Bio

Steven T. Smith was born on February 9, 1967, in Ohio. During his early life, he grew up in a family that faced challenges. His upbringing involved moving around and living in various places. Smith's relationship with his family was complicated. His parents had issues that affected their family dynamic, and he often found himself surrounded by a turbulent environment.

In April 1998, Smith met Keysha Frye, who had two young daughters, Ashley and Autumn. After a brief courtship, he moved in with Frye and her children. Initially, things seemed to be moving well, but Smith's heavy drinking quickly became a source of tension. Frye would eventually ask him to move out due to his drinking.

Smith's pattern of behavior led to various ups and downs in his relationships and his ability to maintain employment. At one point, he was fired from his job but continued to live with Frye and her daughters, taking care of the children while Frye worked. However, his alcohol use remained a significant issue.

In late September 1998, Smith and Frye spent time together with their children, running errands and having dinner. Unfortunately, this time would turn into a tragic night that changed the course of many lives.

Murder Story

On September 29, 1998, Steven T. Smith was living with his girlfriend, Kesha Frye, and her two daughters, including six-month-old Autumn Breeze Carter. That morning, Kesha was awakened by Smith, who was drunk and naked, and he placed the lifeless body of Autumn next to her in bed. Kesha quickly realized that her baby was not breathing and ran to a neighbor's house for help, screaming, "He killed my baby!"

Medical personnel arrived to find Autumn's body covered in bruises and severe injuries. Despite efforts to revive her for over an hour, Autumn was pronounced dead at the hospital. There were signs that she had been raped, but no semen was found. The police found no signs of forced entry into the apartment and recovered shredded pieces of diaper along with ten empty beer cans outside.

When questioned by authorities, Smith repeatedly denied doing anything wrong, claiming, "I didn’t do anything" and "I’m not sick like that." Later on, he was arrested and tested for alcohol, revealing a blood-alcohol content of 0.123, which was above the legal limit.

The investigation revealed that Smith had been drinking heavily that night, consuming at least 12 beers. Kesha and others testified about his drinking habits and behavior. Smith later admitted to killing Autumn during a clemency hearing but stated he had no memory of the events due to his intoxication.

At trial, expert witnesses testified about the severity and nature of Autumn's injuries. They indicated that Smith's actions during the assault were brutal and resulted in the child's death. A jury found Smith guilty of aggravated murder and he was sentenced to death on March 25, 1999.

After years on death row, he sought clemency but his requests were denied. Smith was executed by lethal injection on May 1, 2013, in Ohio, marking the 51st execution in the state since it resumed capital punishment in 1999. He chose a final meal that included pizza, fried fish, chocolate ice cream, and soda. Smith did not make any final statements before his execution.