Summary of Offense:
He killed his wife, Jennifer Smith, and her four children, Shameka Nicole Carter, 10; Glen Edward Carter, Jr., 9; Ladarian J. Carter, 7; and Kenesha R. Carter, 6, in 1993 in Canadian County. Convicted in 1994, Roderick Smith was handed five death sentences. Prosecutors say he killed his wife during an argument and then killed the children because they were witnesses. Jennifer Smith and her sons were stabbed; her daughters were strangled. During the sentencing phase, jurors heard from a former girlfriend of Roderick Smith's who was stabbed by him about 30 times in 1986. For that crime, Smith pleaded guilty to assault and battery and was sentenced to two years in prison. Defense attorneys say Smith has a brain disorder that triggers violent episodes.
Smith has been on death row since November 14, 1994.
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