Authorities in Missouri have arrested a man after a woman’s body was discovered in an advanced state of decomposition inside her apartment, a case that has raised troubling questions about what happened in the weeks leading up to her death.
Lawanda McGee, 47, was found dead on January 21 inside her St. Louis County apartment after concerned family members requested a welfare check. Relatives became alarmed when neighbors reported they had not seen McGee since mid-December. According to investigators, her last activity on social media occurred on December 15, and she had recently fallen behind on rent payments—both unusual signs that prompted growing concern about her well-being.
When police entered the apartment, they discovered McGee’s remains on a living room couch. Her body was partially covered with blankets and clothing, and officers described it as cold to the touch and in a significant stage of decomposition. Due to the condition of the scene, authorities classified the death as suspicious while continuing their investigation.
McGee lived in the apartment with a roommate, Terrance Smith. Police determined that Smith was not present when officers conducted the welfare check. However, investigators learned that Smith had been inside the apartment the previous evening, and his personal belongings were still inside the unit, suggesting he had not moved out. Law enforcement officials say this discovery became a key factor in the case.
Smith was arrested on February 2 after he returned to the apartment building. According to authorities, staff members at the leasing office contacted police upon seeing him, leading to his detention. Following his arrest, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Smith with Abandonment of a Corpse. Under Missouri law, the charge is classified as a class E felony and carries a potential sentence of up to four years in prison.
Prosecutors allege that Smith knowingly failed to report McGee’s death to authorities, leaving her body inside the apartment for an extended period. At this time, no additional criminal charges related to the cause of McGee’s death have been announced, and officials have not released details about how long she may have been deceased before being discovered.
McGee’s death has drawn attention not only because of the circumstances surrounding the discovery, but also because of her personal story. According to her sister, Ashley Barnett, McGee had recently graduated from nursing school and was beginning a new chapter in her life. In a message shared on a GoFundMe page created to support funeral and related expenses, Barnett described her sister as someone who was just starting to find stability and success.
“Lawanda was just starting to get ahead of life when she passed away,” Barnett wrote, adding that she believes her sister’s story deserves to be widely shared and remembered within the community.
Smith is currently being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond, with no option to post a partial payment. He is scheduled to appear in court on February 10 for a bond reduction hearing, followed by a preliminary hearing on March 4. Court records have not indicated whether Smith has retained legal counsel.
As the investigation continues, authorities have not released the results of an autopsy or clarified whether additional charges could follow. For now, the case centers on the allegation that McGee’s death went unreported for weeks, leaving her family searching for answers after a prolonged and painful silence.
