A funeral home owner said its her "human" feelings that made her want to host a memorial today for Elizabeth Jane Smallwood, whose remains were found in February.
Carolyn Whitehead Hart, director of Whitehead Funeral & Cremation Service in Rocky Mount, will hold the memorial for Smallwood at 6 p.m. today at 2129 Lawrence Circle. Smallwood's death is being investigated along with those of five other women whose bodies have been found in Edgecombe County since May 2005.
The other deceased women are: Jarniece Latonya "Sunshine" Hargrove, 31, whose body was found June 29 on Seven Bridges Road; Taraha Shenice Nicholson, 28, whose remains were found on March 7 in the woods off Marriott Road; Ernestine Battle, 50, who was found dead March 13, 2008 near Seven Bridges and Wells roads; Jackie Nikelia Thorpe, 35, found dead Aug. 17, 2007 on Seven Bridges Road; and 29-year-old Melody Wiggins, whose remains were found May 29, 2005 off Old Farm Road, south of U.S. 64.
Each of the deceased women had criminal records, with prostitution and drug-related offenses.
"We all have made some bad decisions" in life, Hart said about the women's history. But she added that, regardless of her background, Smallwood "really needs a decent funeral," a belief Hart feels strongly enough about to provide the service for free. Two years ago, Hart said she handled the arrangements for Jackie Thorpe's funeral, also free-of-charge.
Smallwood's remains were found Feb. 13 in a wooded area off Melton Drive in Rocky Mount. They were not positively identified until Oct. 12, after Rocky Mount Police Capt. Laura Fahnestock said police followed leads. After she was identified as the victim, the Triad Cremation Society, based in Greensboro, cremated Smallwood's remains.
Out of the deceased women involved in the investigation, Smallwood was the only one who had not been reported missing. "She had not been seen in the community" for a while, Fahnestock said, and those circumstances, along with examining her medical records, helped lead police to positively identify the remains as Smallwood.
Police also had a "very difficult time" getting in touch with the deceased woman's family, Fahnestock said. A copy of the 33-year-old woman's death certificate said she was born in Fayette County, Ken., to Robert and Linda Smallwood.
Police found that Smallwood's mother was recently deceased, but that her father is currently living in Concord, Ga., near Atlanta. A call to the Georgia residence was not returned.
Hart said that Smallwood's family would not likely attend today's memorial service, but added that they planned to be in the area early next month.
Smallwood's cause of death has not yet been determined, and Fahnestock emphasized it can not be determined at this point. Still, "we look at any possible links to the big picture," anything that could coincide with the other five deceased woman, the captain said.
"We will not give up on these investigations. We work on them every single day," even if an announcement isn't made on them each day, she added.
A joint effort has been underway since July in the investigation of the women's deaths, a task force headed by the Edgecombe County Sheriff's Office and involving the FBI, the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and Rocky Mount Police.
A convicted sex offender, 31-year-old Antwan Maurice Pittman, was charged with first-degree murder in Nicholson's death in September, the only arrest made so far in the investigation.
Edgecombe County Sheriff James Knight said the death of Denise Williams, 21, whose body was found in the Cokey Swamp area in 2003, also is being investigated as possibly connected to the other deaths.
Authorities are also looking for three other Rocky Mount women who have been reported missing: Yolanda “Snap” Lancaster, 37; Joyce Renee Durham, 46; and Christine Marie Boone, 43.
Anyone with information about any of the cases is asked to call the Edgecombe County Sheriff's Office, at 641-7911, or Twin Counties Crime Stoppers, at 977-1111.
Local News
Memorial service for murder victim
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Edgecombe Relay for Life seeking business partners
Fresh from raising $196,312 and ranking No. 4 nationally in per capita fundraising, Relay for Life Edgecombe County is seeking business and corporate sponsors to help in the fight against cancer.
Corporate and business sponsorship packets, which detail the levels and benefits of sponsorship, are ready to be delivered, according to Jane Gurley Harper, corporate sponsor chair. Businesses can also help by forming a team to participate in Relay and raise money in that manner. -
Princeville commissioner, interim town manager involved in physical conflict
PRINCEVILLE — The disconnect of water service at a commissioner's home led to a physical confrontation between the elected official and a town employee Wednesday at the town hall.
According to Commissioner Gwen Knight, interim Town Manager Maggie Boyd gave instructions to a public works employee and a police officer to cut off Knight's water because the account was delinquent in the amount of $662.77.
Knight said she went to the town hall to pay the bill as soon as she was told about her service being cut off. -
Princeville terminates town manager Appoints museum curator to fill same position
PRINCEVILLE — A contract dispute between the Princeville town manager and the town commissioners led to his termination at the close of business Monday.
Victor Marrow was notified by Princevile Attorney Charles Watts that he had been fired.
Marrow's contract expired Feb. 1, but the town extended it six days in hope of his signing a proposed new contract. Marrow was hired in February 2010 on a two-year contract. Nine months later, he resigned, only to rescind his resignation the following morning.
Stipulations of the proposed new contract were untenable to Marrow and included the stipulation that it was to end on June 12, included a $5,000 pay cut, work in excess of 40 hours per week and write at least three grants per month, he said. -
CRIME ROUNDUP
The Tarboro Police Department responded to a call Friday and was told a victim had been stabbed. While conducting an investigation, officers were told by the victim that Perry Lee Bunn, 58, 304 Granville St., had stabbed him several times. The name of the victim was not released by police.
Officers called EMS to respond to the scene to transport the victim to the hospital so he could treated for his injuries. -
Significant deficiencies in county audit
Auditors told Edgecombe County Commissioners on Monday night that they found significant deficiencies while compiling the 2010-2011 annual audit of county finances. Still, the audit received an unqualified opinion.
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Bryant declines to seek re-election
Teresa DeLoatch Bryant announced she will not seek re-election to the District 2 seat she now holds on the Edgecombe County Public Schools Board. The announcement came 91 days before the May 8 Primary Election and nearly a year after the first-term plus one year board member announced her resignation for personal and career reasons. She later rescinded her decision.
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W.A. Patillo receives $5,000 poetry grant
W.A. Pattillo School has been awarded $5,000 from the North Carolina Arts Council for Poetry in the Classroom with Mimi Herman.
The funds will be used to provide a week of poetry writing experiences for seven fourth grade classes through the expertise and creativity of Herman. Students will gain self-confidence, and will view themselves as writers rather than merely consumers of literature. They will learn to use language effectively and creatively to communicate thoughts, feeling, and impressions. -
Pizza Bowl
The biggest football game of the year brings the largest sale of the year for two area pizza restaurants.
Tarboro branches of Pizza Inn and Dominos Pizza are gearing up for Super Bowl XLVI Sunday by increasing their regular employee lineup by as many as seven.
Pizza Inn is running a special that they believe will keep them busy throughout the day. Last year they sold over 200 large pizzas on Super Bowl Sunday compared to 50 on an average Sunday. -
Edgecombe unemployment up in December
TARBORO — Unemployment rates increased in 93 of North Carolina’s 100 counties in December. Rates decreased in four counties and remained the same in three.
Edgecombe, which saw a slight improvement in November, fell back to its October 2011 level (15.7%). Of the 100 counties in North Carolina, Edgecombe and Dare are tied at third highest in unemployment. -
Three ECPS campuses ahead of First Lady's nutritional guidelines
When First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new guidelines for the nutritional overhaul of school meals last week, they could have chosen three of Edgecombe County's public schools as their models.
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