Mom of 7’s death thought to be suicide is homicide, NC cops say. ‘Begging for justice’
The investigation into a North Carolina mother’s death continues as police search for a suspect they believe may have killed the woman.
The body of 30-year-old Brittany Smith was discovered in a home by police after authorities received a call about a potential suicide at about midnight Nov. 26, according to a Jan. 5 Roanoke Rapids Police Department news release. Smith had a fatal gunshot wound.
Now, police say what they originally thought could be a suicide was actually a homicide.
“Several critical pieces of evidence” obtained at the crime scene — along with a medical examiner’s evaluation — revealed that Smith was killed, police said. Two people were at the home when police arrived: her boyfriend Demonte Saquan Johnson and another man Patrick Lequan Banks, according to the department.
Johnson has since been charged with second-degree murder and a warrant was issued for his arrest, per the police. Banks was charged in an arrest warrant with obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact.
Smith’s father, Chris Smith, called on people to “speak up” about the two men’s location in a comment under the police department’s Facebook news release.
“I’m begging for justice for my daughter and her kids. If this was your kid you would want the same thing,” he said in the comment.
Before moving to North Carolina three years ago, Brittany Smith had lived in Polk County, Florida, her whole life, according to her obituary. She had six daughters, as well as a son who died, her obituary read.
She was someone who “lived for her children” and loved spending time with her family, according to her obituary. She was also a big music fan, specifically hip-hop and rap.
Whether she was sending pictures of her daughters dressed up for Halloween or checking up on him after a doctor’s appointment, her father wrote in a Facebook post that he missed getting calls from her.
They had the type of relationship where he could call or text at “3pm or 3am and always got a reply soon,” he wrote in another post. He remembered her first day of kindergarten, saying he wasn’t sure who “cried worse,” he said.
“I wanted you back home so bad,” Chris Smith wrote. “We had our ups and downs but when it came down to it always had each other’s backs.”
Brittany Smith’s mother, Heather Smith, also posted several times on Facebook to raise awareness about her daughter’s death, saying it “isn’t fair” that Brittany Smith’s children don’t have their mother anymore.
“My daughter didn’t deserve this,” her mother wrote.
Anyone who may have additional information on where Johnson or Banks are located can contact Halifax County North Carolina Crime Stoppers at 252-583-4444.
Roanoke Rapids is about 90 miles northeast of Raleigh.
If you are experiencing domestic violence and need someone to talk to, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for support at 1-800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788.
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