Summer Smith was only 18 years-old when she was found murdered in Lake Stevens, Washington during January 2015.
The teen had last spoken to her family members on November 19th, 2014. Months before that, Summer left her hometown of Las Vegas to move to Washington. According to her twin sister, Autumn Smith, Summer was struggling with addiction and did not have a steady home in Washington.
As such, Summer reportedly moved around back-and-forth between Everett, Lynnwood, and Marysville. During May 2014, a couple reportedly found Summer asleep on their couch inside their Marysville home. A police report was filed, which labeled Summer as a homeless teen.
Despite all of this, Summer still frequently kept in touch with her family and friends. After last speaking with her family on November 19th, 2014, Summer stopped calling and texting. Her worried mother sent Summer a few texts about two weeks later to ask if she was okay. Summer's mother reportedly received replies to the texts, however the replies sound completely out-of-character.
In fact, one of the replies sent demanded Summer's mother to stop sending texts altogether. Any calls made to Summer's phone went straight to voicemail. By December 12th, 2014, the phone was either shut off or taken out of service.
Summer's remains were found just a few weeks later, in early January 2015. The remains were found by a man hired to clean property located south of the lake in Lake Stevens. While clearing the brush, the man stumbled upon a human skull.
The Snohomish police were called, and they began searching the surrounding area. After scouring through over 30 acres, investigators found a trash bag with clothing items and paperwork that belonged to Summer. The bag also contained blood-stained bedding, a knife with a broken blade, and screwdrivers. The human skull was positively identified as that of Summer Smith shortly after its discovery. Summer's death was classified as a homicide.
The discovery of Summer's remains leaves many questions unanswered for Summer's family members. Evidence suggests that Summer had already died by the time Summer's mother reached out to her via text. That means that it was somebody other than Summer who replied to the texts from her mother.
Additionally, Summer had been staying in various areas after moving to Washington, however she reportedly did not have any known ties to the Lake Stevens area where she was found. Summer's loved ones believe she was spending time with people who caused her harm after moving to Washington - but at this point, no suspects or persons of interest have been identified in the case.
Investigators are asking for anybody in the area with ties to Summer before her death to come forward. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact 425-388-3845 to submit an anonymous tip.
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