SLED Agent Cracks Cold Case by Tracing Stolen Identity

Special Agent Shawn Ludwig in SLED’s Vehicle Crimes Unit solved an identity fraud case. That investigation uncovered facts that also solved a 17-year-old cold case in Georgia the same day. 

In other words: A fugitive on the run since 2009 was arrested in Texas, and a decade old murder in Georgia was solved because of an identity fraud case in South Carolina. 

Now that you know the end of the story, let’s go back to 2009 to the murder of Eyanna Moore, 29, of Loganville, Georgia. 

The Setup 

Moore received silicone injections from Tamaira Angell Smith in a Holiday Inn Express near Stone Mountain, Georgia. Moore was rushed to the hospital following the injections and died. 

Tamaira Smith was charged with practicing medicine without a license. Shortly after being charged in Georgia, a felony warrant for murder was issued, but it was never served… because Smith was on the run. 

In November 2018, the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) records show an “unknown female” obtains a South Carolina license using someone else’s name. 

The Investigation 

Fast-forward to July 2026, when the same unknown female contacted SCDMV and said she is trying to renew her license online but was notified that ‘an alert’ was placed on her SC license and requested assistance. This is when SLED got involved. 

In August 2026, the identity fraud case was assigned to SLED Special Agent Shawn Ludwig. 

“While researching the case, I found the 2018 SCDMV records showing the stolen identity of a woman in South Carolina,” Agent Ludwig said. “We ran her picture through facial recognition software, and that’s when we knew our investigative priorities had shifted from identity fraud to murder.” 

Agent Ludwig had identified the subject as Tamaira Smith, whose criminal history showed an outstanding warrant for murder. Agent Ludwig and Senior Special Agent Bridgette Lott also identified another alias Smith had been using in McKinney, Texas.

The two SLED Agents shared the vehicle license plate information belonging to Smith with the McKinney Police Department. SLED also contacted the Gwinnett County Police Department in Georgia to confirm Smith was wanted for murder in that state.

The McKinney Police Department located Smith’s vehicle, and the subject was arrested and identified as Tamaira Smith.

 The Resolution

Tamaira Angell Smith, 52, was charged with First Degree Murder in the death of 29-year-old Eyanna Moore of Loganville, GA. The McKinney Police Department arrested Smith on the Georgia murder warrant, and she was extradited to Gwinnett County to stand trial.

“The Vehicle Crimes Agents go above and beyond every day,” Captain Kevin Ellis of the Vehicle Crimes Unit said. “This is just one example that shows how their hard work can uncover other crimes that were committed and impact the outcome of any investigation.”

*CORRECTION: A previous version of this story referenced a McKinney County Sheriff's Office. The law enforcement agency has been corrected to the McKinney Police Department.