January 5, 2026 | By: Daniel Mora

This story is part of a collaborative project between Project: Cold Case and the University of North Florida’s Applied Journalism class.

Summorow Bowman-Smith was a quiet girl from Queens, New York, with a bright future ahead of her. She wanted to become a math teacher. “Summorow was really smart,” said her sister, Sabrina. “She graduated early from high school and was a great math student.”

Her bright future was taken away 26 years ago, when Sumorrow was gunned down at a payphone in Jacksonville, Florida. Her murder has not been solved.

Summorow grew up in Queens and was part of a close family. They would go to barbecues and spend a lot of time together. “We were a unit,” said her brother, Benjamin. All her siblings agreed that they were close growing up. Summorow and her siblings were constantly making each other laugh. “We’d make up dances and songs when mom wasn’t home,” said her oldest sister, Nayanda.

Summorow had a close relationship with her sister, Sabrina. They were two years apart and basically twins. “We would dress the same, like twins,” said Sabrina. One of her favorite memories of Summorow was when she had to carry Sabrina home after she ran into a pole. They were laughing the whole time because of the accident. “Summorow would try to carry me home, and we couldn’t stop laughing,” said Sabrina. As the years went on, more memories were made between Summorow and her siblings. She and Sabrina did many school activities together growing up. “We both did gymnastics and jump rope,” said Sabrina. “She also did volleyball, and I did track.”

Summorow graduated from high school early due to her outstanding grades and hard work. “She managed to skip from 7th grade to 9th,” said Nayanda. “She was a really smart girl.” As a teenager, she delivered newspapers. Once she graduated, Sabrina said, Summorow worked as a bookkeeper at a church in Queens before moving to Virginia and then to Florida. In her adulthood, she worked at a bank, a church, and a school. She even tutored seniors who couldn’t read.

Summorow married and had two kids. However, she and her husband later divorced. That didn’t stop her from pursuing her dreams.

At 5’-3” with long soft hair, and always dressed neatly, Summorow was ready for a fresh start. She decided to move to Jacksonville, where she had a new life ahead of her.

On January 2, 2000, Summorow was at her apartment with her roommate, living off Townsend Blvd in the Arlington area. She decided to go down the street to a payphone and call Sabrina to wish her a Happy New Year. According to Sabrina, she was talking to her sister when she heard popping sounds. She called for Summorow but got no response. She later received a call from the police. Summorow had been shot and killed during their phone conversation. And there were no suspects.

“As the years go by, it gets harder,” said Benjamin. “I mean, I have my conclusion on what happened.” He doesn’t talk about his opinion; he just keeps it to himself. He and his siblings are all more focused on being there for each other and supporting each other throughout the years. Even though it has been 26 years, the pain is still there. They can never forget what happened to their sister. “Time heals, but we don’t forget,” said Sabrina. Her siblings agreed. In the end, they are still one unit.

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Anyone with information concerning Summorow Bowman-Smith’s unsolved homicide is asked to call the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at (904) 630-0500. To remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a reward, call First Coast Crime Stoppers at (866) 845-8477.

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