Teen was intoxicated on night of fatal shooting

Teen was intoxicated on night of fatal shooting

Sheriff ’ s Office closes the book on fatal incident

news@theeveningtimes.com

No charges will be filled against the Marion Lake Road resident that shot and killed a home intruder Oct.

29. Crittenden County Investigation Division Chief Todd Grooms reported the case that resulted in the gunshot death of 18-yearold Marion resident Cody Smith as closed.

“No charges will be filed against the woman,” said Grooms. Of the deceased, he added, “Toxicology came back and he had high levels of alcohol and nothing else.”

The home alarm siren went off at 3:30 a.m. early that Sunday morning, awakening an 89-year-old woman living at the resdience. The alarm company reported the burglary to Crittenden County dispatch.

“The alarm company confirmed they had made contact with the homeowner and was told there was an intruder in the home,” said Grooms.

Officers from both Marion and the county responded to the call.

“The woman said she lived alone and had called out to the intruder and ordered him to leave her home,” said Grooms. “She said he advanced toward her and that she shot in self-defense.”

Investigators determined Smith had forcibly broken into the house.

“He broke the door, it set the alarm off, the woman got out of bed and he advanced toward her, she told him to get out of the house and he continued to come after her,” said Grooms.

“She said he had made comments that he was going to come after her, so she shot him.”

Smith came to be in the house just a few hours after fleeing the Marion Police.

Marion officers had responded to a vehicle crash report on Marion Lake Road.

“He wrecked his vehicle earlier,” said Grooms.

“When police responded, he jumped out of the car and took off running. They found alcohol in the car and two females in the backseat. They began looking for him. Then several hours later, he broke into the woman’s house, and that is when the shooting occurred.”

Crittenden County Sheriff’s Department investigators concluded the shooting was self defense.

“This is an unfortunate incident — a real life and death tragedy that we all wished never happened,” said Grooms. “What he was thinking — the entire reality of what exactly happened — won’t ever be known, unfortunately. He can’t tell us.”

By John Rech