Man Accused Of Killing Pregnant Girlfriend Arrested In Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA — A man accused of fatally shooting his pregnant girlfriend four years ago in Philadelphia was arrested this week in Atlanta, police said.

Atlanta Police on Sunday arrested Justin Smith, 26, in connection with the deadly March 2021 shooting of Dianna Brice, 21, of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania.

Police stopped a vehicle in the 800 block of Oak Street for an expired registration. The driver, later identified as Smith, led officers on a vehicle chase before running and ultimately being arrested, police said.

Smith was charged on suspicion of murder and will be extradited to Philadelphia, police said.

He is accused of killing Brice, and then, dumping her body in Philadelphia. Brice was 3 months pregnant and the mother of a 4-year-old child when she was killed, police said.

Upper Darby (Pennsylvania) Police took a missing person report at 11:35 p.m. on March 30, 2021, regarding Brice, who was last seen at 1 p.m. that day with Smith at a laundromat.

Both were spotted getting into his Ford Fusion. Later that day, the vehicle was found burning in southwest Philadelphia, police said.

Brice's body was found April 5, 2021, in the 5800 block of Eastwick Avenue in southwest Philadelphia. Police said she had multiple gunshot wounds to the head when she was found.

An arrest warrant for Smith was issued on April 9, 2021, in connection to Brice's death.
Not long after the warrant was issued, the FBI joined the hunt for Smith.

In 2023, 26-year-old Tylydia Garnett, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to arson, abuse of a corpse, destroying evidence and conspiracy in connection with Brice's death. Specific details on her suspected role in the case was not immediately known.