Cold Case Chronicles: FS Southside student went missing without of trace on October 1, 1978

On October 1, 1978, sixteen-year-old Anthony Ross Allen vanished from Fort Smith, leaving behind a trail of questions that still haunts his family and community.

Born on February 7, 1962, Tony was a tall, lanky sophomore at Southside High School, known for his quiet independence and easygoing nature. That summer, he had moved out of his mother’s home in Fort Smith to live with friends in Cedarville in Crawford County.

The reasons behind this move remain unclear, but it marked the beginning of a series of events that would ultimately lead to his disappearance.

In the months following his relocation, Tony and a friend reportedly traveled to Oklahoma, staying for a time in either Hartshorne or McAlester with the friend’s uncle. Their stay was short-lived. When the uncle discovered that police were searching for the boys, he asked them to leave.

From there, Tony is believed to have found shelter with a man known for taking in runaways and transients. But when law enforcement visited that residence, Tony fled, fearing they were there to arrest him. Though there were rumors he may have returned to Fort Smith, no one could confirm seeing him again. Since that day in 1978,

Tony has never been heard from.

Initially, authorities classified Tony as a runaway. He was known to be independent and had occasionally gone off on his own before, so his absence didn’t immediately raise alarm. But by 1980, the case was reclassified as a missing person

Over time, suspicion grew that foul play may have been involved. Loved ones insisted that Tony’s disappearance was deeply out of character. Though he valued his freedom, he always stayed in touch. The silence that followed his disappearance was not just unusual—it was chilling.

Tony’s physical description remains preserved in case records. At the time he vanished, he stood between six-foot-one and six-foot-two and weighed around 135 pounds. He had brown hair and brown eyes, with a small mole under his left eye near the nose, a cyst on his calf, and a condition described as “water on his knee.”

He was last seen wearing Levi’s jeans, a western-style shirt, and shoes sized ten-and-a-half or eleven.

His case holds a unique place in missing persons history.

Tony Allen was the very first individual entered into the NamUs database, listed under ID MP1. His disappearance has been documented by numerous organizations, including The Charley Project, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the Doe Network, 411GINA, and Uncovered Cold Cases.

The Fort Smith Police Department continues to hold the official case file under number 04-0012372.

Today, Tony would be sixty-three years old. His story remains one of enduring mystery and heartbreak. The passage of time has only deepened the urgency for answers. More than forty-five years have gone by, and with each year, memories fade and leads grow colder.

If you or anyone you know has information, no matter how minor it may seem, please contact the Fort Smith Police Department or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.