Justin Smith, wanted in 2021 murder of pregnant girlfriend in Philadelphia, arrested in Atlanta
A man wanted for allegedly killing his pregnant girlfriend, Dianna Brice, in the Philadelphia area four years ago has been arrested in Georgia, according to police.
The Philadelphia Police Department said Wednesday that 26-year-old Justin Smith was arrested Sunday in Atlanta in connection with the 2021 murder of Brice. Atlanta police are holding Smith on murder charges, and he is awaiting extradition to Philadelphia.
According to the PPD, Atlanta police stopped a car with expired registration on Sunday in the 800 block of Oak Street. Police claim Smith led officers on a foot chase before being arrested.
Brice, 21, was reported missing in Upper Darby, Delaware County, on March 30, 2021. Police say Brice was last seen entering Smith's Ford Fusion in Lansdowne. The car was found later that day, burning at Florence Avenue and Cobbs Creek Parkway in Southwest Philadelphia, according to police.
Investigators found Brice's remains in a wooded area in the 5800 block of Eastwick Avenue on April 5, 2021, with multiple gunshot wounds to her head. Brice was 14 weeks pregnant. The unborn child also died.
Betty Cellini, Brice's mother, told CBS News Philadelphia that she and her daughter were at a laundromat in Lansdowne when Smith picked up her daughter to go to a pharmacy in Kensington around 11:30 a.m. on March 30, 2021. Cellini said Brice and her boyfriend got into an argument, and Brice got out of the car. At 1:30 p.m., Cellini said she called Brice to let her know the laundry was done, and Brice told her she never made it to the pharmacy and would meet at home. That was the last time anyone had contact with Brice.
Tylydiah Garnett pleaded guilty in 2023 to arson, abuse of a corpse and related offenses in connection with Brice's murder.
