Erien Amanda Smith, 22, from the Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina, was found dead in the early morning of May 18, 2010. Officers who responded after James Ernest Lespier called and reported Mandy was dead discovered Smith lying on the floor covered in blood and deceased. Lespier, who had blood stains on his clothing, told police the two had argued over prescription medication and that Smith had shot herself during a struggle.

The medical examiner concluded the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the back of the head, and the evidence presented at trial did not support Lespier’s account. Lespier was charged in federal court with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence; after an eight-day trial a federal jury in Bryson City found him guilty on both counts. He had been in local federal custody since his arrest on May 19, 2010, and faced the maximum statutory penalty of life in prison.

Anyone who knew Erien Amanda Smith, her movements before May 18, 2010, or has information relevant to this case is asked to come forward.