Jordan Thomas: North Carolina man arrested for murder after teen's body found stuffed in trunk of towed car
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES: A North Carolina man has been taken into custody for purportedly murdering a college student and placing her body in the trunk of a car.
The grim discovery was made by a tow truck driver who picked up the abandoned vehicle.
According to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Jordan Isaiah Thomas, 39, was charged on Monday with the murder of 19-year-old Amarriah Smith, a student at Elizabeth City State University.
What did the police say?
As reported by the New York Post, the lifeless body of teen college student Amarriah Smith was discovered inside a car registered to Jordan Isaiah Thomas.
The vehicle had been towed from a private parking lot in Washington, a city located 100 miles east of Raleigh.
Allegedly, Thomas abandoned the car and proceeded to steal another truck parked nearby, eventually fleeing to a local hospital where he was apprehended.
Law enforcement believes that Thomas committed the crime at a different location that is yet to be determined, although evidence was uncovered at his residence in Edenton.
This location is more than 50 miles away from where he is accused of abandoning Smith's body and 30 miles from the school Smith attended.
The cause of Smith's death and the nature of the relationship between her and Thomas have not been disclosed. However, authorities have confirmed that Thomas and Smith were acquainted with each other.
Amarriah Smith's eerie Facebook post
A few days before her tragic demise, Smith eerily posted on Facebook: "Everything that comes to you, isn't always for you. Keep your eyes on the prize."
As per her family, Smith, a sophomore at Elizabeth City State University, aspired to become an elementary school teacher.
The historically Black public institution is grieving the loss of the student this week.
ECSU Chancellor Dr Karrie Dixon expressed condolences in a statement, saying, "Her untimely death, which occurred off campus, has left our community saddened, Please keep Amarriah's family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."
Thomas is currently held at the Chowan County Detention Center without bond, facing charges of larceny of a motor vehicle and concealing the death of a person.
