Maya Smith, 24, was found shot to death inside her car early on January 8, 2023, in an alley west of the 1200 block of Clement Street in Joliet, Illinois. Officers who responded to a report about a suspiciously parked silver Nissan Rogue discovered Smith in the front seat with multiple gunshot wounds to her abdomen and head. Her 2-year-old daughter was located unharmed in the backseat, tucked between the rear driver’s side door and the rear seat.

Friends and family described Smith as vibrant, kind, generous and a devoted mother. She worked in customer service at a Joliet bank, was taking classes to become a nurse, and had plans to start her own business. Investigation revealed she had been in a relationship with 48-year-old Jermaine Mandley of Bolingbrook; text messages on Smith’s phone showed she agreed to meet him on the night of January 7, 2023. Mandley was arrested on January 10, 2023, on the southeast side of Chicago and charged with three counts of first-degree murder; bond was set at $5 million and he was held in the Will County Adult Detention Facility.

Funeral services were held at Mt. Zion Baptist Church with interment at Elmhurst Cemetery. Does anyone have information about Smith’s movements that night or about the alley west of Clement Street?