Body found in suitcase along Neuse River in Wake County

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A body was found in a suitcase Monday morning close to the shoreline of the Neuse River, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office said.

The body was found off Allen Drive near a walking trail, said Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Eric Curry.

The Sheriff’s Office was notified about the body by the Raleigh Police Department around 10:40 a.m., Curry said.

It was still processing the scene as of 1:40 p.m., Curry said, and the body will be taken to the state medical examiner’s office.

Curry declined to provide additional information.

On Sunday, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office announced it was searching for 28-year-old Brittany Samone Smith, who is pregnant, and was reported missing Thursday, The News & Observer reported.

Officials are still gathering evidence, speaking with Smith’s family members, who showed up at the scene, and taking other actions, Curry said.

“We do have persons of interest that we are interested in talking to,” he said.

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