Nationwide — Lawanda McGee, an African American woman from St. Louis, Missouri, was found decomposing in her apartment weeks after she went missing, and her roommate has been charged with abandoning her body. Police believe she may have died around mid-December 2025.
According to People, her body was discovered on January 21 at her Dragonwyck Drive apartment after her cousin and the building manager requested a welfare check. Neighbors said they hadn’t seen her since mid-December, and she was behind on rent. McGee’s last social media post was on December 15.
Terrance Smith, 49, McGee’s roommate, is accused of abandoning her corpse. Court documents indicate he was seen at the apartment the night before the discovery, and his belongings remained inside. Police arrested him on February 2 after the leasing office reported his return.
Family members described McGee as a recent nursing school graduate and a mother to a 13-year-old daughter. Her sister, Ashley Barrett, said she hadn’t spoken to McGee since early December and only became concerned when other relatives mentioned they hadn’t heard from her either.
The family set up a GoFundMe to help with her memorial service and support her daughter. It has so far raised over $1,700.
Police told the family that McGee likely died around December 15, and toxicology results are still pending. Barrett said Smith reportedly covered her with blankets and tried to air out the apartment during the weeks her body remained there. Smith’s bond was set at $100,000.