apprehended. They confessed to abducting and murdering Uribe during a robbery gone wrong. Smith was released, and her role in locating the body was vindicated. Etta Smith would go on to win an Arrest Suit against the LAPD.
Aftermath and Legacy
Etta Smith’s psychic vision and the subsequent events became a highly publicized case, demonstrating both the potential and the challenges of working with psychics in criminal investigations. While her vision helped bring resolution to the case, her wrongful arrest highlighted the difficulties law enforcement faces when handling information from unconventional sources.
Though she did not continue as a professional psychic, Smith’s experience remains one of the more notable cases where a psychic vision played a significant role in solving a murder investigation. Her story is still referenced in discussions about psychic insights in law enforcement.
