Lauren Smith-Fields was a vibrant and ambitious 23 year old woman who loved matcha tea, working out and was studying to be a physical therapist. In December 2021, she met a man off the dating app, Bumble. Lauren invited the man to her apartment in Bridgeport, CT, where they had some tequila and watched a movie. During the evening, Lauren left the apartment for 10-15 minutes to meet someone outside. When she came back in, they continued watching a movie and Lauren fell asleep on the couch. Her Bumble date alleges that he carried her to bed and he then fell asleep beside her.
When he woke up at 6.30am, Lauren was not breathing and she had blood coming out of her nose. He called 911 and was said by police to be “frantic, trembling, and visibly shaken.” When authorities arrived, Lauren was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into Lauren’s death has been botched from the start. Lauren’s family have said that:
- Lauren’s Bumble date was not taken into custody and questioned because he seemed like a ‘nice guy’, according to police.
- They were not informed by authorities about Lauren’s death. They had to find out by going to her apartment when they could not get in touch with her. There they found a note on the door from the landlord, and that is how they learned their daughter had passed away.
- Police treatment of the family has been horrible. Police officers who were initially working the case have been taken off it, and an investigation into their conduct is being carried out by Internal Affairs.
- No forensic examination of Lauren’s apartment was conducted until the family stepped in. When Lauren’s family went to clear out her apartment, they found a used condom, an unidentified pill, as well as bloody sheets, that had not been taken into evidence.
An autopsy was conducted and the Medical Examiner has determined that Lauren died from a drug overdose of fentanyl, promethazine, hydroxyzine, and alcohol. Lauren’s family are adamant that she was not a drug user.
Because fentanyl was found in Lauren’s system, Bridgeport PD opened the investigation which will be conducted by the Narcotics and Vice Division with assistance by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Join us for this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast where we discuss the death of Lauren Smith-Fields.
This week, we also discuss the cases of Warriena Wright and Sydney Loofe. Both these women died after meeting people on dating apps. Warriena fell 14 floors to her death after she was allegedly locked on a balcony by a man she met on Tinder. Sydney was brutally murdered by a couple, Bailey Boswell and Aubrey Trail, after she met Bailey on Tinder. Sydney was dismembered and her body was hacked into 14 pieces.
This week’s episode is sponsored by FitOn. FitOn is the #1 premium free fitness app, and it is redefining the workout experience. Text SOCIETY to 64-000 to join FitOn for free!
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