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What Happened to Lauren-Smith Fields?: Case of Lauren-Smith Fields
Hailey Elizabeth's 47-minute breakdown, the fullest single telling on file.
Watch on YouTubeWhat happened
Lauren Smith-Fields was a 23-year-old woman living in Bridgeport, Connecticut. On the morning of Sunday, December 12, 2021, she was on a date with a man she had matched with on the dating app Bumble. He found her unresponsive in bed at around 6 a.m., immediately called 911, and began chest compressions as instructed by the dispatcher. The resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and Smith-Fields was pronounced dead at the scene. First responders noted that her date appeared shaken and in a state of shock. Although skepticism has surrounded the circumstances of her death, it was ultimately ruled an accidental overdose caused by a combination of fentanyl and alcohol.
The handling of the case by police has drawn sustained criticism. Smith-Fields' family and others have said investigators did not conduct a proper investigation. Some have questioned whether her date bore responsibility for her death, but he was cleared after being questioned by police. Smith-Fields' brother has said that when he asked a detective about the man, the detective described him as 'a very nice guy' who was no longer under investigation, and that it felt as though the detective was 'sticking up for him.' The family has said police did not pursue her date as a suspect thoroughly enough. Some observers have said the case did not receive the same attention or care it would have if Smith-Fields had been a white woman, describing the response as an example of institutionalized racism and a broader lack of care for Black lives. The family has also said police told them to stop contacting the department for updates.
In response, Smith-Fields' family organized a protest outside the Morton Government Center. The detectives assigned to the case were placed on leave, resigned, or both; their suspensions were later reinstated on appeal. The case remains open and has since been reassigned to other officers.
