Summary of Offense:
In December 2000, Corey Smith and seven other individuals were indicted for crimes committed in connection with the John Doe organization, a criminal enterprise that distributed powder and crack cocaine and marijuana in Miami-Dade County from 1994 to 1999. Smith was the alleged leader of the group and was convicted of conspiracy to engage in a criminal enterprise, engaging in a criminal enterprise, conspiracy to traffic in marijuana, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, four counts of conspiracy to commit murder, four counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Leon Hadley, Cynthia Brown, Angel Wilson, and Jackie Pope, and two counts of manslaughter for the deaths of Melvin Lipscomb and Marlon Beneby. On March 17, 2005, Smith received two sentences of life in prison for his involvement in the murders of Jackie Pope and Leon Hadley. Smith received two sentences of death for his involvement in the murders of Cynthia Brown and Angel Wilson. These sentences were received in conjunction with eight other sentences ranging from 15 to 30 years in prison on a 14-count indictment. While the details of the other charges and sentences are explained elsewhere [see Smith v. State, No. 05,703 (Fla. March 19, 2009)], this section of the case summary will outline only the circumstances of the offenses that resulted in a sentence of death.
Cynthia Brown was smothered to death on July 24, 1997. Brown was the sole witness against Smith in the 1996 murder of Dominique Johnson, a 19-year-old rival drug seller. While several people witnessed the Johnson murder, Brown was the only individual who came forward to identify Smith to the police. Smith was scheduled to be tried for Johnson’s murder on July 28, 1997. However, the prosecution was forced to dismiss the charges against Smith when Brown, the only witness, was found murdered less than a week before the trial was to take place. Several witnesses testified that Smith wanted to eliminate the witness who was going to testify against him in the Johnson murder case. Anthony Fail testified that Smith had offered him $50,000 to kill Brown, although he did not accept the offer. Fail also testified that Smith had put aside $20,000 to pay Brown’s boyfriend, Chazre Davis, for murdering Brown. Carlos Walker testified that he heard Smith instructing Davis to strangle or suffocate Brown, so as to not leave evidence at the scene.
Brown died from asphyxia as a result of being smothered with a pillow in a motel room she was sharing with Davis. The couple checked into the motel on the evening of July 23, 1997 and her body was found the following morning. Brown had petechial hemorrhages in her eyes, inside her upper lip, and on her epiglottis. Her lungs were full of fluid due to pulmonary edema. She had also sustained postmortem cuts on the side of her neck. All of these injuries were consistent with asphyxia as the cause of death.
Angel Wilson was shot to death on December 1, 1998. Due to a continuing feud between Smith and Wilson’s then-boyfriend, Anthony Fail, Smith had arranged for members of the John Doe organization to target Fail on the evening of Wilson’s death. That night, the couple took Wilson’s car when visiting the home of Fail’s stepbrother, James Harvey. When they arrived, Harvey warned Fail that he had seen a car, occupied by John Doe members, circling the block. Fearing for Wilson’s life, Fail persuaded her to leave the house and to drive home. Soon thereafter, Wilson was shot multiple times with a semiautomatic assault rifle while she was driving her car.
Wilson died of multiple gunshot wounds to her entire body. She was struck 16 times by bullets entering the driver’s side of her vehicle. Six of the bullet wounds were fatal. The medical examiner testified that Wilson’s lungs were riddled with pieces of metal fragments ripped from the door by the passing bullets. The bullet wounds caused extensive tissue damage, including severing her left breast and part of her ankle. She died in the vehicle from internal injuries.
Smith was sentenced to death in Miami-Dade County on March 24, 2005.
Co-defendant information:
Chazre Davis was indicted for the first-degree murder of Cynthia Brown, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and racketeering on December 19, 2000. These charges are still under review in Miami-Dade County, case number F-00-040026-H.
Julius Stevens and Eric Stokes were charged in the murder of Angel Wilson. Stevens was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Eric Stokes was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving a 15-year sentence.
Additional Information:
On March 30, 1999, Smith was sentenced to life in prison by a federal judge. On October 21, 1999, Smith was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for federal drug and firearm charges. Five of his gang members received the same conviction and sentence.
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