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MORGAN MODJESKI \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
A police car parked outside of a home on Primrose Crescent on June 9, 2026.<\/p>\n
Nancy Zanella lives across from Smart\u2019s home, and described her as a teacher who was still working, and a \u201creally good person\u201d who took the time to bring her meals and check in on her family when they were going through difficult times.<\/p>\n
The last time she saw Smart, just days before her death, they waved to each other but didn\u2019t speak. Zanella said she regrets that now.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m angry, really angry, because she was good towards me,\u201d she said Tuesday morning. \u201cShe didn\u2019t deserve that s\u2014t.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Free Press spoke with Smart\u2019s son, who did not want to be identified. He described her as \u201ca great mother\u201d who was loved by everyone, but declined to comment further.<\/p>\n
Smart and her next-door neighbour shared a love of gardening. He\u2019d cut her grass and she gave him flowers purchased in support of a breast cancer charity; they\u2019re in pots outside his front door.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a sad story, said the neighbour, who didn\u2019t wish to be identified. \u201cShe was so happy because she finally got a permanent teaching job; she was so happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several neighbours told the Free Press they did not believe the homicide was random and described the street as quiet.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
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The Winnipeg Police Service refused to confirm any details Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Just a few doors away from Smart\u2019s home, Mohammed Rahman said she had frequently come by with candies for his children and checked in on holidays.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a big surprise that this is what happened,\u201d he said. \u201cBut, to be honest, no, we didn\u2019t believe that she (had) died in a normal death.\u201d<\/p>\n
The WPS homicide unit has taken over the case and is still investigating. No arrests have been announced.<\/p>\n
malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n
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Malak Abas Malak Abas is a city reporter at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg\u2019s North End, she led the campus paper at the University of Manitoba before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Malak<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Malak produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Reporter
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