More than a month after a 23-year-old Black woman by the name of Lauren Smith-Fields was found dead in her apartment, police have launched a criminal investigation into her death.
Lauren Smith-Fields is primarily known in the greater Bridgeport area as a former track star at Stamford High School. Since then, she’s continued her education at Norwalk Community College and launched her own business. As classes came to a halt for the semester, Smith-Fields reportedly met up with an “older white man” on Bumble. While it is unclear how long Smith-Fields and the “older white man” were together, it is certain that the 23-year-old was found unresponsive in her apartment on December 12.
In the aftermath of her death, Smith-Fields’ family has raised issues with the Bridgeport Police. Smith-Fields’ father, Everrett, has also accused local police of being “insensitive” toward him and his family while her brother, Lakeem Jetter, claims they never investigated the case fully.
“[The police] made it seem like the guy was a nice guy [and] there was nothing to investigate,” Jetter told News 12 Westchester last month.
Smith-Fields’ name has continued to gain traction on several social media platforms including Twitter and TikTok.
“Justice for Lauren,” Cardi B tweeted.
As public pressure has continued to mount, local police have began to investigate the matter further with the help of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
“The Bridgeport Police Department continues to treat the untimely death of Lauren Smith-Fields as an active investigation as we are now refocusing our attention and efforts to the factors that lead to her untimely death,” Bridgeport, Connecticut Police Chief Rebeca Garcia said, according to NPR.
