The family of Lauren Smith-Fields is thanking rapper Cardi B for helping trigger an investigation into the death of the Black 22-year-old TikTok influencer from Connecticut.
According to TMZ, Darnell Crosland, the family attorney for Smith-Fields, said that “Cardi was instrumental in getting Lauren’s tragic death to become a criminal case, because police launched their investigation only after Cardi spoke out.”
Smith-Fields was found dead in her apartment the morning after she went on a date with a man who she met on the dating app Bumble. The man, 37-year-old Matthew LaFountain, told police he and Smith-Fields spent the evening drinking tequila, playing games, eating food, and watching a movie and that he found her unresponsive the following morning.
Smith-Fields family believes that if it wasn’t for Cardi tweeting about her death, the Bridgeport Police Department, who the family say have already botched the case, an investigation would not have started. They believe the police were delaying the investigation because of race. “I feel like because he’s a white guy and she’s a Black girl, they’re just throwing it under the rug, Smith-Fields’ brother Lakeem Jetter told NBC News.
They also don’t believe Smith-Fields’ death was accidental. That is the official finding by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner who reports that she died from “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, promethazine, hydroxyzine, and alcohol.”
The Bridgeport Police Department is asking that anyone with information to please contact 203 576-TIPS. A GoFundMe site has been set up, so the family can conduct their own investigation.