New details reveal that 19-year-old Amarriah Smith was found dead in the trunk of a car abandoned in the parking lot of a business. Jordan Thomas, a 29-year-old, is charged with her Smith’s death.
Authorities in Chowan County, North Carolina, say that 19-year-old Amarriah Smith was found dead in the trunk of a car in Beaufort County by an employee of a tow truck company. N.C. State Bureau of Investigation agents say the car Smith was found in had been abandoned at a local business.
The arrest of 29-year-old Jordan Thomas follows a collaborative investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies, including the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
According to police, Tyco Crushing in Washington had the vehicle towed after being left in their parking lot. State investigators said Thomas left his car in the Tyco parking lot and then stole a truck that was parked there. The stolen truck was later found at ECU Beaufort Hospital in Washington, police said.Â
Investigators believe Amarriah Smith was killed at a different location, citing that evidence was found inside a home in Edenton where Thomas had been living and according to WITN, investigators believe Thomas and Smith knew each other.
In a recent interview, the family of Smith said that she frequently visited Thomas’s tattoo shop, which was near Elizabeth City State University where she attended.
The mother told WITN News that she doesn’t even know when her daughter died, and her family is still seeking answers.
In 2020, Thomas was charged with assault with a deadly weapon after police said he shot a woman in Pasquotank County.
Thomas is charged with murder, larceny of a motor vehicle, and concealing the death of a person.
Smith was a sophomore at Elizabeth City State University.Â
The investigation is ongoing.
