Who was Lauren Smith-Fields and what was her cause of death?

LAUREN Smith Fields' family is seeking justice after alleging that Bridgeport police mismanaged her death investigation.

Matthew LaFountain, a man she met on Bumble, discovered Smith-Fields dead in her apartment on December 12 after a night of drinking.

Who was Lauren Smith-Fields?

Lauren Smith-Fields, 23, was a Black influencer who was discovered dead in her Plymouth Street residence in Connecticut on December 12, 2021. 

Smith-Fields was a Stamford High School graduate who was attending Norwalk Community College at the time of her death, according to her family.

She had desires to become a physical therapist and loved fashion, traveling, and enjoying her life and family, according to her obituary.

“Her family loved her, her friends loved her,” Smith-Fields’ brother, Lakeem Jetter, said about his sister. 

“She was a beautiful person inside and out, and we’re never going to let her name die, never going to stop even after we get justice, we’re going to keep her name alive,” he concluded.

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How did Lauren Smith-Fields die?

Smith-Field’s cause of death was acute intoxication according to a report by The Independent.

The medical examiner's office determined that she had the combined effects of fentanyl, promethazine, hydroxyzine, and alcohol in her system.

Her manner of death was ruled an accident, they said.

Smith-Fields was reportedly drinking tequila at her apartment with Matthew LaFountain, a white man she met on the dating app Bumble when she fell unwell and vomited, according to a Bridgeport Police Department report. 

When Smith-Fields got a text and walked outside, the two kept drinking late into the night. 

According to the incident report received by Rolling Stone, she walked outside to fetch something from her brother, then returned and went to the restroom for many minutes.

According to the police report, her date, LaFountain, subsequently told an officer, "he thought it was odd, but didn't feel it was his place to say anything as he didn't know her that well."

After seeing blood flowing out of Smith-Fields' right nostril and seeing she wasn't breathing, LaFountain contacted 911 the next morning.

According to the police report, Smith-Fields was declared dead at 6:49 am, and medical staff stated she had been dead for at least an hour.

Why is Lauren Smith-Fields’ family suing the City of Bridgeport?

Smith Fields’ family is allegedly dissatisfied with the way local police are treating the investigation into her, saying that the detective urged them to cease calling him and was disinterested in investigating LaFountain as a suspect, whom they characterized as an "older white man."

“When I asked the officer about the guy,” said Jetter to NBC Connecticut, “he said he was a very nice guy and they weren't looking into him anymore. It was almost like he was sticking up for him and it seemed weird to hear that from a detective.

“He told me directly on the phone to stop calling him and hung up in my face, it was just like total disrespect like that's what you tell a family that's going through grief and trying to find answers?”

Jetter also claimed that police were not diligent in their first crime scene investigation, claiming that while police seized her phone, passport, and $1,345 in cash, they failed to gather other potentially relevant items. 

Smith-Fields' mother Shantell Smith also claimed that the police made her feel as though the investigation was unimportant, according to Daily Mail. 

In the same interview, she said: “The way they talked to me, the way they have talked to the family, how they treated my daughter, they treated her like she was nobody like she was not important.”

Smith-Fields' family has filed a notice of intent to sue over the Bridgeport Police Department's handling of the case, according to CT Post. 

Attorney Darnell Crosland accused the police of potentially concealing up evidence and failing to properly investigate the Dec. 12 killing in a letter sent to the Bridgeport city clerk and police department on Friday, although this has not been proven.

“The police department has been racially insensitive to this family and has treated this family with no respect and has violated their civil rights,” Crosland wrote. 

“They have failed to investigate this matter, and they refuse to view the last person with Lauren Smith-Fields before she died as a person of interest. This behavior is unacceptable.”

In a statement to News 12, the City of Bridgeport said that a review of the case is underway, according to The Sun.

"The Bridgeport Police Department takes these concerns very seriously," it said.

"The Command Staff of the Detective Bureau is reviewing the handling of this case to ensure that best practices were and are being followed.

"It is imperative to note that the death of Lauren Smith-Fields remains an ongoing investigation," the statement added.

"Our department extends its deepest condolences to the family of Lauren."

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