Officers responded to a welfare check on January 21 after management reported concerns about the well-being of an unnamed woman living in an apartment near North Hanley Road. Upon entering the flat, they discovered the woman’s decomposing body concealed under blankets and clothes. Neighbors informed investigators that she had not been seen since mid-December, her last social media post dated December 15, 2025, and property managers noted she had fallen behind on rent.
Detectives also identified Terrance Smith as someone who had been observed at the apartment the night before the woman’s final social media activity. Some of his belongings were later found inside the home but he could not be located at that time. The following week, on February 2, property management contacted police again, and officers arrested Smith at the scene.
Police confirmed that Smith admitted to living in the apartment with the deceased woman. Smith was charged with abandonment of a corpse remains and is currently held in custody under a $100,000 cash bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for a bond reduction hearing on February 10, followed by a preliminary hearing on March 4.