Suspect Linked to Unsolved 2002 Murder of 14-year-old Ashburn Girl

After 12 years of investigating the unsolved murder of a 14-year-old Ashburn girl, Loudoun investigators have linked a suspect to the case.

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman announced Friday that an unnamed suspect who reportedly committed suicide “for unknown reasons” during the course of the investigation has been linked to the murder of Erica Heather Smith, according to a statement released Friday.

“Regrettably, there will be nothing further that the judicial system can do given that this subject took his own life,” Chapman said in his statement.

Erica Heather Smith vanished July 29, 2002, after telling her parents she was going to meet a friend. Her body was discovered 11 days later in a shallow grave near Broad Run Creek, according to investigators.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit spent thousands of hours conducting several hundred interviews, a comprehensive review of evidence, consultation with experts and assistance from federal authorities, including the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit and Violence Crimes Task Force, The Washington Post reports. The case was featured on the nationally syndicated television show “America’s Most Wanted” in 2009.

“The intent was the hope to not only solve these cases, but attempt to bring closure to the family of the victims,” Chapman said in the statement. “We also wanted to ensure the citizens of Loudoun that these cases are not forgotten, nor are those victims or family members.”

The sheriff’s office did not provide any information regarding a possible motive for the killing.

Chapman stated that the Smith case inspired the beginnings of Loudoun’s Child Safety Day program to educate the community on safety measures families can take to protect their children. Child Safety Day this year will be held from 12 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2 at the Village at Leesburg.