Security guard who was killed during her 5th shift at Tacoma building has been identified
A security guard who died after being severely beaten and choked at a downtown Tacoma building has been identified.
Denise Smith, 41, of Seattle, died early Sunday while working at a building in the 900 block of A Street.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office has not determined a cause of death, but investigators say she was beaten for about eight minutes and choked.
A 26-year-old U.S. Army Ranger based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord has been charged in the homicide.
Smith worked as a security guard for about five years but had only been assigned to the building where she died two days prior. She worked five shifts there before she was killed, court records say.
Family members could not be immediately reached for comment.
Her sister, Tina Mack, visited the building where Smith died and spoke briefly with KOMO News.
“Well, ’Nise was kind. ’Nise was gentle, ’Nise was sweet, she was just loving, just caring, kept to herself, mind her own business,” Mack told the station. “I just came here to see the building because I wanted to see for myself.”
This story was originally published July 23, 2021 at 2:36 PM.
