Jerry Smith was sentenced to death by the State of Alabama for the murders of three people
According to court documents Jerry Smith would walk into a drug house and open fire killing three people: Willie Flournoy, Theresa Helms, and David Bennett
Jerry Smith would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
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Jerry Smith is incarcerated at Holman Prison
Jerry Smith Case
In Smith VI, the Court of Criminal Appeals summarized the facts concerning the crime that was the basis of Smith’s conviction. Smith, a drug dealer, went to Flournoy’s residence in Dothan around 8:30 p.m. on October 19, 1996, to collect $1,500 Flournoy owed him for crack cocaine. Flournoy told Smith he did not have the money then, but he would have it later that night. Smith left, but later that night, Smith and his girlfriend returned to Flournoy’s residence. When they returned, Smith had a sawed-off .22-caliber rifle concealed under his shirt. Flournoy again said he did not have the money he owed Smith. Smith shot Flournoy, who was not armed, in the chest as Flournoy begged Smith not to shoot him.
Smith then turned his weapon on the other occupants of the residence, none of whom was armed. He shot Helms six times in the chest as she tried to flee, and he shot Bennett in the head as he sat in a chair. Both died at the scene. Flournoy attempted to escape, but collapsed in his yard. He later died from the gunshot wound to his chest. Smith also attempted to shoot Derrick Gross, but the rifle jammed. As Smith and Gross wrestled with the rifle, Smith attempted to get a knife from his girlfriend, but Gross was able to escape.
After the shootings, Smith fled the scene. He made arrangements for an acquaintance to hide the rifle, he changed clothes, and he attempted to hide from the police. He was apprehended the following morning at his father’s house. After being advised of his rights, he confessed to the murders. He also bragged to other inmates in the county jail that he would beat the capital-murder charge because of his mental condition, and he made statements that the murders were the result of a drug deal and that he intended to shoot everyone in Flournoy’s residence so there would be no witnesses to the murders.
At trial, Smith admitted shooting the three victims, but contended that he did not intend to kill them. He claimed that he was not “in his right mind” at the time of the shootings and that he just “snapped” because, he said, he had been on a binge, smoking crack cocaine and drinking alcohol; he was under duress because he owed his narcotics supplier $27,000, and the supplier had threatened to kill Smith’s mother if he did not get his money; and he was angry because Flournoy had called his girlfriend a “whore” and a “bitch.
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/al-supreme-court/1542479.html
