Two people have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of a missing pregnant North Carolina woman whose body was found inside a suitcase earlier this week. Police arrested Thomas Clayton Johnson, 37, and Emmalei Grace Trevathan, 24, during a traffic stop outside of Raleigh on Wednesday evening (February 10).
On Monday, detectives with the Wake County Sheriff's Office began investigating a homicide case after the body of a woman was found stuffed in a bag near the shoreline of the Neuse River in Raleigh. According to the department, the State Medical Examiner's Office identified the body as that of Brittany Samone Smith, who was last seen February 4 in Wendell. The 28-year-old woman had been six months pregnant at the time of her death.
According to the medical examiner, Smith's cause of death was strangulation.
"It's safe to say this is no accident," Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker said in a news conference.
Investigators continue to search for any new leads, including a possible motive in the case. Baker said there could potentially be additional suspects, but Johnson and Trevathan were "the two we need," WRAL reports.
Both Johnson and Trevathan are facing charges including murder, murder of an unborn child, and concealment of a body. They are currently being held at the Wake County Detention Center.
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