SUSPECT: Kevin Edison Smith (on trial for murder of Krystal Jean Baker)
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Kat
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http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/n...death-of-teen-found-3506308.php#photo-2854518
By The Associated Press
Updated 03:51 p.m., Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Trial begins in assault, death of teen found under Chambers County bridge
Jury selection.
By The Associated Press
Updated 03:51 p.m., Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Trial begins in assault, death of teen found under Chambers County bridge
.
Jury selection.
Smith recieved a life sentence with this verdict. I thought I read somewhere that if found guilty he would recieve 40 years. I was in the courtroom when the verdict was read but I did not hear if it was with or without the possibility of parole. He was emotional during the closing arguments and again when Krystal's mother spoke after the verdict was read. Maybe Krystal's family can now have some peace...
JeannieC
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I'm so glad he was finally convicted. He has probably killed before and after Krystal but I doubt that he will ever admit to any other murders or sexual assaults. Maybe it will come through a jailhouse informate but not directly from Smith. He doesn't accept responsibility for anything. Even with DNA and other evidence not to mention a confession he is denying he murdered Krystal.
I'm glad her family finally has closure as far as knowing the person who murdered their daughter will never be free again!
I'm glad her family finally has closure as far as knowing the person who murdered their daughter will never be free again!
I am not sure that he ever denied murdering Krystal. His taped confession was fairly detailed...just not sure how truthful he was. He pled not guilty on the advice of counsel but at no time during the trial (that i am aware of) did they try to say that he did not do it. In fact, at one point during the trial I was curious just which side of the fence the defense was on. He did not seem to me to be "defending" Smith's guilt...
He admitted killing her, but tried to deflect the blame onto her in a way. He stated that she went crazy on him after they engaged in oral sex. I think he was trying to make it seem like it was accidental. I'm not sure you can accidentally strangle someone with a welding strap, at least not in that way.
I'm not so sure he killed before or after, however. I know people like him - seeing his picture is eery. It really reminds me of someone who is in prison right now for assault - family violence. I believe Kevin Smith is an alcoholic and a narcissist. He wants what he wants and since he is an alcoholic, he wasn't using all of his faculties to make an intelligent decision at the time. That doesn't take away any guilt from him, even if it was alcohol-related. He chose to drink and he chose to pick up a 13-year-old girl. He is an evil person and deserves to rot in prison.
Conditions in Texas prisons aren't the greatest, in general. They don't even feed them three meals a day anymore due to costs. So, it won't be a cakewalk for him.
If I understand correctly, he was in segregation while in the Chambers County jail...and prone to outbursts. I wonder if he will be placed in segregation or general population in prison? He really is not that big of a guy...I agree, prison just might be pretty rough on him if placed in general population!
I want to revisit the case of Laura Kate Smither with the thoughts that Kevin Edison Smith could be responsible for her abduction and murder.
She disappeared while jogging near her Friendswood home April 3, 1997. Records indicate that Smith lived in Friendswood in 1998, although I cannot locate residential records for him prior to 1998.
Laura was 12-years-old and would have turned 13 on April 23, 1997. Krystal Baker was 13. Laura was in his preferred age range.
During the autopsy of Laura Smither, the ME indicated that she found clumps of AA hair on and in Laura's hand. Later on, the DA's Office insisted that this was contamination from another girl who was autopsied the same day (Raquel Crouch, who was AA). The ME refused to state that the hairs were contamination and was later fired. I want to know if the hairs were ever tested and if, in fact, DNA showed them to be Raquel Crouch's hair? Smith is AA.
Laura Smither was nearly decapitated. This could be accomplished during a particularly violent strangulation. Krystal Baker was strangled with a strap.
Both girls were dumped in water miles from their abduction site. Because Laura was not found for 17 days, there was very little to no forensic evidence in her case.
Her parents are convinced that William Lewis Reece is responsible due to his attempted abduction of a 19-year-old woman in the area 4 months later. Going after a pre-teen and then an adult woman makes absolutely no sense.
She disappeared while jogging near her Friendswood home April 3, 1997. Records indicate that Smith lived in Friendswood in 1998, although I cannot locate residential records for him prior to 1998.
Laura was 12-years-old and would have turned 13 on April 23, 1997. Krystal Baker was 13. Laura was in his preferred age range.
During the autopsy of Laura Smither, the ME indicated that she found clumps of AA hair on and in Laura's hand. Later on, the DA's Office insisted that this was contamination from another girl who was autopsied the same day (Raquel Crouch, who was AA). The ME refused to state that the hairs were contamination and was later fired. I want to know if the hairs were ever tested and if, in fact, DNA showed them to be Raquel Crouch's hair? Smith is AA.
Laura Smither was nearly decapitated. This could be accomplished during a particularly violent strangulation. Krystal Baker was strangled with a strap.
Both girls were dumped in water miles from their abduction site. Because Laura was not found for 17 days, there was very little to no forensic evidence in her case.
Her parents are convinced that William Lewis Reece is responsible due to his attempted abduction of a 19-year-old woman in the area 4 months later. Going after a pre-teen and then an adult woman makes absolutely no sense.
I watched a rerun of the program today called "Nightmare Next Door." It gave more information about the events leading up to her disappearance, as well as the people who discovered her body. It was much more factual than when they talked about her case on "Dark Minds."
