Who Is Lauren Smith-Fields? Mystery Around Case Of 23-Year-Old Found Dead After Date

Who is Lauren Smith-Fields: The internet is rallying for justice for 23-year-old Lauren Smith-Fields, who was found dead in December last year following a date she went on with a white man. Dialogue around the Black TikTok influencer's death on social media highlights alleged racism in the investigation and the lack of media attention the case is getting.

Smith-Fields' family is planning to sue police in Bridgeport, Connecticut, citing an unsatisfactory probe into the circumstances surrounding her death, as per reports.

The young woman was found unresponsive on December 12 at her apartment in Plymouth Street. Reports quoting the police said the call to them was made by a man who was spending time with Smith-Fields after the two matched on dating app Bumble. He has been identified as one Matthew LaFountain and was allegedly not questioned by police in the matter.

Bridgeport saw a protest march on January 23, led by Smith-Fields' parents, marking what would have been her 24th birthday.

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“When a white woman goes missing, the whole world drops everything. We are done with this valuation," Darnell Crosland, the legal representative for Smith-Fields' family, told Rolling Stone. 

On social media platforms, especially TikTok, where the case has become a point of theories and heated discussion, many are drawing comparisons between Smith-Field's case and that of Gabby Petito.

Petito, a 22-year-old vlogger, was found dead in September last year after a period of disappearance. The matter had captured global attention with wide coverage, making it one of the most sensationalised influencer cases. Only recently, authorities confirmed the American woman was killed by her boyfriend, who died by suicide soon after Petito was found.

At the time of the tragedy, many had highlighted the focused attention cases of missing white women receive, while similar cases of Black women go unattended. More on missing white woman syndrome here.

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The Smith-Fields family lawyer told the media that there has been no development in the case, even one month on. "We are going to sue them because they are violating our rights," ABC News quoted him saying.

Reports suggest the night she became unresponsive was the first time that LaFountain visited Smith-Fields' apartment. She died a day later. As per the incident report accessed by Crosland, Smith-Fields and LaFountain were at her home having tequila shots and eating when she began falling sick.

She allegedly vomitted in the bathroom and after a while, stepped out for a bit to meet her brother who had texted her. She returned and headed for the bathroom again. The report states that LaFountain did find it "odd" but did not think "it was his place to say anything."

However, the family has pointed out alleged inconsistencies in the report's version of things. Smith-Fields' brother reportedly said he hadn't texted her for a few days and that she "looked normal" and didn't appear drunk when she came out to meet him.