Criminal authorities had been constantly looking into Lauren Smith Fields’ mysterious death. The family of the 23-year-old Black lady from Connecticut who was killed in her apartment in December during a Bumble date has been seeking explanations ever since.
Brenda Lee Rawls was also discovered dead on the same day as Lauren Smith-Fields, making her the second recent Black death in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Their families are demanding answers amid public outrage over both of their cases, shining a light on missing individuals whose stories go unnoticed.
Darnell Crosland, the family lawyer for Smith-Fields, states, “We won’t stop until Lauren and the thousands of Black girls who disappear in this country every year receive justice. Regardless of their ethnicity, we owe everyone equal rights and justice, and we won’t let up until we do.
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What Happened To Lauren Smith fields?
Smith-Fields, a Norwalk Community College student pursuing physical therapy, was discovered dead on December 12 at her residence. When this incident took place, she was with an older white guy she had met through the well-known dating app Bumble.
Also, she had asked him over the previous evening for food, drinks, games, and a movie. After this, they both fell asleep, and when the guy woke up in the morning, he found blood coming out of Smith-Fields’s nostril.
He was a bit shocked at that time. Following this, he informed investigators that this was what made him dial 911, and a cop who arrived on the scene depicted him as “trembling and extremely shaken.”
According to the New York Times, the police report also stated that $1,345 in cash had been found in the residence at the time. It would take Lauren Smith-Fields’ mother more than 24 hours to find out about her death, and it wasn’t the cops that informed her.
What Did Lauren Smith-fields’ Autopsy Say?
After this incident, the medical examiner’s office declared that she had died accidentally, claiming that the effects of alcohol, fentanyl, and prescription drugs conspired to cause it.
The Narcotic Enforcement Administration has become involved in the case since fentanyl is an illicit drug. However, Smith-Fields’ family believed that she never used those medications and that there was foul play.
Lauren Smith-Fields’ Family’s Search For Answers
She was not under the influence of narcotics, Shantell Fields affirmed Crosland’s claim. She ate only plant-based foods and exercised every day.
Even Smith-brother Fields’s Jetter, who spoke to her just hours before she passed away, observed that she seemed OK. She appeared normal. She did not appear ill, worn out, or inebriated. I’m her second older brother, and if I had seen her intoxicated, I would have asked, “What are you doing?” What makes you look that way?
Crosland is determined to provide the family of Smith-Fields with answers since he believes that the police have been “racially insensitive” throughout the inquiry.
Why has There Been Backlash?
The family of Smith-Fields claims that they were treated disrespectfully by the Bridgeport Police Department and that they found out about Lauren’s death through a note her landlord had put on her door.
Additionally, they have asserted that police mishandled other kinds of evidence, including bloody sheets, a condom, and a pill. They attempted to obtain further information but were unable, so they now intend to sue the agency for what their lawyer called its “racially insensitive” handling of the issue.
The same police department is also receiving criticism for how it handled Rawls’ death (the cause of which has not yet been known). The 53-year-old was found dead by herself in her home on the same day that Smith-Fields did after visiting a male acquaintance’s home, but her family wasn’t informed until two days later.
Dorothy Washington, Rawls’ sister, said in an interview that “they never took any chance to look for next of kin.” “Our sister was at a funeral home the next time we saw her.”
Missing White Woman Syndrome
The “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” which refers to the phenomenon wherein missing white women receive media attention but women of color frequently go unnoticed, was brought up again in connection with both incidents.
#JusticeForLaurenSmithFields, a hashtag used to promote the cause, has gained widespread attention online. Cardi B. of the hip-hop group Migos tweeted, “Connecticut you have failed that young lady!!” in response to Smith-Fields’ passing.
Wrapping Up: What’s Being Done About These Complaints?
The two detectives involved, Kevin Cronin and Angel Llanos were put on leave after the cases were later moved within the police force. They will continue to function in that manner up until the conclusion of an internal inquiry and the application of any required disciplinary actions.
Mayor Joseph Ganim expressed his sympathies and referred to the department’s response as “awful,” but both families feel that this is insufficient. Washington stated, “Suspension is suspension, and that really does nothing for us. “Everyone involved has to be held accountable.”
Also read: Christie Downs: The Brave Young Girl Who Escaped Death After Getting Shot by Her Mother
