Bio

Samuel D. Smith was born on June 12, 1960, in St. Louis, Missouri. By the time he reached adulthood, he had already faced serious legal troubles.

On August 14, 1979, at the age of 19, Smith was convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree burglary. He was sentenced to two concurrent twelve-year terms for these crimes. Additionally, he received a consecutive two-year sentence for escaping custody prior to his conviction.

During the 1980s, Smith's life continued to involve criminal behavior. He was incarcerated in the Missouri State Penitentiary, where he faced further challenges and conflicts with other inmates. His time in prison was marked by significant conduct violations.

In the years leading up to the incident that would define his later life, Smith had an altercation that left a lasting impact on him. In August 1986, he was involved in an event where he was stabbed and required hospitalization. This incident affected his mental state and contributed to issues he faced later while in prison.

Murder Story

On January 15, 1987, a significant event occurred at the Missouri State Penitentiary. Inmate Samuel D. Smith became involved in a violent altercation. A group of inmates, which included Marlin Mays, attacked another inmate named Demetrius Herndon. When Smith saw the attack, he attempted to intervene and called out to the attackers. However, Mays, one of the attackers, turned and threatened Smith.

This led to a fight between Smith and Mays. During the struggle, Smith stabbed Mays multiple times with a homemade knife. Despite the efforts of correctional officers to stop the fight, Smith continued to stab Mays even after he was disarmed. Eventually, the fight was halted when guards sprayed chemical mace on both men and managed to pull Mays to safety.

Mays was found to have sustained 19 stab wounds to various parts of his body, including critical injuries to his heart and lungs. He died at the scene from the wounds inflicted by Smith. Following this incident, Smith was detained and faced severe legal consequences for his actions. He was later charged with capital murder for the killing of Mays.

Samuel D. Smith was executed by lethal injection on May 23, 2001, in Missouri. During his time in prison, Smith had been serving sentences for other crimes, including second-degree murder and burglary, when this incident occurred.