Ahreal Smith: Body matching description of abducted store clerk found in Heathsville
Update: A body matching the description of Ahreal Smith, a 28-year-old Virginia store clerk who was allegedly abducted by Tyrone N Samuel, 50, has been discovered on January 18. "After an extensive search operation throughout the day, search crews located a body, matching the description of Ahrea'l Smith, on property in Heathsville," the Northumberland County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The body will now be sent to the Richmond County Medical Examiner for an autopsy. He said the suspect in her disappearance, Samuel, had met her before and that additional charges against him were likely.
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NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: A man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a 28-year-old shop clerk who was last seen going to take out the trash after closing up the shop last week. Heathsville's Tyrone N Samuel, 50, has now been arrested and charged with the abduction of the woman, Ahreal Smith. Northumberland County Sheriff Johnny Beauchamp has said that Smith's whereabouts are still unknown.
"On January 15, 2022, Tyrone N Samuel, age 50, of Heathsville, VA was arrested and charged with the abduction of Ahreal Smith. Ahreal remains missing at this time and we continue to investigate her whereabouts. Please continue to send any information you may have or heard about Ahreal’s location to the Sheriff’s Office. (804) 580-5221. Thank you for your help," Johnny Beauchamp's post on Northumberland County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page reads.
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Smith was last seen on Wednesday, January 12, at around 9 pm at the Claraville Little Sue Store in Heathsville, where she works. Surveillance footage has showed her leaving the store to start the car, and then going back inside again, police said at a press conference.
Smith was seen getting in and then getting out of a different car in the parking lot at 9:18 pm, but police have determined that the driver of the car is not a suspect. She got out of the car and returned inside. She then set the alarm, locked up and picked up a trash bag. She took the bag and moved towards a dumpster located in an area that is not accessible through the surveillance cameras. That is the last time she was seen. She was wearing a black Nike hoodie, blue jeans and brown Ugg boots. She sports many tattoos.
The day shift clerk found Smith’s car still running in the parking lot the next morning, police have confirmed. Various local businesses and organizations have together offered a $9,400 reward for any information on her whereabouts. Virginia State Police has deployed a K-9 unit to track her down.
At the press conference, Lydia Smith, Ahreal’s sister, said, "That’s my sister. That’s all I got. If anybody knows anything, just let her go." “If this was your family, what would you want somebody to do?" she added.
Police said that after they arrested Samuel, they received several threatening calls against those involved in the investigation. Our office is receiving a substantial number of calls regarding threats to persons and property related to the Ahreal Smith investigation. Regardless of any intentions, violence or vigilantism will not be tolerated. We would ask the public to please understand that each one of these calls for service diverts needed resources from the investigation. Our office will release vetted, accurate information as we are able," his statement on Facebook reads. "Any incidents of threats of violence or actual violence will be investigated and prosecuted."