Demontre Smith, 23, was shot to death in New Orleans on January 7, 2022. A lifelong city resident born April 19, 1998, he was a father to a son, Demontre Jr., and a daughter, Demi, and was engaged to be married. Friends and family remembered him for his sense of humor and his love of drawing and dancing.

Years before his death, Smith was briefly involved in a separate investigation: in March 2019 the New Orleans Police Department sought to question him about the fatal shooting of Jerry Harris. Authorities at that time said he was not a suspect but might have information; he was located, questioned and a DNA sample was taken before he was released.

As of the most recent update, Smith’s murder remains unsolved with no arrests or public identification of suspects. Anyone who knew Smith or has information that could help investigators is asked to come forward.