As we near the four-year anniversary of Sage Smith's disappearance, we demand the following of Chief Al Thomas, Captain Gary Pleasants and Charlottesville Police Department's General Investigation's Bureau:

1. Expand investigation beyond Erik McFadden to include all individuals that had contact with Sage in the last 24 hours before her disappearance.

2. Public apology over mishandling of Sage's disappearance case. According to the Virginia State Police database on Missing Persons, Sage’s case is the oldest of the only two active missing persons cases in Charlottesville and we need to move forward.

3. Public recognition that Sage Smith’s disappearance was or should have been a criminal investigation from the start.

4. Establish schedule of regular meetings with family of Sage Smith for updates and to receive input.

5. Respect media guides and family requests on Sage’s gender and pronouns. Sage is a trans woman who was referring to herself as a woman in the time leading up to her disappearance.

Chief Al Thomas began his role as Charlottesville Police Department's new police chief this year, and took on the issues left behind by Chief Tim Longo's term. While we recognize Chief Thomas' inexperience on the Charlottesville scene, the rest of the staff under Longo remains in place. These demands are a step towards rectifying the discrepancies between the investigation for Sage Smith and the investigations for white, cis women like Morgan Harrington and Hannah Graham.