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Baltimore, MD (WBAL) — man and his daughter are charged with murder in the killing of Jacquelyn Smith in east Baltimore and are being held without bail in Texas.
They were arraigned Monday morning in Cameron County, Texas, Magistrate Court. The next step will be an extradition hearing.
Acting Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said Sunday that Keith Smith, 52, of Aberdeen, and Valeria Smith, 28, of Baltimore, were arrested Sunday morning in Harlingen, Texas, near the Mexico border.
“During the course of our investigation, we have developed evidence that Mr. Smith was leaving Maryland, so we made appropriate national notifications, and the Texas State Police arrested him this morning (Sunday),” Harrison said.
Baltimore police said homicide detectives will be in Texas by Tuesday to try to interview Keith Smith and Valeria Smith and to return them to Baltimore pending extradition proceedings.
Arrest warrants for Keith Smith and Valeria Smith list murder, conspiracy, assault and weapons charges. The arrest warrant for Valeria Smith names her as accessory after the fact in the killing of Jacquelyn Smith by husband Keith Smith.
Keith Smith and Valeria Smith are charged with first-degree murder in the Dec. 1, 2018, killing of Jacquelyn Smith. Police said both Keith Smith and Valeria Smith were with Jacquelyn Smith the night she was killed. They told police that a panhandler stabbed her to death.
“The information and the evidence points to it was not a panhandler,” Harrison said. “People took advantage of Baltimore.”
Reached by phone Sunday, Jacquelyn Smith’s mother told the 11 News I-Team that she is “overjoyed” to hear of an arrest in the case. Asked if she thought Keith Smith might be involved, she said, “Oh yes … from the beginning. Jacquelyn was cautious, not stupid.”
This report will be updated.
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