Who Killed Heather Broadus?

Since Nancy Smith’s daughter turned up dead, she’s canvassed the neighborhood and learned disturbing details of her daughter’s secret life. But she still has no answers.

Photos by Jonathan Pobre

Nancy Smith replays the moments leading up to the day her life changed forever, wondering if she missed a precious clue. She remembers trying to hide the concern in her voice. She remembers how she picked up her cell phone and tried calling her daughter yet again. Only a day had passed since their last conversation, but Nancy had not been able to get Heather on the phone since, and her daughter’s evasiveness was unsettling.

Heather never ceased to find ways to get herself into trouble. A decade of traffic tickets, unpaid bills and moving in and out of the house had led Nancy to wonder whether her eldest would ever be responsible enough to lead an adult life. Heather was twenty-seven. Nancy had recently received an overdue bill for a month-long car rental in Heather’s name, totaling over $500.

“Why do you owe that much money for a car rental?” Nancy asked her daughter in a voicemail message. “What are you doing?”

The next day, Nancy would be leaving her home in La …