Tragic update in case of teen who vanished on Valentine’s Day 22 years ago after link made to remains found at oilfield

A TRAGIC update has been revealed in the case of a 16-year-old girl who disappeared on Valentine’s Day in 2000.

Partial remains of the teen were discovered near a Texas oilfield on August 1, 2013 and identified nearly nine years later.

The human remains were positively identified this month as Sylvia Nicole Smith, a teen who was reported missing by her mom 22 years ago.

Slyvia’s mom originally filed a runaway report with the Midland Police Department four days after she last saw her daughter, on February 18, 2000.

Sylvia’s previously unidentified remains were found by workers surveying an oilfield wellsite near South County Road 1160 and FM 1213.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) revealed the news in a Monday and after an “extensive investigation” helped lead authorities to confirm the remains were Slyvia.

“The remains were sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, where an anthropology report was completed, and DNA was extracted,” the DPS said.

The DPS continued: “The results revealed the victim was a female between the ages of 14-21 who was likely the victim of a homicide.

“The DNA results were put into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

“No results came back over the next several years, and in 2020, working with the Midland County District Attorney’s Office, the Rangers looked for additional means to identify the remains.”

After the remains were sent for an advanced DNA analysis, the results revealed the victim to be of African-American descent.

The results – which also identified the eye color, hair color, and skin tone of the deceased – were matched to a distant relative by a genetic genealogist.

“A genetic genealogist who examined the DNA assisted with a match which led to a distant relative,” the release stated.

“Rangers have interviewed numerous potential relatives to gather family information and in May 2022, information led to the victim’s mother in the Midland area. “

When Rangers took DNA samples of Sylvia’s family on June 9, 2022, prompting the verification of the teen’s remains.

A homicide investigation into the teen’s death remains underway by Texas Rangers.

Anyone with information on Sylvia’s disappearance or homicide is advised to contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), submit information through the , or call the Missing Person Hotline at 1-800-346-3243.

A $3,000 reward is being offered by Texas Crime Stoppers to anyone with information that can help authorities solve Slyvia’s case.