The Murder of Gail Smith
For this case I watched an episode of Murder Comes to Town. It’s season 4 episode 6, titled ‘Roses Are Red, Murder is Too.’
A popular city councilwoman is found dead in her home.
Background
Gail Smith grew up in New York City. She had a long successful career as a flight attendant, but retired in 1993. After retiring, she moved to the small town of Berryville, Virginia. Gail did a lot of work in the community, especially in churches and with Alzheimer patients.
In 2008, Gail ran for a seat on the city council, and won. She was described as being exuberant, fun and outgoing.
Gail Smith
A Welfare Check
On July 30, 2009, Greg Frenzel with the Berryville PD, arrived at Gail’s home around 10am. He was dispatched to do a welfare check.
Greg knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He looked in from the outside, and could see her lying in the hallway. He said she looked bloated, and he called for back up. Within minutes, Gail’s home was now a crime scene.
Tricia Putnam with the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department, said that there was an unbearable smell as soon they walked in. Gail had obviously been there a few days before she was found. Gail was bleeding from her head, but had no other major injuries. There was no forced entry, and nothing was missing from the home.
There were however, a few small details that the investigators found odd. There was a plastic bouquet of flowers near Gail’s body. The police knew Gail personally, and knew that she liked plants, and living things. It was weird that this cheap, fake plant was in her home. Gail’s air conditioning hadn’t been turned on either, despite it being the middle of summer in Virginia.
Theory #1: Politically Motivated
Gail’s autopsy was done, and the medical examiner said the cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head. Gail had been shot in the temple, by a .22 caliber bullet. The bullet went through her skull and fractured it. The medical examiner also believed that Gail was killed on July 26, four days before she was found.
The police had to notify her family. They asked her brother Tim Smith who’d want to hurt Gail. Tim said they had always been close, but that she could’ve ruffled some feathers.
Gail’s death occurred around the one year anniversary of her winning a seat on the city council. The police discovered that some people weren’t exactly happy with Gail being on the council, due to her not knowing much about the city’s history. Gail’s friend said she had handled it with grace, and didn’t seem bothered by it.
The police spoke to various members of the city council, and they said that Gail was well-liked and respected by every member. This theory was ruled out pretty quickly.
Theory #2: A Random Killing
The second theory came after the police spoke to one of Gail’s neighbors. He said that he had seen a white pick up truck in Gail’s driveway a few times before she was killed.
The neighbor said that he too was visited by this man. The man had asked if he could power wash his home, and he said no. He said that the man worked for a local construction company, and was trying to earn extra money.
The police went by the construction company, and spoke to the builder. He said that the man they were looking for was a man named Randall (not sure if this is his real name, the episode said some names could’ve been changed). Randall was in his 40s, and even borrowed the company’s power washer to earn extra money.
The builder said Randall lived in Charleston, West Virginia, about 20 miles from Berryville. The police were able to located Randall, and were able to rule him out as a suspect. He was just trying to earn some extra money.
Theory #3: Gail Knew Her Killer
The police dug deeper into Gail’s background. Gail’s attorney also contacted them, and said that Gail had an ongoing case, regarding the guardianship of her father. Gail wanted to be her father’s legal guardian. He was battling Alzheimer’s, and Gail visited him frequently. Apparently, it didn’t sit well with her siblings Tim and Deborah.
The police spoke to Deborah, and she said that there were no issues. She and Gail loved each other, and got along with Tim as well.
On August 8, the police discovered that Gail had been married before, and that her ex-husband owned a white pick up truck. The police drive down to Farmville, Virginia, where he lived. He said he and Gail were friends. He also had an alibi for when Gail was killed.
The police were out of leads and suspects, and the case went cold until about four months later.
A Sibling Rivalry
On November 29, 2009, Tricia Putnam received a call from the police in Farmville. They said they had a man in custody that had information about Gail’s murder.
The man agreed to talk in exchange for a lighter sentence on his current charges. The man said that Tim Smith, Gail’s brother, had asked him if he would help him kill Gail in exchange for $2,000. The man said Tim wanted to use a poisonous snake, and that the venom would cause heart attack like symptoms. The man said he told Tim he didn’t want to be involved, and the police believed that the man was telling the truth.
Tim Smith was charged with solicitation to commit murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He pleaded no contest, and received a sentence of two years. Tim was in prison for now, but the case was far from over.
Finding the Triggerman
The police knew Tim was involved, however, they knew he wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger. They focused their investigation on Tim’s acquaintances. Tim had purchased a prepaid phone for the killer. The police were able to put that phone in Berryville the day before Gail was killed. After the murder, the phone was only used one more time to order a pizza.
The police were able to obtain the address to where the pizza was delivered to. It led them to a woman named Gladys, (again, not sure if this is her real name). Gladys told them that her granddaughter used to live there, and now lives with her boyfriend Tony Sharpe.
The police tracked Tony and his girlfriend down. They knew Tim because Tony did odd jobs for him, and were neighbors at one point. Tony denied being involved in the murder. They also had no evidence to prove Tony was the killer.
The case went cold again, and sadly, Tim Smith was released from prison in August of 2012.
Getting Some Answers
In January 2013, 3 1/2 years after Gail was killed, the police finally learned from another friend of Tim’s that Tim had been worried about getting caught. The friend also said that Deborah was involved too. The man said that Deborah had given the triggerman the money to buy those plastic flowers that were in Gail’s home. The information about the flowers was never released to the public.
On March 21, 2013, Tony Sharpe’s girlfriend came forward, and said that Tony had been involved. Tim had paid him $2,000, and she saw him with that money a week after Gail died.
Tim Smith, Deborah Smith and Tony Sharpe were all arrested.
Deborah Smith pleaded guilty to perjury. She was sentenced to 8 years.
Tim Smith pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 23 years.
Tony Sharpe pleaded guilty to first degree murder. He was sentenced to 25 years.
Tim and Deborah Smith, Tony Sharpe
Other
Tim Smith Sr., Gail’s father, passed away on February 23, 2010. His $750,000 estate that his daughter was killed over, was given to his sister.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Another case where an innocent person is killed due to greed. Not only did Tim and Deborah never get any money from their father, but they manipulated someone else to kill their own sister. Tony was obviously manipulated, but he still took someone’s else life in exchange for around $2,000. I obviously think they should get longer sentences, but Tim will most likely die in prison due to his failing health.
I hope Gail and her father can rest in peace now.
Sources
https://www.localdvm.com/news/siblings-sentenced-in-clarke-county-for-sisters-murder/
