BRITTANY MAE SMITH - 12 yo - (2010) Salem VA

UPDATED: Breaking News: Brittany Mae Smith has been found; Amber Alert terminated

Excerpt:

According to WNCT, 12-year-old Brittany Smith and 32-year-old Jeffrey Easley were found in San Francisco, Ca. The article says that Brittany is fine.

The Amber Alert was terminated at 7:14 p.m.

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj-breaking-news-brittany-mae-sm-121010,0,7869013.story

Notes from presser:

They were spotted in a retail store and the tip was called in to San Francisco police.

Mr. Easley was arrested (not in the store) and Brittany is safe.

Brittany has been in touch with her family. She does know her mother is dead. She is well, no visible signs of injury.

Still looking for the vehicle.

LE is questioning Easley at this time.

They were found somewhere near a tent, near a retail store.

Mr. Easley will appear before officials in San Francisco to waive extradition. If not waived, could take up to a month.

No additional charges at this time.

Will not disclose how Tina Smith died.

San Francisco LE called Lt. Mason, relayed info.

Arrested around 3:00 PT.

. . . .

Lt. Mason was in command center. Called to phone, spoke to San Francisco LE.

Brief convo confirmed details.

San Francisco had it well in hand, and had the right people.

. . . .

Chief says 4 detectives will make trip to SF. 2 will escort Brittany home, possibly with family. 2 will escort Easley back.

WDBJ7 reporting that officers have returned to the home of Tina Smith.

LE has recent information, waiting for case investigator.

Recognizing their images from CNN, a San Francisco supermarket clerk alerted police after spotting a Virginia girl and her alleged abductor -- leading to her safe recovery, and his arrest, according to police.

The Safeway clerk saw Jeffrey Scott Easley, 32, and Brittany Mae Smith, 12, on Friday afternoon, said San Francisco Police Officer Albie Esparza

.Police were called, and the two were found shortly thereafter outside the store -- more than 2,300 miles from where the girl was reported missing four days earlier -- Roanoke County, Virginia police Chief Ray Lavinder said Friday evening. Police in San Francisco then contacted their counterparts in Virginia with the news.

Esparza said Brittany was turned over to California's Child Protective Services division after she was found. She has no visible injuries, has been in touch with family members and should return soon to Virginia, according to Lavinder. Easley did not resist arrest, he added.

"It's a fantastic sense of relief, and I know in my heart that it's due to information that you folks put out," Lavinder said, thanking the media. "It's a party atmosphere, believe me.

"Lavinder said Virginia police did not know how the pair reached California. Brittany knew that her mother had died but Lavinder said he did not know how she found out.

Police issued an Amber Alert for Brittany on Monday after finding the body of 41-year-old Tina Smith, the girl's mother and Easley's girlfriend, inside her Salem, Virginia, home.

A few hours before the announcement that they'd been found Friday evening, police released new video showing Brittany Smith and Easley shopping at Walmart on the same day, they say, her mother was likely killed.

The pair on December 3 bought a blue, domed tent while at that Walmart in Salem, Virginia, which had been the last confirmed sighting of either Brittany Smith or Easley.

Lavinder said that authorities found a tent within walking distance of the northern California store where the two were spotted.

Experts now believe Tina Smith was killed exactly one week earlier, the same day her daughter and boyfriend went on their shopping trip, Lavinder said Friday.

Three days later, police got a phone call from Tina Smith's co-workers, saying they were worried that she hadn't shown up for work. They found her body inside her Salem home, and issued an Amber Alert for her Brittany after learning she wasn't at school.

"That's probably as close as medical science is going to be able to give us," Lavinder said of estimates that Tina Smith died between late the morning of December 3 and sometime that afternoon.

No one has been arrested in the homicide investigation related to Tina Smith's death, though Lavinder said that authorities do want to talk with Easley. The chief has said Easley met Tina Smith online this summer, then moved into the family home in October.

Authorities said they do not know if the girl went willingly with Easley, who was arrested on a felony abduction warrant.

His car was found relatively early in the search, but police said late Friday that they still had not yet tracked down a silver 2005 Dodge Neon four-door sedan with Virginia tag XKF-2365 that belonged to the girl's dead mother.

Lavinder said late Friday that four detectives from Roanoke County would head out to San Francisco as soon as possible -- two to escort Brittany Smith back home, and another two to prepare for the eventual return of Easley.

It was also possible that one of Brittany's relatives also may head to California, the chief said. Police did plan to query the seventh-grader, but Lavinder said that the time frame for such questioning was "flexible.

"Earlier this week, one of the girl's aunts, Angel Spangler, had pleaded with Easley to "do the right thing" so that the seventh-grader could be attend her mother's still unplanned funeral.

"Brittany, we want to have good times with you again, and we want you to come home," another aunt, Rhonda Blanton, said on Thursday."

"Mr. Easley, please let Brittany come home for Christmas.

"Easley's return date is less certain.Lavinder noted that the suspect would have to go before a California court before he could be extradited. Easley could head east relatively soon if he waived extradition, or the process could be delayed for weeks if he contested the return.

Back east, the girl's great aunt told HLN's Nancy Grace Show on Friday night that Brittany already had talked to her father, and that there was widespread relief and joy from Salem to South Boston, Virginia, where many relatives live.

"Everybody here is just elated," said Lois Choquette, who is the late Tina Smith's aunt. "It's been a terrible thing, but we are just so thankful."

Hooray!!!!!!!!

Girl, Abductor Panhandling When Arrested In SF

snipped.....

A Safeway spokeswoman said Jeffrey Scott Easely, 32, and the 12-year-old girl never actually made it into the store -- they were pan-handling outside when a customer recognized them and called police.


“A witness felt they had seen suspect on Nancy Grace TV show and we believe it’s an accurate statement,” said Sgt. Lynn Tomioka, a SFPD spokesperson.


JC Edralin works at the Wells Fargo bank inside the Safeway and saw the 12-year-old girl being questioned by police.


“She just looked really innocent,” said Edralin. “She looked kind of in the zone, like zoned out”


He says the girl was surrounded by what looked like several bags of personal belongings.


“She had a lot. I mean it looked like enough for a family of four,” said Edralin.


Police say Easley fled Virginia with his girlfriend's 12-year-old daughter a week ago and a few days later the girl's mother was found murdered in her home. A source with San Francisco Police said that Easely attempted to drive the 12-year-old girl across the country but ran out of gas, forcing them to take a bus to San Francisco. Police were still looking for Easely's vehicle Friday.
http://www.ktvu.com/news/26098216/detail.html

I am so glad she was found safe.

Investigators working an abduction case said they had interviewed a 12-year-old girl from Roanoke, Virginia and the man who alleged abducted her over a week ago, but are keeping publicly silent about what they learned.Investigators said Sunday that two days after San Francisco Police took 32-year-old Jeffrey Scott Easley and an allegedly abducted 12-year-old girl into custody, they talked with both for the first time since they were reported missing and the girl’s mother was discovered dead.The girl's mother, 41-year-old nurse Tina Smith, was found dead in her Viginia home last Monday; three days after Easley and the girl were reported missing. Her Dodge Neon was located in a parking lot near San Francisco International Airport (SFO) Saturday.At the San Francisco Hall of Justice, inspectors from the Roanoke County Police Department held a news conference Sunday afternoon and announced that after the girl’s discovery, they had turned their attentions to Smith’s murder.“Now that she's been found and will be headed back to Roanoke soon the Roanoke county police department's focus has shifted to the murder investigation,” said Roanoke Co. Police Det. John McPhail.Easley, Smith’s suspected killer, was videotaped shopping with Smith's daughter at Roanoke Wal Mart on Dec. 3 the same day police in Roanoke suspect Smith was killed.Police have said Smith met Easley on the Internet over the summer and he moved in with her and the girl in October.After disappearing more than a week ago, the two were spotted Friday panhandling outside a Safeway in San Francisco’s Richmond district. Witnesses recognized the two from their photos on a national crime TV show.Since arriving in San Francisco Saturday, Roanoke detectives visited the area on the outskirts of ocean beach, where the girl and Easley were staying prior to their discovery.At the conference Sunday, McPhail would not describe the girl's condition or say whether she had been sexually assaulted.“We don't want anything to jeopardize the case back in Roanoke and its very important we get justice for Tina Smith's family,” said McPhail.Easley was being held in the psychiatric unit of the San Francisco County Jail Sunday on warrants for abduction, credit card theft and credit card fraud.The girl was in protective custody Sunday and she spoke with her father over the phone last night. Police have not yet said when the two will go back to Virginia. An extradition hearing for Easley had not been set as of Sunday.

Brittany Smith coming home today; Easley jailed under psychiatric watch
Jeffrey Easley's extradition hearing will be Tuesday morning in San Francisco.

By Amanda Codispoti | The Roanoke Times

Excerpt:

Update: 1:25 p.m.


The latest photo of Jeffrey Easley, 32,
taken by authorities in San Francisco

Jeffrey Easley's extradition hearing will be Tuesday morning at the San Francisco County Superior Court, according to a spokeswoman for the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.
If Easley waives his right to contest extradition, he could be back in Virginia this week, Roanoke County Police Chief Ray Lavinder has said.

Update: 1:04 p.m.

Brittany Smith is coming home today, Roanoke County spokeswoman Teresa Hamilton Hall said. It is unclear where the 12-year-old will stay once back in Virginia. The Virginia Department of Social Services is involved in that decision, Hall said.

Two detectives will accompany Brittany home.

READ MORE: http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/270674

Brittany Smith's father, Ben Smith, spoke for the first time Monday night about his daughter's case.Surrounded by about a dozen family members, Smith said he originally thought the happiest day of his life was when Brittany was born. That has since changed to the day Brittany was found safe, and brought back to him.



Benjamin Smith, Brittany Smith's father,
is surrounded by family as he speaks to reporters Monday evening.

Ben thanked law enforcement officers for "never giving up," reporters for keeping his daughter's picture out so people could see it, and his pastor. He had a special thank you for Theresa Shanley, the woman who San Francisco Police say called in the spotting of Jeffrey Easley and Brittany last Friday."There's nothing I can say to describe how my heart feels about you. Just a simple thank you, and God bless you," Ben Smith said.Ben Smith described getting the call that Brittany had been found. He said he asked the girl what his dog's name was, and she replied "Georgia." Ben then asked the girl what her dog's name was, and she said 'dad, it's little man.' Ben Smith said that's when he knew it was his daughter.Ben Smith and his family said they still need prayers, and then a lot of counseling. Ben Smith added that his immediate plans include a lot of quiet time with Brittany, and then the family will judge what to do next by how she feels.Ben Smith said he believes that "there's a plan for everything," and he let his family speak out first, "now I'm here for her. We're (the family) here for her."The family also revealed that the funeral for Tina Smith, Brittany's mother and Ben's ex-wife, will be this coming Saturday, Dec. 18th.

Police identify second man in contact with Easley before he left Roanoke Co.


Roanoke County Police confirmed to 10 On Your Side that investigators have identified a second man who had contact with Jeffrey Easley, before Easley left with Brittany Smith for San Francisco.

A criminal complaint filed against Easley by the FBI claims a man picked up Easley and Brittany, after Easley sold his red Chevy SUV on the night of December 3rd.

Police say this was after surveillance video captured Easley and Brittany at the Salem Wal-Mart at 8:30 p.m. on December 3rd, and after a security camera taped similar video of Easley and Brittany leaving a nearby Apple Market convenience store about an hour later.

Investigators said they know the man's identity who picked up Easley and Brittany, after the pair stopped at the Apple Market, but declined to provide any more details, saying the case is still under investigation.
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2010/dec/14/investigators-identify-second-man-who-had-contact--ar-716145/


Search warrant

http://media.trb.com/media/acrobat/2010-12/108572200-14111051.pdf

Jeffrey Easley, suspected in Tina Smith's slaying, scheduled to return to Virginia from San Francisco


snipped....

The search warrant, filed in Roanoke, said Easley sold his red Chevrolet SUV to Garden City residents Adam McElvy and Jordan McClure the day Tina Smith died, just before he departed for San Francisco with Brittany. Easley, Brittany and a man who looked like McElvy were caught on a surveillance video at the Apple Market on West Main Street in Salem about 9:20 p.m. that night, the warrant said.
McElvy and McClure didn't mention the Apple Market when detectives questioned them three days later and "gave inconsistent statements" about Easley and Brittany, the warrant said.
"McElvy could have assisted in the murder" because of "the inconsistencies in McElvy and McClure's statements and the possibility that McElvy was with Easley at the Apple Market, which is in close proximity of the crime scene and within the time parameters of the victim's death," said the warrant, signed by Roanoke County Detective J.J. Loughery.
McElvy couldn't be reached Tuesday. McClure declined to comment. Neither has been charged with any crime, said Teresa Hamilton Hall, spokeswoman for Roanoke County police.
"No one's involvement has been ruled out," Hall said.

The warrant sought permission to search McElvy and McClure's home on Garden City Boulevard Southeast for blood, hairs, tissue, fibers, credit cards and debit cards that may be related to the slaying and abduction. Police also sought a flat-screen television, DVD player, DVDs and a Wii game console, controllers and games taken from Tina Smith's house.
Police won't say how Smith, 41, was killed.

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/270793

Va. man arraigned in Roanoke County girl's abduction


Jeffrey Easley, accused of fleeing Roanoke County with his slain girlfriend's 12-year-old daughter, was brought into court today, where a judge confronted him with the abduction charge.
Easley, 32, unshaven, handcuffed and dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit, was asked by Roanoke County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Philip Trompeter if he needed a court-appointed lawyer.
"Yes Sir," Easley answered in a low voice.
He told the judge he lost his job about six weeks ago and has no income, real estate or car. The judge-appointed attorney Thomas Roe Jr., who was at today's hearing at Easley's side.

read more....
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/12/easley-arraigned-abduction-charge-roanoke-county?cid=ltst

Brittany Smith welcomed home after alleged abduction



Brittany Smith appeared at a gathering to welcome her back to her hometown of South Boston on Sunday evening, after being largely sequestered with family since she was found in San Francisco on Dec. 10 with her accused abductor, Jeffrey Easley.

The 12-year-old emerged publicly Saturday in South Boston for a memorial service for her slain mother, Tina Smith.

On Sunday evening, she sat with her father, Benjamin Smith, on the stage at a public amphitheater during speeches and a gospel music performance. She chewed gum, sipped hot chocolate, held a lighted candle, smiled easily and often, and occasionally waved to people in the crowd of about 50 gathered at Constitution Square.

At the end of the celebration, she stepped up to a microphone and spoke quietly.

"I just wanted to thank everybody for all their prayers," she said. The crowd erupted in cheers of "Welcome home, Brittany!"

That was a message many in the town where Brittany lived before moving to Roanoke County with her mother had waited to deliver since word of her mother's slaying and Brittany's disappearance first spread almost two weeks ago.

Sunday's event was originally conceived as a vigil for people to pray for Brittany's safe return, said organizer Lisa Wallace. Once Brittany was found, it was changed to an event to celebrate her safe return.

Those who came were invited to make "love offerings" of cards or money.

"Whatever she has coming ahead of her, she has love and support," Wallace said.

It was an event both joyful and mournful, with careful remembrance of Brittany's mother

read more.......
http://www.dailypress.com/news/breaking/ro-brittany-welcomed-home-1220-20101220101220,0,1273532.story

Investigators working on the Brittany Smith abduction case say they
are still sifting through evidence, and additional charges in the case
are still some time away.
Smith was found in San Francisco following a nationwide Amber Alert
in December. That alert was set off after police found Brittany's mother
murdered in her Roanoke County home. Jeff Easley is charged with
Brittany's abduction.
No one has yet to be charged for the murder of Tina Smith.
Investigators say Easley's abduction charge will likely go before a
grand jury next month with additional charges possible in the spring.

Brittany now has a lawyer. Easley claims Brittany wanted to go with him. That does not matter she is only 12.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/275356

On Tuesday morning a 12-year-old girl from Roanoke County, who
sparked a nationwide Amber Alert, is expected to appear in court for the
first time. It's unknown if Brittany Smith will testify. Her
attorney, Glenn Berger, says "that's a bridge they'll cross when the
time comes." Smith was subpoenaed for the preliminary hearing. The hearing is for suspect Jeffrey Easley who is accused of abducting Smith in December.

The case against Jeffrey Easley over the December abduction of 12-year-old Brittany Smith advanced Tuesday in Roanoke County.
During a 30-minute preliminary hearing, Juvenile and Domestic
Relations Court Judge Philip Trompeter found probable cause to send
abduction charges against Easley to a grand jury. Trompeter also refused
to grant Easley bond, meaning he will remain in jail. The hearing also
included new details about the death of Brittany Smith's mother.
Tina Smith was found dead in her West Roanoke County home on Dec. 6.
Brittany Smith and Easley, 32, who lived with the family, were missing.
After a nationwide Amber Alert, the two were found panhandling
outside a San Francisco supermarket on Dec. 10. In the meantime,
surveillance video from the Salem Walmart store showed the two leaving
with a tent and sleeping bags on Dec. 3.
Brittany Smith did not testify during Tuesday's hearing.
Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Leach had investigator Dale Clark
describe finding Tina Smith's body in a second-floor bedroom on Dec. 6.
He said her hands were swollen, there were red stains about her face and that she was bound with red, white and black cords.
No charges have yet been filed in her death.
Brittany Smith's father, Benny Smith, testified that he had joint
custody of his daughter and that he had not given permission for Easley
to take her anywhere.
Defense Attorney Tom Roe, however, asked Benny Smith if there had
been a protective order issued against him last year prohibiting him
from having contact with Brittany. "Yes," he said.
The protective order had been lifted by the time of his daughter's
disappearance, he said. "I could have contact with her at that time."
There was no testimony Tuesday about what triggered the protective order.
Benny Smith also said he had been placed on administrative leave from
his job as a police officer in South Boston for a period before Dec. 3.
He did not explain why.
Roe did not call any witnesses or present any evidence during the hearing.
Afterward, both Roe and Leach said the proceedings went as they expected.
Leach said he was still awaiting results from a variety of lab tests.
He declined to speculate on whether additional charges may be presented
to the April grand jury.
In a brief distraction during the proceedings, Easley's mother, Sally
Martin, left the courtroom to confront a deputy who had admonished her
at least twice to stop talking.
In a raised voice clearly audible in court, she could be heard
repeatedly asking, "Why are you doing this to me?" She did not return to
the courtroom.
Martin, clearly upset, said later that she hadn't been talking, but the deputy kept motioning to her to be quiet.
"A word never came out of my mouth," she said. "Not a whisper.
"It made me sick to my stomach," she said. "I just couldn't believe how he was doing me."
Roanoke County Sheriff's Office Capt. Barry Tayloe said the deputy
was standing several feet from Martin and heard her talk twice.
When she confronted the deputy outside the courtroom, he asked her to leave the building, Tayloe said.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/276405

Jeffrey Easley indicted on charge of abduction with intent to sexually assault Brittany Smith


He had faced a simple abduction charge before a grand jury handed him a more serious indictment.


Roanoke County authorities have tightened their legal grip on Jeffrey Easley, alleging Friday that he abducted Brittany Smith with the intent of sexually assaulting the 12-year-old girl.
But four months after Smith's mother was found dead in her home -- and Easley was identified by police as a suspect -- no charges have been brought in connection with the killing.
The death of Tina Smith in her Fort Lewis Circle home in December remains under investigation as police wait for results of forensic tests, said Lt. Chuck Mason of the Roanoke County Police Department.
Meanwhile, Easley is facing up to life in prison on a charge of abduction with intent to defile. He had faced no more than 10 years on a simple abduction charge before Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Leach obtained a more serious indictment from a grand jury that met Friday.
Brittany Smith went missing on Dec. 6, about the time her mother was found dead inside her home. One week later, the 12-year-old was found with Easley, 32, as they begged for pocket change outside a grocery store in San Francisco.
"I can't go into that," Leach said of the allegation Easley had sexual intentions when he took the girl on a cross-county trip. "Because that would be commenting on evidence that hasn't been presented in court."
Normally, The Roanoke Times does not identify victims of alleged sex crimes. But authorities identified Brittany at the time of her disappearance -- and issued a national Amber Alert in her name -- before it was known that she might have been sexually assaulted.
Police have not charged Easley with actually abusing the girl. Nor does there have to be evidence of such to prove a charge of abduction with the intent to defile, Leach said.
Easley, who is jailed without bond, faces a July 28 trial date on the abduction charge.

read more>
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/282022

Most of the lab results back in the Tina Smith murder investigation


Roanoke County Police Detective tells News 7 the investigation will soon come to a conclusion



11:10 a.m. EDT, May 5, 2011
ROANOKE CO, Va.—


Most of the lab results are back in the Tina Smith murder investigation. Smith was found dead in her Roanoke County home back in December. Police say she was murdered. Her 12 year old daughter Brittany was missing sparking a nationwide search. She was found a week later in San Francisco. Investigators say Smith's boyfriend Jeffrey Easley kidnapped her daughter.

Easley is currently behind bars charged with kidnapping with the intent of having sex with an underage girl. He is the main suspect in the murder of Tina Smith.

News 7 talked to the lead investigator in the case, one day after he won an award from the National Center for Missing and Exploited children for his involvement in the case.

Chris Welch wouldn't go into specifics but says most of the lab results are back. He characterized the lab results as good. He says the results are matching the initial assessment of the case, that it's basically backing it up, there have been no surprises.

Welch says Easley is still the main suspect. He says charges could be filed when the grand jury meets in June. Welch says they are in the final phase of the investigation, there will soon be a conclusion.

They are waiting for the final report from the medical examiner's office. It's unclear when that will be completed.

Welch declined to address the issue about Brittany's possible involvement in the murder investigation.

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj7-jeff-easley-20110505,0,6851140.story

Grand jury indicts Jeffrey Easley on capital murder

June 3, 2011

The man accused of abducting 13-year-old Brittany Smith from Roanoke County and taking her to San Francisco is now facing a
murder charge.

A grand jury indicted Jeffrey Easley on a capital murder charge Friday. If convicted he could face the death penalty.

Roanoke County Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Leach says it's too early to say whether he'll in fact seek the death penalty.

“That by no means says I’m going with the death penalty," Leach said. "That decision has not been made.”

Brittany Smith was not indicted Friday. When News7 asked if Brittany Smith will ever be charged with murder Leach replied “I can’t make any comment on that at this point.”

If Brittany Smith is ever charged it will be a juvenile because of her age.

Easley is charged with capital murder in the death of Tina Smith -- Brittany's mother. She was found dead in her Fort Lewis home back in December. Police say Jeffrey Easley killed Smith and then kidnapped her daughter, taking her to San Francisco.

They were found there a week later, panhandling outside a grocery store. Until today, Easley had only been charged with abduction with the intent to defile, in other words, sexually assault Brittany Smith.

Prosecutors have been waiting on results from the crime lab before presenting a capital murder charge to the grand jury. We're told not all of those lab results have come back.

A grand jury in Roanoke County has indicted Jeffrey Easley on capital murder in the death of Tina Smith. The Commonwealth's Attorney says that doesn't mean he'll seek the death penalty.

On December 6, Smith's body was found in her Glenvar home. An Amber Alert was issued for her daughter Brittany. Police believe Easley, Tina Smith's boyfriend, abducted the 12-year-old three days earlier.

Easley and Brittany were found a week later in San Francisco, California. Easley was charged with abduction with the intent to defile. He was scheduled to go to trial on the abduction charge in July. We're told that's not likely to happen. It's now unclear when his trial date will be.



http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj7-grand-jury-indicts-jeffrey-easley-on-20110603,0,3054990.story

Jeffrey Easley gets new lead attorney
Salem attorney Mark Claytor is certified by the state to defend capital murder cases

Sporting a bushy, slightly graying beard and a wide smile, Jeffrey Scott Easley returned to Roanoke County Circuit Court on Wednesday.

After a brief appearance, he had a newly appointed lead attorney to help defend him against a capital murder charge in the December death of Tina Smith.

In a 15-minute hearing, Judge James Swanson appointed Salem attorney Mark Claytor to be Easley's lead attorney in the capital case.

Thomas Roe, previously appointed to defend Easley on a charge of abduction with intent to defile Smith's daughter, will be Easley's co-counsel.

By law, defendants who are charged with capital crimes and lack the means to hire their own lawyer must be aided by specially trained lead lawyers certified by the state's Indigent Defense Commission. Claytor said he has defended more than a dozen capital cases in the past 15 years.

In addition to years of defending clients in jury trials, the specialist attorneys must, according to the commission's website, "have served as lead counsel in the defense of at least one capital case within the past five years; or served as co-counsel in the defense of at least two capital cases within the past seven years." They also must have at least six hours of specialized training in capital litigation within the past two years. Only 14 such lawyers are certified in the 23rd Judicial District, which includes Roanoke County.

Swanson noted that Easley's defense also will be aided by the Virginia Capital Defender's Office, a special unit of the state public defender system specifically trained to assist in capital cases.

Swanson set aside time for the cases on Aug. 12, but, if necessary, it likely will be used only to hear motions.

On Wednesday, Easley specifically gave up his right to a speedy trial. Both his lawyers and Roanoke County Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Leach acknowledged that it will take months to prepare their cases.

Easley, 33, drew national attention when he disappeared with Tina Smith's then 12-year-old daughter, Brittany, just about the time Tina Smith's body was found on Dec. 6. He and the girl were found panhandling in San Francisco four days later.

On their return to Roanoke, Easley -- who had been living with the Smiths since October -- was charged with abduction and Brittany Smith was reunited with family.

The capital murder charge wasn't filed until fully six months after Smith's body was found. Much of the delay was in getting complete analyses of evidence from the state crime lab, Leach said.

Lawyers on both sides of the case said Wednesday it is far too early to know when the case might come to trial, and the defense team said it has not considered whether to request a change of venue.

Leach previously indicated that he has not yet decided whether to pursue the death penalty in the case, or a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/289213

the dp should be pursued, IMO

Trial date set for suspect in Salem murder

08/17/11

An April 3 trial date has been set for 33-year-old Jeffrey Scott Easley on charges of murder and abduction, according to Roanoke County Circuit Court records.
It was in June that Easley appeared for the first time since the December ordeal in Roanoke County Circuit Court in Salem when a capital defense attorney was appointed for him.

Easley, 33, is charged with capital murder of 42-year-old Tina Smith, his former girlfriend, as well as abduction with intent to defile Tina Smith’s daughter, Brittany.

Tina Smith was a former resident of Halifax County.

A Roanoke County grand jury indicted Easley on June 3 for the murder charge.

Both of Easley’s earlier court appearances had been in Roanoke County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court when he was first brought back from San Francisco where he had apparently fled with Smith in December.

In court this summer, Judge James R. Swanson appointed Mark Claytor as lead capital counsel, with the defendant’s current attorney, Thomas W. Roe Jr. of Botetourt, as assistant counsel.

Roanoke County police still have not released information about how Tina Smith died, other than to say when she was found Dec. 6 in her Salem home, she was tied up in an upstairs bedroom, and there were reddish marks on her face.

http://www.gazettevirginian.com/index.php/news/34-news/3773-trial-date-set-for-suspect-in-salem-murder

ROANOKE COUNTY, VA --

6:45 p.m.

The plea deal ensures that Easley will likely die in prison.

Easley had little to say in court, only answering the judge's questions with one word answers.

Tina Smith's family declined comment after the hearing.

Roanoke County Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Leach said, to his
knowledge, Brittany Smith was still having some "rough days," but
"coming along."

----

1:10 p.m.

From Scott Leamon, WSLS reporter at the courthouse

During the hearing, prosecutors said on December 3, 2010, the day
Tina Smith was killed, police found text messages and social media
messages between Jeffrey Easley and Brittany Smith. The messages were
fears that Tina Smith was going to kick Easley out of the house, and had
'had enough of him.'

Prosecutors then said Easley wrote Brittany saying 'I'm going to do it, I can't lose you.'

Investigators believe a fight happened next between Easley and Tina
Smith. Police say Easley used a baseball bat and a wooden club, before
strangling Smith.

Brittany told police that she heard a fight upstairs, then Easley
came down and told her that Tina was dead, and they had to leave.

Police did not find the weapons, until Brittany Smith told officers a
day after being picked up in San Francisco, that the weapons were
hidden in a covered pool in the backyard. Brittany said Easley put the
weapons in the pool through a slit in the cover.

Roanoke County Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Leach said investigators
could only prove that the wooden club was used in Tina Smith's murder,
since they found her blood on it. The baseball bat officers found is
aluminum, and sank to the bottom of the pool. Investigators believe any
blood that was on it, washed off.

---

12:47 p.m

From Scott Leamon, WSLS reporter at the courthouse

Jeffrey Easley has pleaded no contest to the capital murder of Tina Smith in Roanoke County court a few minutes ago.

The prosecution dropped the charge of kidnapping Brittany Smith.

The judge convicted Easley, and he'll get life in prison without the possibility of parole.
http://www2.wsls.com/news/2012/feb/28/12/jeffrey-easley-convicted-killing-tina-smith-kidnap-ar-1722876/