The Glacier County Sheriff’s Office has identified 36-year-old Cerenity Marie Shawl as the woman found dead inside a freezer in the basement of a Cut Bank residence on Saturday, February 7, 2026. An autopsy determined she died from a gunshot wound to the head. Alfred Joseph Smith was arrested on a warrant for homicide on Monday in Fort Benton.
For those who knew her, remembering Shawl’s life and spirit is more important than the circumstances of her death.
Aneesa Coomer reports - watch the video here:
“She was loved by so many people. Anybody she talked to or touched, they never even had anything bad to say about her,” said Tiffany Gange, a family friend who considered Shawl part of her family.
Gange says she first met Shawl about five or six years ago, after she began dating a member of the family.
“Regardless if we’re blood or not, we are her family. Anytime I ever asked her about her family, she’s like, ‘They’re right here,’” Gange said. “I would have done anything for her, even though she’s not my blood, she is my family, regardless.”
Shawl became a part of the household, especially with the children, spending time with them, helping them, and brightening their days.
“She just brought light into the room. She was always so vibrant. She put others before herself. Anytime anybody was feeling down, she’d do the best she could to make up for anything,” Gange added.
Friends say some of Shawl’s last messages, however, were alarming.
“She said, ‘Make sure my kids know that I love them. And if anything happens to me, it’s my boyfriend,’” Gange said.
The last time Gange and her family say they heard from Shawl directly was January 29th. After that, they noticed her phone was active on social media, but she was not responding to calls or texts, a sharp departure from her usual communication.
“No matter what, she always said, ‘Okay Auntie, I love you’. There would never be days and weeks without being responded to and our messages being looked at and not responded to. That’s not her. That’s not her,’” Gange said.
Gange believes some social media posts that appeared to come from Shawl, including requests for money, were not actually from her.
“She was reading my stuff, but not answering it. So I’m like, that’s not her. No matter what. Some people even saw requests from Cerenity for money in the past few days, but it wasn’t her,” Gange said.
Gange, who described herself as Shawl’s protector, said she used her social network to make sure Shawl’s case would not be ignored.
“No matter what, I was not going to allow her to be one of those cases that got swept under the rug. I was going to do everything in my power to make sure she was brought to justice,” Gange said.
Devon Allyn, a close friend and former partner, also describes Shawl as selfless and caring, saying, “She was best friends with me and I mean, just an amazing woman. She was never selfish about anything. She was always giving, especially to her family. I don’t understand how somebody could just take someone’s life away like this for no reason.”
Shawl’s love for her children was central to her life. According to Gange, she had seven biological children, and spent years navigating personal challenges to keep them safe.
“She wanted to spend time with her kids, to be with them no matter what. She did what she thought was best to keep them safe from her now deceased ex-husband and children of the kids, which hurt her. She always wanted us to let them know she loves them more than anything. That was her life,” Gange said.
Shawl’s friends say she often reached out to them for support and guidance, especially as she worked through difficult times.
“She would call me anytime to vent. We would do Girls Day photoshoots. I took her everywhere I went. She always wanted to spend time together,” Gange said.
Now, as investigators continue the case, friends and loved ones say their focus is on honoring Shawl’s memory.
“She touched so many lives. We just want people to remember who she was. Regardless of blood, she was family. That’s what mattered to her and to us,” Gange said.
