Woman's Body Found Stuffed In Suitcase Near River Amid Search For Missing Pregnant Woman

A woman’s body was found Monday, stuffed into a suitcase near the Neuse River on the state’s coast east of Raleigh. The Wake County Sheriff's Office said they located the body around 11 a.m. in the 5400 block of Allen Drive, off of Old Milburnie Road.

Authorities had been combing the area all weekend in search of a 28-year-old pregnant woman, identified as Brittany Samone Smith who was reported missing since Thursday.

Deputies received a call from the Raleigh Police Department where a witness reported a body near the shoreline off the Neuse River Trail.

Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker said it was safe to say that a body inside a suitcase is no accident and are investigating the case as a homicide.

Although authorities have not yet confirmed the identity of the woman pending final autopsy reports from the State Medical Examiner’s Office, Baker said the family of the missing woman was reportedly at the scene where the body was found.

"I can't sit here and tell you that's what's in there right now. We have not gotten to that point," Baker said.

"We have information to believe it”, Baker added during a media briefing, ABC 11 reported.

Police are still investigating the scene and have declined to provide further details about the case

Smith, who is noticeably pregnant, was last seen Tuesday around the 200 block of Fox Run Drive, in Wendell. She is described to be approximately 4'11" and weighs around 115 pounds.

"If this is, in fact, that young lady we've been looking for all weekend long, someone is responsible for that," Baker said, according to CBS 17's report.

"We've got a lot of folks who are very concerned about the whereabouts of this young lady, She's a daughter, she's a sister, she's a family member to a lot of people who have been working very hard trying to find her”, he added.

Law enforcement are in the process of bringing in persons of interest for questioning, however no suspects have been named as of yet.

Anyone with information about Brittany Smith’s whereabouts are encouraged to call 919-856-6911.