BALTIMORE, Md. — An elaborate lie is putting the death of Jacquelyn Smith in the national spotlight.
Smith's husband Keith Smith and step-daughter Valeria Smith are being held in Texas, both charged with first-degree murder.
RELATED: Father, daughter held without bail in Texas on charges in murder of Jacquelyn Smith
This comes three months after the duo were on WMAR-2 News saying that it was a brutal attack by a panhandler in East Baltimore that took her life.
Now, police are saying they made it all up as they await to be extradited from Texas back to Baltimore.
Jacquelyn Smith’s brother Marcel Trisvan never had a doubt that his brother-in-law Keith Smith and his daughter Valeria made up a story about his sister's death.
“Not shocked not surprised, I knew it from day one and I commend the Baltimore Police Department and the detective they did an incredible job,” said Marcel.
He said he didn’t talk to Keith or Valeria Smith much— despite the fact that they lived so close by.
“Not much about him at all other than my sister loved him and she probably thought the world of him.”
Jacquelyn Smith’s mother Anna lives in Rhode Island where she grew up. She’s had her doubts since she heard what the Smith's said happened that day.
“It was so phony why would he stay in the area with her in the car after the man pulled the chain from her neck as he claims. It was too phony it wasn’t real.”
Marcel described his sister as a well-educated fun person. She was an engineer who was proud of her sons.
“She believed in a higher education,” Marcel said. "She had a boy at the University of Maryland prior to this happening. A boy who graduated from Cheyney College in Pennsylvania who is now with the Coast Guard.”
He thinks about her everyday and every time a song comes on.
“Music in my life will never be the same because that’s what we did we enjoyed listening to music,” said Marcel. When I’m in my car and listen to music now I shed a tear.”
