Brenwanda C Smith

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Cheltenham Township Police Department Pa (PA)

Missing From:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Summary:

Brenwanda 'Brennie' C. Smith, a 24-year-old SEPTA bus driver, disappeared on February 18, 1997, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was last seen at the Luzerne depot waiting for a ride after her shift ended. Her case remains unsolved, though investigators have considered serial killer Juan Covington as a person of interest based on their workplace interaction.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On February 18, 1997, Brenwanda Smith reported to work at 4:00 a.m. as a SEPTA bus driver. At approximately 12:00 p.m., while driving the Route C bus, she was involved in a minor traffic accident on Broad Street near Girard Avenue in Philadelphia. She returned to the SEPTA Luzerne depot to complete an accident report and completed her shift around 1:30 p.m. Several hours later, at approximately 7:00 p.m., Smith was observed by coworkers at the Luzerne depot near Old York Road and Luzerne Avenue in Philadelphia. A coworker offered her a ride home, but Smith stated she already had a ride waiting for her. She did not own a car and typically obtained rides from coworkers, her father, or used public transportation. Smith never arrived at her apartment in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania that evening and has not been heard from since.

Additional Details:

Smith was a responsible individual who had worked for SEPTA since September 1994. She had recently achieved a major goal by moving into her own apartment at Lynnewood Gardens in Cheltenham in January 1997, just one month before her disappearance. Her parents, Harvey and Karen Smith, expressed their belief that she was still alive but prevented from making contact by unknown circumstances. Smith had graduated from Central High School, attended business school, and previously worked at a bank before joining SEPTA. She was active in church activities and maintained daily contact with her family. Despite rallyies at the SEPTA Luzerne depot, fliers distributed on buses, and a $1,000 reward offered by her friends in 1997, police reported having no clues in the case. Investigators noted they found no reason to suggest Smith fled willingly, with colleagues describing her as hard-working and dependable. In the years following her disappearance, police investigated whether serial killer Juan Covington, a former SEPTA employee, was involved. Covington had asked Smith for a date, which she declined, and she was last seen arguing with him at the SEPTA yard. However, investigators determined there was no evidence linking Covington to her disappearance. Covington confessed in 2005 to five shooting incidents (three fatal, two non-fatal) and received three consecutive life sentences, but has never admitted involvement in Smith's case, and the circumstances of his known murders differ significantly from Smith's disappearance. Cheltenham Police Department has continued to investigate the case. Notable investigative anomalies include mysterious phone calls to her cousin Cynthia McCrae shortly after Smith's disappearance, where a caller would be silent except for background television noise. Smith's beeper was cut off on May 30, 1997.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 26, 2026