NC - Chance Douglas Smith, 6, found attacked in pasture, later dies of injuries, Locust, 13 Dec 2003

[StarrChance]

Autopsy mentioned

 

[StarrChance]

A little about him in this article

View attachment 251466

Ancestry has a birth record but parents aren’t named, don’t think I have seen that before. There was one newspaper that had a relative named but can’t find it atm, will look again.

Second part

 

[StarrChance]

Grandfather Randall Lane
Parents Pamela Sue (Eudy) Smith & Paul Douglas Smith

 

[StarrChance]

Autopsy mentioned

STANLY COUNTY Autopsy shows death is homicide 6-year-old found infield died of head injury not hypothermia police say By Jaime Levy StaffWriter LOCUST — The results of an autopsy leave no doubt that the weekend death of 6-year-old Chance Douglas Smith was a homicide police said Tuesday The finding ended speculation that the boy might have died of hypothermia after getting lost in the woods near his grandparents’ Locust home Instead police said the boy died from traumatic injuries to his head “We don’t have any theories at this point” Lt James Inman of the Locust Police Department said “No suspects have been identified No one theory has been identified” Inman would not release details about the autopsy saying only “The medical examiner had no question about (the nature of the death)” But police also said they believe Chance’s death was an isolated incident “I don’t think (parents) should have any fears of There’s just a killer on the loose running through the neighborhood’ ’’ Officer Steve Ridenhour of Locust police said Tuesday night Chance’s death was the first homicide in recent history in Locust a town of about 3000 with a police force of six full-time ofli-SEE CHILD I 8B

 

[Luckyzmom]

@StarrChance thanks very much for updates. This just bothers me a lot, WTH went on there ? Poor kid

 

[SmileyFaceKiller666]

"...after almost eight hours of looking, at 11:30 p.m., one of those volunteers — a Charlotte-Mecklenberg police officer — found Chance, face down in a horse pasture along Scout Road.

Chance was badly injured and barely alive, but because he was alive — even just barely — he was transported to Stanly Memorial Hospital, fifteen miles away in Albemarle.

A race against time
I am sure that both on the way to the hospital and once he arrived, every effort was made to save Chance, but despite those efforts, in the early hours of Sunday, December 14, 2003, Chance Douglas Smith was pronounced dead.

The investigation
With Chance’s death, the investigation that had begun when the police were called out to search for the missing boy continued.

The medical examiner performed an autopsy, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide. It also became apparent that the fatal injury, a blow to Chance’s head, had not occurred in the field where he was found, but was inflicted somewhere else, and his near lifeless body was then dumped in the horse pasture.

To the frustration of the Locust Police Department, when he was questioned it became clear that Chance Douglas Smith’s grandfather was unwilling to share what he knew about the circumstances surrounding Chance’s death.

Chance’s death set in motion a series of events that resulted in the demise of his parents’ marriage. This in turn led his father and paternal grandfather to move to Tennessee, while Chance’s mother moved to South Carolina."

"Chance’s grandfather had been brought back to Locust for questioning, but continued to be less than cooperative. Of Chance’s grandfather the police chief said:

“We know he knows who it is, but for what reason he is not willing to cooperate with us.” — Mike Haigler, Police Chief of Locust Police Department"

Chance Douglas Smith

"...after almost eight hours of looking, at 11:30 p.m., one of those volunteers — a Charlotte-Mecklenberg police officer — found Chance, face down in a horse pasture along Scout Road.

Chance was badly injured and barely alive, but because he was alive — even just barely — he was transported to Stanly Memorial Hospital, fifteen miles away in Albemarle.

A race against time
I am sure that both on the way to the hospital and once he arrived, every effort was made to save Chance, but despite those efforts, in the early hours of Sunday, December 14, 2003, Chance Douglas Smith was pronounced dead.

The investigation
With Chance’s death, the investigation that had begun when the police were called out to search for the missing boy continued.

The medical examiner performed an autopsy, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide. It also became apparent that the fatal injury, a blow to Chance’s head, had not occurred in the field where he was found, but was inflicted somewhere else, and his near lifeless body was then dumped in the horse pasture.

To the frustration of the Locust Police Department, when he was questioned it became clear that Chance Douglas Smith’s grandfather was unwilling to share what he knew about the circumstances surrounding Chance’s death.

Chance’s death set in motion a series of events that resulted in the demise of his parents’ marriage. This in turn led his father and paternal grandfather to move to Tennessee, while Chance’s mother moved to South Carolina."

"Chance’s grandfather had been brought back to Locust for questioning, but continued to be less than cooperative. Of Chance’s grandfather the police chief said:

“We know he knows who it is, but for what reason he is not willing to cooperate with us.” — Mike Haigler, Police Chief of Locust Police Department"

Chance Douglas Smith

Just curious, do we know where his mom was when he dissapeared?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Locust police say Smith was murdered. His death is the only unsolved murder in the town. However, family members believe they know who may have committed the crime.

WBTV: True Crime Carolinas to cover 6-year-old boy’s unsolved death in Stanly County

Tune in at 11 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2025.

www.wbtv.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Later that day, Smith’s grandfather Randall Lane spoke to WBTV. He explained what he believed happened to Smith.

“I think he was trying to climb into the barn after getting warm, and a horse kicked him because he had a dog with him,” Lane said then. “We don’t know until the autopsy comes back.”

A few days later, Smith’s death was ruled a homicide. The autopsy revealed that the boy died of blunt force trauma to the head.

Who killed 6-year-old Chance Smith in Stanly County? The family may know

WBTV True Crime Carolinas takes a look at the unsolved case

www.wbtv.com