Bio

Richard Wayne Smith was born on January 12, 1956. He grew up in Bowie County, Arkansas. It is known that he struggled with problems related to substance abuse from a young age. Smith's life took a turn for the worse as he became addicted to drugs and alcohol.

He began getting into trouble with the law as a teenager. His first recorded offense was related to marijuana dealing. Over the years, his criminal activity escalated. He was arrested multiple times for various crimes, including aggravated burglary, armed robbery, and auto theft.

Smith had a brief stint in the military but received a bad conduct discharge in 1975. After leaving the Army, he continued to engage in criminal behavior. He faced significant legal troubles, including multiple arrests in different states. He was in and out of prison several times starting in the 1970s.

By the early 1990s, Smith's life was deeply affected by his drug addiction. His struggles with drugs not only impacted his legal issues but also his health. He is believed to have contracted hepatitis C, which he may have gotten through shared needles while using heroin.

Murder Story

On December 2, 1992, Richard Wayne Smith entered a convenience store in Baytown, Texas, where Karen Birky was working. Karen was a 38-year-old special education teacher who moonlighted at the store to buy supplies for her students. During the robbery, Smith demanded money from Karen. She complied with his demands and gave him the cash.

After obtaining the money, Smith took Karen outside into the parking lot. Witnesses reported that they heard Karen scream just before Smith shot her in the neck. He quickly fled the scene in a Jeep Cherokee. The shooting prompted an immediate response from the police. Patrolman Russell Krutsinger, who arrived shortly after the incident, was informed by bystanders who had rushed to help Karen. They provided details about Smith and the vehicle he used to escape.

Karen was quickly transported to Hermann Hospital in Houston by a helicopter. Despite the medical team's efforts, she died shortly after arrival from her injuries. The police soon located the stolen Jeep at an apartment complex linked to Smith's ex-wife. They found Smith asleep in a nearby vehicle. Upon his arrest, Smith was found in possession of a .32-caliber pistol and cash that had been taken from the store.

Later, during his trial, Smith was shown surveillance footage from the store. He acknowledged that the man in the video looked like him but claimed he had no memory of the robbery or the shooting. Smith had a long history of criminal behavior and substance abuse. He had been arrested multiple times and spent various periods in prison.

Richard Wayne Smith was arrested on the same day as the murder. He was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. In 1999, he chose to drop all legal appeals related to his conviction as he faced health issues, including hepatitis C, which he believed he contracted from sharing needles. Smith was executed by lethal injection on September 21, 1999. He did not make a last statement before his execution.