Elizabeth Jane Smallwood, a 33-year-old African-American woman, was found deceased in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on February 13, 2009. Her remains were discovered along Melton Drive at the Nash-Edgecombe county line. Authorities determined that her body had likely been there for six months to a year before being identified. Smallwood had not been reported missing to law enforcement, making it difficult to establish the exact circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
Smallwood was
one of several African-American women found deceased in the same rural area of Edgecombe County between 2005 and 2009. Law enforcement suspected that these cases were linked and formed a special task force to investigate the deaths. The victims shared similar backgrounds, with histories of drug use and prostitution. Smallwood herself had prior arrests in Nash and Edgecombe counties for prostitution, assault, drug possession, larceny, and resisting arrest.
Authorities charged 31-year-old Antwan Maurice Pittman with first-degree murder in connection with the death of another victim, Taraha Shenice Nicholson. However, no official charges were filed against Pittman or any other suspect in Smallwood’s case. The investigation into the deaths of Smallwood and several other women remained open, with law enforcement and community members continuing to seek justice for the victims. A reward was offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction, but no definitive resolution was reached in Smallwood’s case.
