The mother of a 19-year-old Fort Pierce woman who was fatally shot outside a Fort Lauderdale Airbnb is questioning how police handled the moments before the killing. Alacia Ford-Barron shared body camera footage with WPBF 25 News that shows her daughter, Myrah Zeigler, asking officers for help getting back friends’ car keys.
In the footage, Zeigler says someone had taken the keys and asks officers to walk the group to the park where the people believed to have them were. One officer appears to agree, but Ford-Barron says the officers never went with her daughter. Shortly after, two gunshots can be heard as Zeigler and her friend walked toward the park. The video does not explain why the officers did not follow.
Zeigler was killed on May 19, 2025, after a disturbance involving a group of adults turned into a physical fight, according to Fort Lauderdale police. Officers found her in the roadway near Southwest 16th Street with a gunshot wound. She died at Broward Health Medical Center. In July 2025, police arrested Larry Lamar Smith, who was charged with second-degree murder with a firearm.
The department said it was saddened by the loss and that the lead detective has kept in regular contact with the family. It encouraged the family to raise concerns directly, including through its complaint process. The Office of Internal Affairs can be reached at 954-828-6956.
Ford-Barron said she plans to keep pushing for answers.
