Charlotte police investigate death of York man

Police in North Carolina are seeking the public’s help in the death investigation of a York man who died from blunt force trauma Wednesday near downtown Charlotte.

Adam Kent Smith, 24, who stood just over 4 feet tall and weighed 85 pounds, approached officers near the intersection of Morehead and Mint streets Wednesday around noon complaining that he had a medical problem, according to a release from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Police called for an ambulance that picked up Smith but he died at Carolinas Medical Center.

Detectives responded and are investigating because the medical examiner in Charlotte ruled Smith died from blunt force trauma, police said.

Smith graduated from Northwestern High School in 2009. He had achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. He was known at the Rock Hill school as the manager for the Trojans’ state champion soccer team.

Smith’s mother, Lori Smith of York, said that she took her son to a rehabilitation center in downtown Charlotte Monday, then last spoke to him Wednesday morning before he died later that day.

“We want to know what happened to my son,” Smith said Friday.

Smith was wearing a multi-colored sweater at the time he was last seen, and because of his size, his mother hopes that someone will call police.

Anyone with information about this incident or the last known whereabouts of Smith is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a homicide unit detective. The public also can call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or visit the Crime Stoppers mobile app website at http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/.

This story was originally published April 17, 2015 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Charlotte police investigate death of York man."