In the early hours of a Sunday morning in Washington, D.C., a grim discovery was made in a parking lot situated in the 3000 block of 30th Street, SE. On April 11, 2010, at approximately 2:00 a.m., the body of 25-year-old Barbara Lateya Smith, an African-American female, was found. The Metropolitan Police Department was called to the scene and immediately launched a homicide investigation into her death.
Details surrounding the circumstances of Smith's death remain limited. Investigators found her in an isolated area of the parking lot, which presented challenges in gathering immediate witness accounts. The exact cause of her death has not been publicly detailed, but authorities have consistently treated it as a homicide.
The case has been handled by the MPD's Homicide Branch, which has actively sought assistance from the community to piece together the events that led to her death.
Despite the passage of time, the case of Barbara Lateya Smith's death remains an open and active investigation. The Metropolitan Police Department has offered a reward of up to $25,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for her death. To date, there have been no arrests announced in the case, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The authorities continue to urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward and help bring closure to her family.
