Mercedes Shaday Smith was an 18 year-old freshman who briefly attended

Lindsey Wilson College before taking her own life on April 20th, 2017. She was known to her friends by the nickname "Benz".

She was born in the state of Ohio and raised in the city of Cincinnati. She is a graduate of Withrow High School.

She attended Lindsey Wilson College in the city of Columbia, Kentucky, where she was one of the stars of the Track and field team and a student in the Communications department.

On the morning of April 20th, 2017, Mercedes was found unresponsive inside of her room at the dorms called McCandless Hall, 220 Holloway Drive.

According to numerous sources including her boyfriend, Markeice “Mari” Brown, who posted on Facebook, she was receiving harassment from friends, and was also a victim of bullying. On top of that, it is alleged by Markeice that she was pregnant with their son. They had seen each other the night before her death.

From Markeice's Suicide Note days later:

Two days later, her boyfriend, Markeice “Mari” Brown, took his own life. A statement from William T. Luckey, the president of the College that she attended, was released in which he says:

According to the adults in her life including her Track and Field coach at the university have expressed that Mercedes had a smile and personality that lit up the room.

Mercedes loved to visit Bonita Springs in Southwest Florida when she could.