Woman Captured After 17 Years on the Run
A woman, Tamaira Angell Smith, who had been wanted for 17 years in connection with the death of a Georgia mother, was arrested following her attempt to renew a driver’s license linked to a stolen identity, according to authorities.
Smith, 52, faces a felony murder charge related to the death of 29-year-old Eyanna Moore from Loganville. She was extradited from Texas and is currently held at the Gwinnett County Jail in Georgia.
According to a criminal arrest warrant, Smith allegedly performed an illegal silicone injection on Moore in a Holiday Inn Express hotel room near Stone Mountain on May 30, 2009. Tragically, Moore died the following day.
Eyanna’s aunt, Yolanda Hammond, mentioned to reporters that her niece had researched carefully before proceeding with the procedure. Smith, along with another woman, had posed as professionals, with one claiming to be a doctor while Smith presented herself as a physician assistant.
Hammond remarked, “Eyanna did thorough research. The website seemed legitimate, they had positive reviews, but later it became clear they were not who they claimed to be.”
After the procedure, Smith instructed Moore’s husband, David, to bring yogurt and Gatorade to the hotel. When he arrived, he found Moore in serious distress and called 911. Smith later reached out to David to inquire about Moore’s condition, but when he informed her of Moore’s death, she abruptly hung up.
In June 2009, Gwinnett police issued an arrest warrant but Smith had already fled when the felony murder warrant was filed. The case lingered until recent years when Smith managed to obtain a driver’s license in South Carolina using a stolen identity.
In July 2026, Smith sought assistance from the South Carolina DMV, which led to an investigation by the state’s Law Enforcement Division. Through facial recognition technology, investigators identified her, discovering the outstanding murder warrant. They tracked her down in McKinney, Texas, where she was ultimately arrested.
Hammond expressed her astonishment at how Smith was located after so long. “You evade capture for 17 years, then call for help under an alias? It’s unbelievable,” she said.
A bond hearing for Smith is scheduled for October 22 at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center.
Family Seeks Justice for Eyanna Moore
The aftermath of Moore’s death has been especially hard on her four children—Tatiyanna, Faith, Fantasia, and Tristan—two of whom are too young to remember their mother. The family plans to attend court hearings in a bid for justice.
Hammond hopes this tragic incident will shed light on the dangers of illegal silicone injections, aiming to prevent other families from experiencing similar loss. “It’s vital to thoroughly vet anyone you consider for such procedures,” she urged. “No change to your body is worth losing your life over.”
