Bio

Derrick Tyrone Smith was born on August 7, 1962. He grew up in Pinellas County, Florida. Not much is publicly known about his early childhood or his family life. As he grew older, Derrick became involved in a life of crime that would eventually lead him to commit serious offenses.

At some point, Derrick began associating with others who were engaged in criminal activities. This included robbery, which would become a significant part of his later life.

Derrick's life took a serious turn in 1983 when he was involved in a crime that would lead to his conviction and a life sentence.

Murder Story

On March 21, 1983, Derrick Tyrone Smith and his accomplice Derrick Johnson planned a robbery. Smith called a cab from a payphone in St. Petersburg. The cab driver, Jeffery Songer, picked them up and drove them to a nearby residential area. While in the cab, Songer became suspicious and radioed an emergency code to his dispatch.

Dispatch sent another cab driver and called the police. When the police and the other cab driver arrived, they found Songer lying about 70 feet from the cab. He had been shot in the back. A witness stated they saw Smith shoot Songer as he tried to run away from the cab.

Another witness testified that Smith had robbed him and his wife at gunpoint in their motel room, using a gun similar to the one used to kill Songer. Smith eventually pled guilty to those charges and received a life sentence. However, the gun used in Songer's murder was never found.

Smith's uncle reported a .38-caliber pistol missing from his home. Several people testified seeing Smith with that gun shortly before the murder. Bullets found at the murder scene matched those from the missing firearm. Smith's fingerprints were also discovered on the payphone that was used to call for the cab.

During the investigation, Smith claimed he sold the firearm to Johnson the day before the murder. He admitted to calling for the cab but said he changed his mind at the last minute and did not want to go through with the robbery.

The legal process began soon after the murder. Smith was indicted for first-degree murder on May 24, 1983. By November of the same year, he was found guilty. Smith received a death sentence on November 29, 1983, after a jury voted 7 to 5 in favor of the penalty.

However, on July 17, 1986, the Florida Supreme Court reversed this conviction and ordered a new trial. Smith was retried and found guilty again in May 1990. After another jury recommendation, he was sentenced to death again on July 13, 1990. Smith appealed the decision but was unsuccessful. He filed several motions and petitions, but all were denied.

Smith's case involved complex legal battles that included arguments about ineffective counsel and issues with evidence handling. Ultimately, the Florida Supreme Court upheld his conviction on June 9, 1994, affirming the death sentence given to him for the murder of Jeffery Songer.