Just when the Gavin Smith trail seemed cold, police have apparently found a new place to turn in the disappearance of the 20th Century Fox executive, whose family reported him missing more than a month ago.
Los Angeles Sheriff's Department homicide detectives and a canine unit executed a search warrant today at a suburban home in connection with the case, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore confirmed to E! News.
While sources confirmed a couple weeks ago that investigators were "working on some new leads," the last official word from the sheriff's department was that there was no new information and detectives were asking anyone with a possible tip to come forward.
But Smith's son Evan, a student athlete at USC, tells E! News that the family had heard that the sheriff was "getting ready to serve" a few warrants.
"I think it is great that we are making moves and trying to figure things out and make people answer some questions," Evan told us Friday. "It has been such a rollercoaster. Any information is good information. We just want to start making some progress. We are just keeping strong and holding our faith and hoping for the best."
"I don't want to think foul play," he added, "but that obviously enters my mind when people are getting search warrants. All I care about is sheriffs pursuing my father and getting him back."
According to Evan, the family has offered a reward of $20,000 cash to anyone with information that leads to Smith being found.
While the sheriff's homicide bureau also investigates missing-person cases, Fox 11 reporter Gigi Graciette has tweeted: "On the record LA Cty Sheriff's says they hope Gavin Smith is alive but Homicide Unit is handling case, NOT missing person unit."
In addition to detectives and dogs, technicians from the sheriff's crime lab were also searching the house on Santa Susana Place.
—Reporting by Ken Baker and Sharareh Drury