On May 16, 2023, 30-year-old Stephanie Lynette Smith of Goldsboro, North Carolina, was fatally shot. Early that morning, around 5:30 a.m., the Kinston Police Department informed the Goldsboro Police Department that Smith had been transported to UNC Lenoir Health Care in Kinston with a gunshot wound; she was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
A witness reported that the shooting occurred in the 3100 block of Cashwell Drive in Goldsboro.
Based on this information, Goldsboro police initiated an investigation at the specified location.
Through their investigative efforts, authorities identified 23-year-old Johnique Nicolie Richards as a suspect in the case. Later that day, around 4:30 p.m., Richards was apprehended in Goldsboro without incident. She was subsequently charged with murder and attempted robbery and was held without bond in the Wayne County Jail.
Smith's death was a tragic event that deeply affected the Goldsboro community. Her funeral services were managed by McIntyre Funeral Home LLC, with visitation and funeral service held on May 26, 2023.
