Elizabeth Jane Smallwood, 33, an African-American woman, was found deceased along Melton Drive at the Nash-Edgecombe county line in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on February 13, 2009. Authorities estimated her remains had likely been there six months to a year before identification. She had not been reported missing, which made establishing the timeline of her disappearance difficult.

Smallwood was one of several African-American women discovered dead in the same rural area of Edgecombe County between 2005 and 2009. The victims shared similar backgrounds, including histories of drug use and prostitution; Smallwood’s own record included prior arrests in Nash and Edgecombe counties for prostitution, assault, drug possession, larceny, and resisting arrest. Law enforcement formed a special task force to investigate potential links among the deaths.

Antwan Maurice Pittman, 31, was charged with first-degree murder in the killing of another victim, Taraha Shenice Nicholson, but no official charges were filed in Smallwood’s death. A reward was offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction, and the investigation remained open. Does anyone have information about Smallwood’s movements or contacts in Rocky Mount during the year before she was found?