Saturday, October 29, 2011

Lake Placid, FL: Highlands woman, 87, charged in stabbing death of husband, 93

LAKE PLACID --
Eighty-seven-year-old Doris Smith has been charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of her husband, 93-year-old Chester Smith, Highlands County sheriff's spokeswoman Nell Hays said Friday.

On Wednesday Deputies found Chester Smith "suffering from multiple stab wounds" when they responded to a 911 call from 42 Hickory Hills Circle in Lake Placid, Hays wrote in a media release. The address is actually just north of Lake Placid and Lake June in the Lake Henry Homes subdivision.

Emergency workers took Smith to Florida Hospital Lake Placid where he was pronounced dead.

"While on scene deputies found Mr. Smith's spouse, Doris, to be distraught and disoriented. They also had her transported to the hospital for medical evaluation. Over the next few days information developed which resulted in the arrest of Mrs. Smith," Hays added. "She remains hospitalized under the supervision of Highlands County Detention personnel."

Doris Smith booked on the murder charge at 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to information in the Highlands County jail section of the sheriff's website.

She is one of the oldest Florida residents to be charged with murder.

On Sept. 26, authorities in St. Augustine charged 96-year-old Amanda Rice Stevenson with shooting to death her nephew, 53-year-old Johnny Rice. Stevenson is the oldest person ever charged with murder in the Sunshine State, multiple media outlets reported.

Anyone with information about Smith's death can contact the Highlands County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Unit at 402-7250.

No comments: