BALTIMORE (WMAR) — A jury is now deciding on the guilt of a Harford County man accused of stabbing his wife and blaming her death on a Baltimore panhandler.
The jury deliberated for four hours Wednesday before going home for the night.
Keith Smith faces a first degree murder charge for the death of his wife Jacquelyn three years ago.
Keith told police that he, Jacquelyn and his daughter Valeria were driving home from Jacquelyn’s birthday party through the city, when they stopped and she gave money to a panhandler, who robbed and fatally stabbed her.
Even just a few hours after her murder, Baltimore Police began to unravel this story, ultimately refuting each detail. They were never able to find a crime scene or evidence of the attack.
In the days after her murder, Keith and Valeria’s stories about the attack changed, police couldn’t find their car on CCTV footage along the alleged route and cell phone data told a difference story.
Police learned from Keith’s family that before her murder, Jacquelyn had been looking into divorcing him.
Keith and Valeria were caught fleeing to Mexico and arrested.
Valeria pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and testified against him.
Wednesday, the jury asked one question about the third charge: carrying a weapon with intent to harm. They asked for the definition of ‘carry’ and the judge said to use their common knowledge.
The jury will be back to continue deliberating Thursday at 9:15 a.m.
