The family and friends of Lauren Smith-Fields stress the importance of social media in spreading her story, and they are using TikTok to make it happen.
According to the New York Times, Lauren's friends spoke on how TikTok and its creators have helped spread Lauren's story, generating millions of views and ultimately increasing interest in her case. On Jan. 23, what would have been Smith-Fields' 24th birthday, Ray Rose, 22, a friend of Smith-Fields, posted a video of the two on his TikTok account.
"I literally just shed a tear i can't believe this still. i love you," Rose captioned.
The video shows Rose with Smith-Fields in happier times before her tragic death. The video has been viewed over 1.4 million times, with over 443.5K likes.
@operaytion i literally just shed a tear i can’t believe this still. i love you♥️ #laurensmithfields #justiceforlaurensmithfield #protectourblackwomen #fypシ #fyp ♬ original sound – 30 seconds songs break
On the same day, the family and supporters marched to the Bridgeport mayor's office to learn more about how the content creator died. However, it wasn't until after the outpouring of support from followers of the case that the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner then released her cause of death. Smith-Fields died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl combined with prescription medication and alcohol.
The family of Smith-Fields reveals that they didn't learn of her death until two days later, through her landlord and not the Bridgeport Police Department. During this time, TikTok creators began to draw attention to her case using hashtags #laurensmithfields and #justiceforlaurensmithfields, accumulating millions of views and tons of unanswered questions about the case lack of media coverage.
@robandhaley More details about Lauren Smith-Fields. #laurensmithfields
#justiceforlauren
#justiceforlaurensmithfields
#foryou
#justiceneeded
#ArbysDiabloDare
♬ original sound – Haley Toumaian
TikTok creators started criticizing the lack of media coverage and publicity regarding Smith-Fields' mysterious death compared to the case of Gabby Petito, who disappeared last September. Videos containing the hashtag #justiceforlaurensmithfields have been viewed 28.1 million times.
Haley Toumaian, a TikToker who shares True Crime stories, asks her 800,000 followers to demand justice for Lauren's family.
"This beautiful girl deserves her name to be everywhere," Toumaian said. "She died under mysterious circumstances and the police department is not seeming to do a proper investigation."
@k3mistryproductions The following speaks on the questionable case if Ms. Lauren Smith-Fields. – #fyp
#foryourpage
#foryoupage
#foryou
#death
#blackwomen
#blacklivesmatter
#bridgeportct
#bridgeport
#connecticut
#blackwomentiktok
#nojustice
#mystery
#solvethis
#bumble
#justice
#blackwomenmatter
#blackgirlsmatter
#help
♬ original sound – K3mistry Productions
Jared Strokes, 31, posted the first TikTok video about Smith-Fields, in December, highlighting news coverage and initiating the comparison between Smith-Fields and Petitio's cases.
The New York Times, reports, Stokes, who did not know Smith-Fields, understands most stories concerning women and children of color do not get the same media coverage as their white counterparts.
"I just know that a lot of times stories about Black women, Black kids don't really get much traction," Stokes said. "I just put it out and said, ' OK, hopefully, this gets traction, and hopefully her family gets justice for this.'"
Dec. 12, Smith-Fields was found dead in her Bridgeport, Connecticut home after meeting Matthew LaFountain through the dating app Bumble. After a night of drinking, LaFountain alleges he carried Smith-Fields to her bedroom and fell asleep. LaFountain told police that he discovered she was not breathing and lying on her right side with blood coming from her nose the following day.
The family's attorney, Darnell Crosland, told Rolling Stone that the family intends to sue the Bridgeport Police Department for failing to investigate the death of their loved one.
"It's happening all too often with Black girls missing across this world, across this country, and no says anything," Crosland said. "We're suing the city of Bridgeport for failure to prosecute and failure to protect this family under the 14th Amendment."
To raise money for their private investigation into Lauren Smith-Fields' death, the Smith-Fields family initiated a GoFundMe fundraiser. In the statement by the family, they claimed that the officers involved in the case mistreated them.
"In the beginning of this nightmare, our family was extremely mistreated by the Bridgeport Police Department, who, as we stated, initially declined to investigate Lauren's untimely death. Although BPD has now decided to begin to conduct an investigation, our family would like to conduct of our own," the statement continues. "We are extremely grateful for the outpouring of love shown to our family from all over the world during this time and ask that you continue to show that love by assisting us in hiring a private investigator."
Out of the $100K the family seeks, almost $78K has been raised through GoFundMe.
