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Police

Cold Case: Lawrence Smith

Homicide

If you have a tip, call the SDPD Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293. For anonymous tips, call Crimestoppers at 888-580-8477 or submit your tip online.

Lawrence Smith

CASE DATE:
August 31, 1998

LOCATION:
7700 Paradise Valley Road

SYNOPSIS:

On Aug 31, 1998, at about 8:20 p.m., SDPD officers respond to a radio call of a shooting at Deep Dell and Paradise Valley Road. When the officers arrived, they found the body of the victim, Lawrence Smith, 16, in the middle of the street at 7700 Paradise Valley Road.

Witnesses told officers they had seen a man with a gun chase Lawrence out of the Meadowbrook Apartments into the street on the north side of 7800 Paradise Valley Road. The suspect caught up to Smith and shot him three or four times. Smith fell into the street and was run over by a passing vehicle. The suspect, a black male 17-20 years old wearing dark clothing, ran southbound on Deep Dell and then eastbound on Prairie Mound Way.

The driver who ran over Smith stopped at the scene, attempted to render aid and gave a statement to police.

Smith had rehabilitated himself after some earlier brushes with the law. He was working, going to school and, according to loved ones, was looking forward to a bright future.