And why her family is suing the police department for its “racially insensitive” handling of the case.
The mysterious death of Lauren Smith-Fields is now the subject of a criminal investigation. The 23-year-old Black woman from Connecticut was found dead in her apartment in December after a Bumble date, and her family has been trying to get answers since then.
But she’s not the only Black woman who died recently in Bridgeport, Connecticut: Brenda Lee Rawls was found dead on the same day as Lauren Smith-Fields. Amid public outcry over both of their cases, their families are demanding answers — and brightening the spotlight on missing people of color, whose stories often don’t get the attention they deserve.
“We will not stop until we get justice for Lauren and the thousands of Black girls that go missing in this country every year,” says Darnell Crosland, the family attorney for Smith-Fields. “We owe them equal rights and justice regardless of race and we wouldn’t stop fighting until we get it.”
What happened to Lauren Smith-Fields?
Smith-Fields, a Norwalk Community College student who wanted to become a physical therapist, was found dead on Dec. 12 at her apartment after a first date with an older white man she had met through the popular dating app, Bumble.
The night before she had invited him over to eat, drink, play games, and watch a movie. They both fell asleep, and he woke up early in the morning to Smith-Fields unresponsive with blood coming out of her nostril. He told authorities this prompted him to call 911, and one detective who showed up on the scene said he was “trembling and visibly shaken.” The police report also indicated that $1,345 in cash had been found in the apartment at the time, according to The New York Times.
But the police department maintains that the case is still being investigated. “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 chief of police Rebeca Garcia said in a statement.
What did Lauren Smith-Fields’ autopsy say?
Last week, the medical examiner’s office ruled that her death was an accident, stating that it was caused by the combined effects of fentanyl, prescription medication, and alcohol. Since fentanyl is an illegal drug, the Drug Enforcement Administration has gotten involved in the case. But her family believes that Smith-Fields never took those drugs, and believes there was some foul play involved.
Why has there been backlash?
Smith-Fields’s family says The Bridgeport Police Department was disrespectful toward them, and that they learned about Lauren’s death from a note her landlord left on her door. They’ve also claimed that police mishandled potentially key evidence, like bloody sheets, a used condom, and a pill. After failing to get more answers, they’re now planning to sue the department over what their attorney described as its “racially insensitive” handling of the case.
The same police department is also facing similar backlash over its handling of Rawls’ death (the cause hasn’t yet been determined). The 53-year-old was found dead alone in her home on the same day as Smith-Fields after going over to a male acquaintance’s house, but her family wasn’t notified until two days later. “They never took any opportunity to look for next of kin,” Rawls’ sister, Dorothy Washington, said in an interview with NBC News. “The next time we saw our sister, she was in a funeral home.”
Meanwhile, both cases reignited the conversation about “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” a phrase used to describe how missing white women get media attention, while women of color often go ignored. The case has garnered attention across the internet with the hashtag #JusticeForLaurenSmithFields. In response to Smith-Fields’ death, Rapper Cardi B. tweeted “Connecticut you have failed that young lady!!”
What’s being done about these complaints?
The cases have since been reassigned within the police department, and the two detectives involved — Angel Llanos and Kevin Cronin — have been placed on leave. They will remain that way until an internal investigation has been completed and any necessary disciplinary action has been taken.
Mayor Joseph Ganim offered his condolences, calling the department’s response “unacceptable,” but both families believe this doesn’t go far enough. “Suspension is suspension, that really does nothing for us,” Washington said. “Everybody that’s involved needs to be held accountable.”
