As the family of the 23-year-old influencer continues to mourn her loss, Lauren’s case has captivated social media and caught national attention due to tweets and assists from Cardi B and BIA. In this exclusive audio interview, Shantell Smith and Lakeem Jetter speak to James R. Sanders about their daughter and sister.
Lauren Smith-Fields was the center of attention, according to her family. She was the youngest and her smile lit up every room she entered — this was the consensus among her mother and brother who are still grieving her death almost a month and a half after it happened.
On Monday, the Medical Examiner for Connecticut ruled her death an accident caused by acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, promethazine, hydroxyzine and alcohol — but if anything, this raised more concerns with the family and their attorney who all confirm that Lauren had no history of drug usage.
At 23, she was healthy, energetic, and ready for the world. Her favorite song was Good Days by SZA. On Dec. 13 she was pronounced dead, and the last person to see her, a white male, 37, who she’d met on the dating app Bumble, was not questioned by the police.
In an exclusive interview with her mother Shantell Fields and her brother Lakeem Jetter, we talk about little-known and lesser reported facts on the case, including the fact that the family was questioned and asked to submit DNA.
As this story goes to press, key pieces of evidence still have not been turned over to the lab for analyzing — including: a used condom (with semen), sheets (stained with blood), an unidentified pill, and cups with potential saliva.
On Tuesday, the city of Bridgeport announced that the case would be moving forward as a homicide and will have a formal investigation. In this interview, the family expresses concern with the city’s history, dealing specifically with corruption that extends beyond the police department.
