01/12/2026
Investigators believe that the death of 18-year-old Alesha Bell may be tied to the disappearance of . The last time anyone saw Alesha was outside of her Warren, Ohio, home in July 2015, and one month later, drug agents were searching the residence of local man James Earl Brooks.
There, they stumbled upon bone fragments in his fire pit. It was later learned that those bones belonged to Alesha, and in February 2021, he was sentenced to 30 years on several charges, eight years for Alesha’s murder.
According to reports, Brooks was already serving a 22-year sentence after being convicted on federal weapons and drug charges. In Alesha’s case, he pleaded guilty to gross abuse of a co**se, compelling prostitution, involuntary manslaughter, and kidnapping.
On June 5, 2015, in Farrell, Pennsylvania, Jasmaine Smith was at her family’s home celebrating her little sister’s high school graduation. She traveled across state lines as she lived in nearby Warren, only 30 minutes from Farrell. Her family saw her leave the event without a worry, but when three weeks passed and they had not been able to contact her, they filed a missing person report.
The stories of Alesha Bell and Jasmaine Smith intersect with Brooks because, according to reports, Jasmaine’s family revealed that she knew the trafficker. They fear that Jasmaine may have suffered the same fate as Alesha, or, equally as disturbing, she has become a victim of human trafficking.
Read More: https://www.ourblackgirls.com/p/jasmaine-smith-missing
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