Body in Suitcase Found Near North Carolina River Not Far From Where Pregnant Woman Went Missing, Police Say

The body of an unidentified woman was found in a suitcase near the shore of a river in Raleigh, North Carolina Monday, cops said. Cops say they were contacted Monday morning after a witness said they saw a body near the Neuse River Trail. The case is being investigated as a homicide and a cause of death was not released, WXII reported.

The news of a woman's body being found comes not long after a pregnant woman was reported missing nearby. Some relatives of Brittany Smith, who was last seen last Thursday in nearby Wendell, told WRAL that they believe it is her. Police would not comment if the body of the woman discovered Monday showed any signs of pregnancy or if they believe it to be Smith. 

"We've got a lot of folks who are concerned about the whereabouts of this young lady. She's a daughter. She's a sister. She's a family member. They've been working very hard to find her,” Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker said in a press conference Monday afternoon. “We’re going to find out who’s responsible, I can tell you that. If this, in fact, is the young lady we’ve been looking for all weekend long, someone is responsible for that. That just doesn’t just happen.”

Baker said they are awaiting the results of an autopsy by the State Medical Examiner's Office. He added that it is “safe to say this was no accident.”

"We're getting ready to confirm it," Baker said. "I can't sit here and tell you that's what's in there right now. We have not gotten to that point. We have information to believe it."

Anyone with information on Smith's whereabouts is asked to call Wake County Sheriff's Office at 919-856-6911.

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