RI Woman Whose Baltimore Death Blamed on Panhandler — Husband and Step-Daughter Arrested and Charged

RI Woman Whose Baltimore Death Blamed on Panhandler — Husband and Step-Daughter Arrested and Charged

The Baltimore Police Department announced that Keith Smith, the husband of Providence, RI native Jacquelyn Smith, who was stabbed to death in Baltimore, Maryland in December has been arrested — along with his stepdaughter — in conjunction with the crime.

Smith had originally told authorities that his wife was stabbed to death by a panhandler. 

“Woman killed after giving money to panhandler in Baltimore was engineer who had been out dancing with husband,” reported the Baltimore Sun in December. 

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Now, Smith and his stepdaughter have been arrested. 

“On December 1 of last year, we received a 911 call from 52-year-old Keith Smith that his wife Jacquelyn had been stabbed to death after giving money to a panhandler in the 1000 block of Valley Street in East Baltimore,” said Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison on Sunday. “We know now that is not true.”

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“Earlier this morning after a lengthy investigation, 52-year-old Keith Smith and his daughter 28-year-old Valeria Smith were arrested in Harlingen Texas near the Mexico border and now have been charged with first-degree murder. In the course of our investigation, we developed evidence that Mr. Smith was leaving Maryland. We made the appropriate national notification and the Texas State Police arrested him this morning,” said Harrison. 

"While I cannot go into tactical or investigative details about the case as to not compromise the integrity of the investigation, I can say that there was outstanding detective work…and great coordination and collaboration with the state’s attorney office, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, and the Department of Homeland Security," said Harrison. 

“This case…was a terrible tragedy, Jacqueline Smith was an innocent victim,” said Harrison. “This case remains open and is an ongoing investigation.”