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.