Sad twice

Jacquelyn Smith was 54 and she was employed as an electrical engineer at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, the big Army facility up in Harford County.  She met a violent death in Baltimore's Johnston Square neighborhood last December 1, according to her husband, Keith Smith, who spoke with media and police after the murder.

Keith Smith told a harrowing tale in which he pulled his car over so that his wife and his daughter Valeria could give some money to a man and a woman panhandling on the street.

Mr Smith said the couple were carrying what looked like a baby wrapped in a blanket, and holding a sign that read, "Help me feed my baby, God Bless."

This sort of generosity was in keeping with the character of Mrs Smith. Her grieving husband said at the time that he and his wife are members of the Helping Hands Ministries Church up in Churchville, where Jacquelyn's memorial service was held on Dec. 7.

So that was the story we got; Mrs Smith gave the woman ten dollars and the man reached into the car and stabbed her to death.

December, January and February went by, the city got another new interim police commissioner, and still the detectives from the Baltimore Police and several other agencies stayed on the care, producing a stunning twist yesterday afternoon when they announced two arrests have been made in the case.

Keith Smith, and Valeria Smith.

Father and daughter were arrested near the U.S.-Mexico border in Harlingen, Texas, where the Mexicans really ought to think about building some sort of wall to keep American murder suspects out.

Keith and Valeria are charged with first-degree murder. Acting on information received, police had learned that Keith Smith was leaving Maryland, and worked with the Texas State Police to fit him for a nice set of handcuffs yesterday morning.


If you'll recall, Mr Smith (pictured here with his late wife) went into heartbreaking detail at the time of the murder, saying of the intended recipient of his wife's charity, "For most people, the last thing you're going to think about is that this person is about to take your life for a few dollars."
 
"I think the reality is, we forget about the times that we're living in," he said. "You may have the best intentions on helping this person, but when you let a person get into your safe zone, you're actually opening yourself up to whatever this person has intended for you."

It's a pity that the Smiths, père et fille, apparently came up with this depraved scheme to end the life of a stepmother and wife. And more's the pity that they dragged the city of Baltimore through the mud, blaming it on some monsters who never existed, except in the souls of Keith and Valeria Smith.