Westmoreland, NY: Knifed man out of hospital, estranged wife on ventilator

TOWN OF WESTMORELAND — One stabbing-victim has been released from the hospital, but Todd C. Smith’s estranged wife remains in intensive care today after the double-knifing at the Camelot Village late Monday night.

Still no charges have been filed as state police said today they will wait for Jenise M. Haddad-Smith to recover. Hospital officials at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica said Haddad-Smith, age 48, remains in critical condition.

"With her, she’s still on a ventilator; it’s difficult for us to speak with her," explained Capt. Mark Lincoln this morning. "I think we’ve got most of his side of the story, and we will compare it to her side of the story, as well as what we found at the scene" before an arrest is made.

Hospital officials said Todd Smith, age 34, of 205 Pazdur Blvd. West, was discharged this morning.

Lincoln declined to discuss what Smith has told state police about the dispute at his residence in the Camelot Village. Lincoln said that neighbors called 9-1-1 at 9:40 p.m. after they heard screaming outside and found Smith lying in the middle of the street with stab wounds. Haddad-Smith, who lives at the couple’s former marital home at 134 Haddad Road, Frankfort, was found inside the residence with more serious wounds, troopers said. A weapon was recovered at the scene.

Lincoln said state police are still trying to determine if the couple were "mutual combatants" or if there was one primary aggressor and one victim.

Neighbors said that Smith was asleep on the couch when Haddad-Smith entered the unlocked residence owned by Smith’s parents, but Lincoln refused to confirm or deny that possibility. The couple had been together since 1998 and have two children in common, ages 5 and 10, state police said. The children were not present during the fight, and are currently staying with relatives, troopers said.

Lincoln said investigators are also looking into a complaint Smith made to the Sheriff’s Department about a domestic dispute last week. Sheriff’s Capt. Richard A. Antanavige said "it was a domestic" on March 3 at the Pazdur Boulevard residence involving Smith and Haddad-Smith. "It’s still a case that’s under investigation," Antanavige said, and he declined to discuss the details.

The dwelling on Pazdur Boulevard is the home of Smith’s parents, David and Karen Smith, who are returning from Florida. Neighbors said Smith had been living at the residence for about two years.