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Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins: Into Thin Air aired on October 26, 2024, at 8 p.m., exploring Bianca Tanner's disappearance. The Oxygen True Crime show looks deeper into the case when a 31-year-old North Carolina teacher vanished under mysterious circumstances.
On June 7, 2014, Bianca Tanner went missing after an argument with her boyfriend, Angelo Smith Jr., abandoning her three-year-old son and all her possessions at Smith's residence. Her abrupt vanishing incited immediate suspicions, leading to a thorough investigation.
The police interrogated her boyfriend within 12 hours of her disappearance, as her family and friends asserted that she would never forsake her child without informing anyone.
Bianca was killed during a struggle with her boyfriend, and later her body was disposed off near Lake Wylie.
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Bianca Tanner’s condition and disappearance
When Bianca Tanner disappeared, her family and friends were alarmed. The beloved teacher was a single mother who seemed to be thriving in her professional life and raising her son. Her relationship with Angelo Smith Jr., though, was volatile.
The night before her disappearance, the two engaged in a dispute initiated by a text message, as per Smith's account. He asserted that Tanner was inebriated and departed the residence in a fit of rage, yet she didn't come back. Tanner left her phone, wallet and other personal effects, which intensified doubts regarding the events of that night.
Immediate investigation and suspicions
The police promptly started their investigation. Shortly after Bianca Tanner's disappearance, authorities interrogated her boyfriend, Angelo Smith Jr. He claimed that following their argument, Tanner exited abruptly, and he was ignorant of her whereabouts.
However, Tanner's sister and close friends, Cerise and Teresa, informed investigators that she would never abandon her son or sever communication without prior notice. The discrepancy between Smith's narrative and her family's beliefs raised concerns.
Smith also indicated that Tanner had been consuming alcohol, suggesting that she wasn't in a stable state when she departed. Law enforcement scrutinized this claim as they investigated Smith's involvement, interrogating his motives and the chronology of events.
The romantic entanglements
At the time of her disappearance, Bianca Tanner was allegedly dealing with several admirers. Although many perceived her as a nurturing mother and committed educator, her private life garnered numerous romantic pursuits.
Detectives needed to scrutinize each individual to ascertain who was sincerely concerned for her welfare and who potentially harbored more nefarious motives. This facet of the case was pivotal to the investigation, as law enforcement contemplated whether jealousy or romantic competition influenced Tanner's disappearance.
Tanner's relationships were central to the case, as multiple men competed for her attention. Investigators needed to look over her romantic relationships to determine if an acquaintance harbored hostile intentions.
Community and family reaction
The disappearance of Bianca Tanner shocked her community and left her family in anguish.
Tanner was a cherished individual in her community, recognized for her commitment as an educator and her nurturing role as a mother to her young son. Cerise, her sister, and Teresa, her best friend, spearheaded the search for her, asserting that Tanner would never forsake her maternal obligations.
The family's assertion that she wouldn't depart without leaving a trace intensified the investigation. The local media highlighted the case, increasing public scrutiny on the authorities to resolve the mystery surrounding Tanner's disappearance.
The search for answers
As the investigation progressed, law enforcement encountered increasing pressure to ascertain the true circumstances surrounding Bianca Tanner's disappearance. Her vanishing prompted comprehensive searches, interrogations and analyses of surveillance footage.
Investigators meticulously examined Tanner's phone records and personal interactions to elucidate the circumstances preceding her disappearance. The investigation took several turns as authorities worked to untangle the complicated web of her relationships and piece together the truth.
The real incident and Angelo Smith Jr.'s confession
Angelo Smith Jr. was immediately considered a suspect owing to his closeness to Bianca Tanner during her disappearance. The account of their dispute and Tanner departing his residence without her possessions wasn't well received by the detectives.
As stated to WFMY News 2, Smith mentioned that Bianca had recently moved to Charlotte to live with Smith. That day, they spent time at the park with Bianca’s three-year-old son.
On returning home, an argument erupted over a text message Smith received on his new work phone from an unknown woman. Bianca became upset, and Smith claimed the situation escalated, leading her to pull a gun and a knife on him.
In court, Smith admitted to putting Bianca Tanner in a chokehold, trying to restrain her. He said that during the struggle, her body seized up, and she fell to the floor, showing signs of a seizure. Panicking, Smith called his fraternity brother, but, instead of seeking help, they decided to cover up the incident.
They disposed off Bianca Tanner’s body near Lake Wylie, believing that it would be safer than calling the police, fearing how authorities might react. For nearly a month, Bianca Tanner’s family and friends searched for her, unaware of her fate. Eventually, Smith’s fraternity brother led the police to her body.
Smith was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, but because the body was too decomposed to determine the cause of death, Smith accepted a plea deal. He avoided the murder charge but was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, as Bianca’s son was present during the incident.
Smith expressed regret, offering an apology to Bianca’s family, though he acknowledged that his words were inadequate given the circumstances.
Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins is available to stream on Oxygen.
