In the fall of 2020, the life of 22-year-old Chandler Smith of Aiken, South Carolina, came to a tragic and mysterious end. A White/Caucasian male, Smith was last seen on October 22, 2020, as he was released from the Aiken County Detention Center. Surveillance footage captured the moments that would precede his disappearance, showing him getting into a red Mitsubishi sedan with three other men after reportedly being coerced away from a taxi that had been called for him.
This would be the last time he was seen alive.
What began as a missing person case soon escalated into a homicide investigation as details emerged about Smith's final hours. Authorities believe that he was kidnapped from outside the detention center and subsequently driven to Tundra Trail in Windsor, where he was shot and killed. Despite the investigation and the information uncovered, a significant piece of the puzzle remains missing: Chandler Smith's body has never been recovered, leaving his family in a prolonged state of grief and without the closure of a proper burial.
The investigation into Smith's death led to the identification of several suspects. Three men, Jesus Moreno Negrete, Gonzalo Moreno Negrete, and Lorenzo Migeal Kissiah Negrete, have been charged with murder. However, they are believed to have fled to Mexico to evade arrest, complicating the path to justice. In connection with the case, two other individuals, John Wilson Williamson III and Serafin Leyva Jr., were arrested and charged with kidnapping. A fourth man, Ricardo Kissiah Negrete, was also taken into custody and charged with accessory after the fact to murder. While some arrests have been made, the primary suspects in the murder of Chandler Smith remain at large. The motive behind the killing has not been publicly disclosed by law enforcement officials. The case remains an open and ongoing investigation, with a family still waiting for answers and for justice to be fully served.
