A pregnant woman in Texas sent a series of ominous texts to friends and family minutes before she was fatally shot in the face in the middle of a street.
Authorities in Houston are now searching for 25-year-old Cavanna Smith’s boyfriend, who they believe murdered her last month soon after finding out that she was pregnant.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Kwanmaine Travion Boyd, 25, who is wanted for one count of capital murder in connection with the expectant mom’s death.
During a search of Boyd’s home in the wake of the murder, investigators found a card that contained a photo with the image of an ultrasound dated Oct. 5 with Smith’s name, along with two positive pregnancy tests, according to court documents obtained by local outlets.
“Kwan, I know this isn’t what we expected but WE ARE expecting!” Smith allegedly wrote in the card.
Smith was 4.5 weeks pregnant when she was shot in the face, investigators said.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by KPRC-TV, Smith had texted her sister about her location in case “anything happens,” and called a friend for help shortly before her death on the morning of Oct. 6.
“I’m at this location getting my money if anything happens to me,” Smith allegedly wrote in an ominous text message to her sister, that included details for a location that investigators identified as either her boyfriend’s home or a spot nearby. Her car was later found parked outside of her boyfriend’s home.
One of Smith’s friends told investigators that she had received a call from Smith’s phone early that morning, but that it was difficult to decipher what was going on before the call abruptly ended.
In a subsequent text, Smith allegedly told her friend that she had been kidnapped.
According to court documents, her friend replied incredulously, “Why are you playing? Stop playing with me.”
Smith wrote back that she wasn’t joking and that she was “in the back of Kwan truck.”
At around 6:44 a.m., investigators said that Smith managed to send one final text to her friend that said, “He got my money and don’t wanna give it to me.”
Phone records appear to show that subsequent calls were directed to Smith’s voicemail, investigators said.
Witnesses in the area later reported seeing Smith and a man now believed to be Boyd arguing within a few miles of Boyd’s home, court documents state.
According to the warrant, Smith tried to flag down a passing truck driver for help, urging him to call 911. The driver told investigators that after realizing that the man accompanying Boyd was brandishing a gun, he drove away.
Another witness who lived in the area told detectives that she saw Smith slump to the ground after the man believed to be Boyd fired a gun at her around 7 a.m. and fled the scene.
Houston police said they responded to a call about a shooting and found Smith’s body lying in the street. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the warrant for Boyd’s arrest, detectives found a receipt for a 9mm firearm and ammunition in a nightstand in Smith’s bedroom that matched the bullets found at the scene.
Boyd has not yet been taken into custody, but police said earlier this month that they found a truck they believe belongs to Boyd parked in the driveway of an abandoned home in southeast Houston, KHOU reported. A warrant for his arrest was issued on Nov. 9.