On February 7, 2003, a 32‑year‑old white female named Shawny Lee Hitch Smith was discovered dead in a field in Weld County, Colorado, approximately a quarter‑mile from the Wyoming state line. She had been beaten and sexually assaulted. The homicide occurred between the night of February 6 and the early hours of February 7. Investigators determined that her death was the result of a lethal assault, diagnosing the cause of death as blunt‑force trauma combined with sexual violence. She was last seen alive at the Cowboy South Bar in Cheyenne, Laramie County, Wyoming, and her body was found just over the state border.
Law enforcement agencies from both sides of the state line—including the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the Laramie County Sheriff's Office—have classed her death as a homicide and continue to treat it as an active cold case. Despite two decades of investigation, no suspect has ever been publicly identified or arrested in connection with the crime. Investigators have appealed to the public for information regarding possible suspects or vehicles involved, but to date, no viable leads have resulted in criminal proceedings.
The unresolved nature of the case endures. Although there may have been persons of interest at various points in the investigation, no individual has ever been formally accused or detained. The identity of the assailant remains unknown, and the murder of the 32‑year‑old white female Shawny Lee Hitch Smith remains unsolved.
