On January 17, 2024, the body of 19-year-old Elizabeth City State University student, Amarriah CeAnna Smith, was discovered in the trunk of an abandoned car in Washington, North Carolina. The vehicle, owned by 29-year-old Jordan Isaiah Thomas, had been left in a private parking lot along U.S. Highway 264. A tow truck company, called to remove the car, made the grim discovery when an employee opened the trunk.
Investigators believe that Smith was murdered at a different location before her body was transported and concealed in the car. Evidence was found at a residence in Edenton where Thomas had been living, though it remains unclear if the murder occurred there or elsewhere. Authorities have confirmed that Thomas and Smith were acquainted prior to the incident.
Following the abandonment of his car, Thomas allegedly stole a truck from the same parking lot. The stolen vehicle was later located at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital in Washington, where Thomas was apprehended. Initially charged with larceny of a motor vehicle and concealing the death of a person, Thomas was subsequently charged with murder on January 22, 2024. He is currently being held at the Chowan County Detention Center without bond.
Smith's family, devastated by the loss, described her as an aspiring teacher and a proud graduate of Nash Central High School. Her mother, Terkessah Odom, expressed profound grief, stating, "We didn’t just lose her to death, someone stole her from us." The investigation into Smith's death is ongoing, with multiple agencies, including the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office, and Chowan County Sheriff’s Office, collaborating to uncover further details surrounding the case.
