Bio

Kermit Smith Jr. was born on June 7, 1957, in the United States. He grew up in Virginia and North Carolina. Information about his early life, including his family background and childhood, is limited. As he grew older, Smith faced various challenges that may have affected his mental health. Reports indicate that he had a history of serious mental disturbance.

In December 1980, at the age of 23, he became involved in a serious crime. He kidnapped a young college cheerleader and two of her friends after a basketball game. This act led to tragic consequences, which would ultimately define his criminal legacy.

Smith was arrested shortly after the incident occurred and became the subject of a highly publicized court case in North Carolina. His behavior during and after the crimes indicated a troubled individual. In the wake of these events, he was sentenced to death and later executed by lethal injection on January 24, 1995, in North Carolina. The legal proceedings surrounding his trial were contentious and raised issues about racial dynamics and mental health in the criminal justice system.

Murder Story

Kermit Smith Jr. was involved in a serious crime that occurred on December 4, 1980. He kidnapped Whelette Collins, a college cheerleader, along with two of her friends after a basketball game at N.C. Wesleyan College in Halifax County, North Carolina. Smith held them at gunpoint and took them to a remote area.

While the other two cheerleaders were locked in the trunk of Smith's car, he raped Whelette Collins. After the assault, he brutally attacked her, smashing her head between two cinder blocks, which resulted in fatal injuries. To dispose of her body, he stuffed her legs into a heavy cinder block and threw her into a rock quarry.

The two other cheerleaders, Dawn Killen and Yolanda Woods, managed to escape from the trunk after fighting back against Smith, using a tire iron and other means to get free. They quickly reported the incident to the authorities, which led to Smith's arrest within hours.

Kermit Smith was tried and convicted of first-degree murder, second-degree rape, and robbery. He was sentenced to death. His execution took place on January 24, 1995, via lethal injection in North Carolina. He was 37 years old at the time of his execution. Smith's case gained some attention because he became one of the few white individuals sentenced to death for murdering a black victim since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.