Missing Woman Found Dead in Trunk

Police holding woman's ex-boyfriend

A missing Bellwood woman was found dead in the trunk of a car Wednesday night in the South Side’s Hamilton Park community.

Police are questioning the woman's ex-boyfriend in connection with the murder, but no charges had been filed as of Friday morning.

Fertamia Smith, 35, was found dead in the trunk of a car on West 68th Street in Chicago. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:50 a.m. Thursday, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office said.

Authorities said Smith is the woman family reported missing from Bellwood Tuesday.  She and her ex, with whom she has four children, had gone to church together Sunday, and had not been seen since.

The man gave his attorney the keys to a car and said the body could be found inside. The attorney flagged down a Chicago police officer and said, “I want to report a crime,” Bellwood police Deputy Chief Richard Blass said.

Englewood District police were notified about 9 p.m. of the body in the vehicle, according to Chicago police, who said Bellwood police are investigating.

The man, also of Bellwood, turned himself in to Chicago police, who immediately notified Bellwood police. He was being questioned by Bellwood detectives and representatives from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office early Thursday at the Bellwood police station, Blass said.

Charges against the man are expected to be pending Thursday afternoon, Blass said.

It was not immediately known how the woman died, Blass. Authorities said the woman had no obvious signs of trauma. An autopsy is scheduled for later Thursday, the medical examiner’s office said.

“We are treating this as a homicide investigation,” Blass said.

Contact Us