A Baltimore, Maryland, jury convicted a man of first-degree murder Thursday in the 2018 stabbing of his wife that he .
Jurors deliberated about five hours over two days before convicting Keith Smith, 55, of Aberdeen, Maryland, of murdering his wife, Jacquelyn Smith, The Baltimore Sun . He was also convicted of a weapons charge.
Keith Smith told police his wife, an engineer at an Army facility, was knifed by a man after handing $10 to a female panhandler who appeared to be holding a baby. Smith鈥檚 version of his wife鈥檚 slaying drew national attention, as he and his daughter, Valeria, gave tearful interviews. Oprah Winfrey, once a newscaster in Baltimore, tweeted that the tragic case would make her reconsider handing out cash to panhandlers.
But the story fell apart. Investigators reviewed footage from surveillance cameras along the Smiths鈥� supposed route that night.
鈥淭he defendant鈥檚 vehicle and panhandlers are nowhere to be found,鈥� Assistant State鈥檚 Attorney Shaundria Hanna told jurors. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no panhandlers; .鈥�
Keith Smith and his daughter were arrested in March 2019 in Texas during what police portrayed as a desperate dash to Mexico.
Earlier this week, jurors heard from Valeria Smith, who pleaded guilty in 2019 to acting as an accessory after her stepmother鈥檚 slaying, admitting to ditching her stepmother鈥檚 purse at a bus stop to support the panhandler story.
She testified that her father drove them into the park with his wife dozing in the front passenger seat and stabbed her. Afterward, Keith Smith coached his daughter on what they would tell police.
鈥淭he story was supposed to be it was a homeless person, or two homeless people, that had a baby, and Mrs. Jacquelyn was supposed to feel sorry for them,鈥� Valeria Smith told the jury. 鈥淲hen she gave them the money, they stabbed her.鈥�
Keith Smith declined to testify. His attorney Natalie Finegar told the jury that inconsistencies in Keith Smith鈥檚 story do not prove he killed his wife. They also told the jury they can鈥檛 trust his daughter.
Under Valeria Smith’s plea deal, she agreed to testify against her father in exchange for five years in prison. She would usually face 10 years. Her sentencing is set for Monday and she could be released on parole.
Sentencing for Keith Smith is set for Feb. 28. Prosecutors said they will ask for life in prison, the maximum penalty.
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