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Author Topic: Katrina Smith, 30yr missing since 10/23/12 Machesney Park, IL(Body Found)  (Read 161354 times)
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grace-land
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« Reply #320 on: November 28, 2016, 08:45:20 PM »

Trial postponed-- January 9, 2017! 

http://www.rrstar.com/news/20161128/new-evidence-delays-trial-in-killing-of-machesney-park-woman

New evidence delays trial in killing of Machesney Park woman
Monday
Posted at 12:42 PM 
Updated at 4:04 PM
 
Jury selection had been scheduled to start today for a possible two-week trial.

Winnebago County Judge Fernando Engelsma agreed to postpone the start of the trial to Jan. 9 at the request of Assistant Public Defender Margie O'Connor, Smith's lawyer.

O'Connor told Engelsma that she was informed last week about a trove of evidence that had been discovered in the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office. O'Connor said she initially had planned to ask that the evidence be barred from the trial, allowing the proceedings to begin. But she changed her mind after reviewing some of the contents.

"Some of it is favorable for the defense," O'Connor said.

She said she needs more time to review it. The material was said to include photographs and documentation from crime scene investigations, but it was not described in detail.

Days before the trial was to begin, a crime scene investigator came forward with 23 gigabytes of evidence that he apparently had kept by mistake on a flash drive.

All evidence in the more than 4-year-old case had long ago been requested under court orders, said Marilyn Hite Ross, criminal bureau chief for the Winnebago County State's Attorney's Office.

Neither prosecutors nor defense attorneys had previously viewed the contents, Hite Ross said.

Deputy State's Attorney James Brun estimated that three-fifths of the evidence duplicated other materials already shared with the defense team.

But Engelsma granted the trial delay, noting that the remaining two-fifths of 23 gigabytes "is a substantial amount" of material.
 
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grace-land
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« Reply #321 on: December 12, 2016, 07:53:11 PM »

http://inmates.winnebagosheriff.com/Details/InmateDetails.aspx

Name: SMITH, TODD CHRISTOPHER
 Booking Date: 11/21/2012 4:24:00 PM
 MID: 3241
 Age: 49
 Height: 5' 6''
 Weight: 115
 Race: White
 Eyes: BLU\BLU
 Hair: BROWN
Next Court Date: 12/16/2016 09:00
 Bail Amount: No Bond
 Custody Status: Felony Pending
 
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grace-land
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« Reply #322 on: December 19, 2016, 06:49:56 PM »

http://inmates.winnebagosheriff.com/Details/InmateDetails.aspx

Name: SMITH, TODD CHRISTOPHER
 Booking Date: 11/21/2012 4:24:00 PM
 MID: 3241
 Age: 49
 Height: 5' 6''
 Weight: 115
 Race: White
 Eyes: BLU\BLU
 Hair: BROWN
 Next Court Date: 01/03/2017 13:30
 Bail Amount: No Bond
 Custody Status: Felony Pending
 
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grace-land
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« Reply #323 on: January 03, 2017, 02:16:48 PM »

http://inmates.winnebagosheriff.com/Details/InmateDetails.aspx

Name: SMITH, TODD CHRISTOPHER
 Booking Date: 11/21/2012 4:24:00 PM
 MID: 3241
 Age: 49
 Height: 5' 6''
 Weight: 115
 Race: White
 Eyes: BLU\BLU
 Hair: BROWN
 Next Court Date: Unavailable
 Bail Amount: No Bond
 Custody Status: Felony Pending
 
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grace-land
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« Reply #324 on: January 03, 2017, 02:28:01 PM »

http://fce.wincoil.us/fullcourtweb/hearingSummary.do?PageNumber=4&Paging=true&PageSize=25&SortOrder=asc&CourtCaseId=181206773&URL=true&TotalRecords=77&SortColumn=startDateTime&

Winnebago County 17th Judicial Circuit Court
Hearing Summary 
2012-CF-0003379People of the State of Illinois vs. Todd C Smith


Hearing Type          Start Date 
 
Final Pretrial             01/03/2017 - 01:30 PM 

Jury Trial                  01/09/2017 - 09:00 AM 
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grace-land
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« Reply #325 on: January 03, 2017, 11:37:06 PM »

 
http://www.wrex.com/story/34176434/machesney-park-man-goes-on-trial-for-wifes-murder-next-week

Machesney Park man goes on trial for wife's murder next week
Posted: Jan 03, 2017 6:40 PM CST

MACHESNEY PARK (WREX) - The murder trial of a Machesney Park man accused of killing his wife starts next week.
 
A status hearing ahead of that murder trial happened Tuesday in a Winnebago County court room.

His murder trial will begin Monday at 9 a.m.
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grace-land
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« Reply #326 on: January 11, 2017, 04:48:14 PM »

http://www.rrstar.com/news/20170110/jury-selection-continues-in-machesney-park-homicide-trial

Jury selection continues in Machesney Park homicide trial
Posted Jan 10, 2017 at 9:09 PM 
Updated Jan 11, 2017 at 1:14 AM

ROCKFORD - Steadily plodding through 70 potential jury candidates, Winnebago County lawyers and a judge are facing an uphill slog to seat a jury in a high-profile murder trial.
 
Winnebago County Judge Fernando Engelsma removed more than a dozen members of the jury pool after the lunch break. Some jurors questioned privately about their knowledge of the case then returned to the jury box in the afternoon to be questioned by one of Smith's defense attorneys, Assistant Public Defender Margie O'Connor, or one of the prosecutors, Deputy State's Attorney James Brun. Both sides asked to exclude a nearly even number of candidates.

Todd Smith asked several years ago to move his trial out of Winnebago County, with his defense attorneys arguing he couldn't receive a fair trial here. That request was denied.

The trial is expected to resume Wednesday. Engelsma said it likely will continue into next week, prompting one member of the jury pool to exhale loudly in the courtroom.
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grace-land
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« Reply #327 on: January 11, 2017, 04:56:04 PM »

http://www.wifr.com/content/news/Jury-selection-in-murder-trial-for-Todd-Smith-begins-410166405.html

UPDATE: Opening statements heard in Todd Smith murder trial
Updated: January 11, 2017

UPDATE: ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) -- Prosecutors paint a picture of a crumbling marriage and controlling husband who was tracking his wife's movements in the days before her death as they begin the murder trial of Todd Smith.

Smith is accused of killing his wife, Katrina Smith in October 2012.

Prosecutors say all the evidence points to Todd Smith as Katrina's killer. They say he was the last person to see her before she disappeared on October 30. They say her blood was found on a baseball bat in Todd's garage and tracking information from her car was on his computer.

Katrina's boss, Christina Gonzalez-Buyak, says Katrina talked of her wishes for a divorce and said Todd was controlling. Gonzalez-Buyak says Katrina was worried Todd was tracking her through her cell phone. She also talked about an incident where hundreds of fliers were distributed in the parking lot at work on October 9, the day after Katrina moved out of Todd's house. It accused Katrina of having an affair with a coworker, Guy Gabriel. In previous hearings, prosecutors said they found those fliers on Todd's computer.

Katrina's step-father Bruce Edlund says she was worried for her safety. Text messages were shown in court where Katrina is asking Bruce about how to get a FOID card so she could get a gun. She also asks if she needs the card to go to a shooting range.

Edlund also talked about the searches for Katrina in the weeks she was missing. He says Todd was there, but didn't help much, saying he wasn't enthusiastic and didn't do a thorough search.

Edlund says Todd was the beneficiary of a $330,000 life insurance policy. He says Katrina was the breadwinner of the family.

Defense attorneys however presented a different picture. One of a loving husband, worried about his wife who was singled out in a bad police investigation. In opening statements defense attorney Christine Barton says the evidence is unclear and inconclusive, saying investigators couldn't figure out the case, so they stretched the evidence to tie it to Todd. Barton says the real suspects were never investigated.

Defense attorneys also tried poking holes in the prosecutions characterization of Katrina as a conservative church-going woman. They say in the month before her death she started drinking and had an affair with her coworker Guy Gabriel. However Edlund, who confirmed the affair, said she wasn't acting differently and says the affair just shows how unhappy Katrina was in her marriage.

Katrina's body was found on November 9 in the Rock River near Byron.

If convicted Smith could face life in prison.
 
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grace-land
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« Reply #328 on: January 12, 2017, 08:08:20 PM »

http://www.wrex.com/story/34247456/volunteers-todd-smith-uninterested-during-search-for-katrina

Volunteers: Todd Smith uninterested during search for Katrina
Posted: Jan 12, 2017 1:27 PM CST

ROCKFORD (WREX) -
Day two of the murder trial of Todd Smith, the Machesney Park man accused of killing his wife in 2012, continued Thursday.

Multiple people took the witness stand Thursday to describe their time as volunteers searching for Katrina in October 2012.

Two witnesses described Todd Smith as being on his phone during the search for Katrina a few days after her disappearance. One witness, Victoria Lehrke, said Smith didn't seem like he wanted to be there and that he was worried about getting his clothes dirty.

Another witness, volunteer Judy Lasala, said she thought Smith might trip and fall down because he was on his phone so much.

Retired Winnebago County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigator Daniel Liston was called to the stand Thursday. Liston described investigating Katrina's disappearance near the area of Tetterhall Lane in Machesney Park.
 
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grace-land
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« Reply #329 on: January 12, 2017, 08:19:09 PM »

http://www.rrstar.com/news/20170112/detective-todd-smith-knew-about-blood-in-wifes-trunk-before-winnebago-county-police

Detective: Todd Smith knew about blood in wife's trunk before Winnebago County police
Posted at 1:28 PM 
Updated at 6:20 PM

ROCKFORD - Winnebago County detectives took a hard look at Todd Smith even before his wife's body was found.

Todd Smith reported his wife, Katrina Smith, 30, missing Oct. 23, 2012. They had been having marital problems and were separated. Katrina Smith was staying in a friend's condominium in Roscoe.

Retired Winnebago County Sheriff's Department Detective Vince Lindberg today testified at Todd Smith's first-degree murder trial that the defendant grew agitated when he was separated from friends and family members to answer questions Oct. 24, 2012. A day after giving an initial written statement to police, Todd Smith called Lindberg to complain about information police gave his family.

"He was upset because Detective (John) Berg told the family (Katrina Smith's) vehicle had been found with blood in the trunk of the vehicle," Lindberg testified. "He was very upset Detective Berg had told the family this information."

But for detectives this was a red flag: Police had not yet processed the car, found the blood or, Lindberg said, told the family this information.
 
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grace-land
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« Reply #330 on: January 13, 2017, 09:54:35 PM »

http://www.wrex.com/story/34256653/todd-smith-murder-trial-day-3-katrinas-family-becomes-emotional-during-testimony

Todd Smith murder trial day 3: Katrina's family becomes emotional during testimony
Posted: Jan 13, 2017 2:28 PM CST

Day three of the murder trial of Todd Smith, the Machesney Park man accused of killing his wife Katrina in 2012, continued Friday.

Ryan Bruce, a Byron firefighter, took the stand Friday. He testified that he was fishing on the Rock River October 31, 2012 when he saw what he thought was some trash in the river. He returned to the area later and discovered that there actually was a body in the river. At that point he called police.

Several members of Katrina's family were in tears during some of the testimony Friday. Several family members had to leave the courtroom when pictures of Katrina's body were shown.

Winnebago County Sheriff Investigator Tim Speer also took the stand Friday. Speer testified that he used a chemical tool to test for blood in Katrina's car. He says the tool showed there was blood in the trunk of her car.

Speer said that the same tool can be used to test for cleaning agents and that the steering wheel and gear shift in Katrina's car tested positive for those cleaning agents, indicating that those areas had been wiped clean.
 
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grace-land
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« Reply #331 on: January 17, 2017, 05:52:46 PM »

http://www.wrex.com/story/34279036/todd-smith-murder-trial-day-4-family-friend-says-smith-upset-over-missing-baseball-bat

Todd Smith murder trial day 4: Family friend says Smith upset over missing baseball bat
Posted: Jan 17, 2017 1:04 PM CST
   
ROCKFORD (WREX) -
The murder trial of Todd Smith, the Machesney Park man accused of killing his wife Katrina in 2012, continued for the fourth day Tuesday.

Drew Anderson, a family friend of Todd Smith's, took the witness stand. Anderson says he has known Smith for his entire life.

Anderson testified that he and some friends went over to Todd and Katrina's house on November 19 to get some of Katrina's things to remember her by. He says that while he was there, Todd Smith asked him to get something behind a car at the house. Anderson says Todd asked him "is there a bat over there?" When Anderson said there wasn't, he says Todd look "distraught," and said "my fingerprints are all over the bat."
 
http://www.rockfordadvocate.com/bat-autopsy-photos-subject-of-tuesday-testimony-in-todd-smith-murder-trial-13907/
Bat, autopsy photos subject of Tuesday testimony in Todd Smith murder trial
January 17, 2017
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grace-land
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« Reply #332 on: January 18, 2017, 08:40:57 PM »

http://www.rrstar.com/news/20170118/key-evidence-katrina-smiths-blood-was-on-softball-bat

Key evidence: Katrina Smith's blood was on softball bat
Wednesday
Posted at 1:18 PM 
Updated at 6:59 PM

ROCKFORD - Katrina Smith's blood was found on a Louisville Slugger softball bat that may have been used to kill her, a key piece of DNA evidence introduced today at her husband's first-degree murder trial.

The bat was found by Winnebago County Sheriff's Department detectives in the garage of the Machesney Park home she had shared with her husband, Todd Smith, as they investigated her Oct. 22, 2012, disappearance.

Illinois State Police DNA and biological evidence specialist Blake Aper said he tested a spot of blood on the end of the bat. When he compared the sample to the DNA profile of Katrina Smith, it was a match
 
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grace-land
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« Reply #333 on: January 21, 2017, 08:42:43 PM »

http://www.rrstar.com/news/20170120/mans-alibi-possible-setback-for-todd-smith-in-first-degree-murder-trial

Man's alibi a possible setback for Todd Smith in first-degree murder trial
Friday
Posted Jan 20, 2017 at 10:25 AM 
Updated Jan 21, 2017 at 12:52 AM

ROCKFORD - Guy Gabriel testified today he was working the third shift overnight at Camryn Industries in Belvidere the night of Katrina Smith's disappearance.

The alibi on the seventh day of Todd Smith's first-degree murder trial is a potential blow to his defense team's strategy to portray Gabriel as an alternative suspect. Smith has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and related charges in the death of his wife.
 
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« Reply #334 on: January 23, 2017, 10:36:42 PM »

http://www.wrex.com/story/34325592/2017/01/23/detective-testifies-at-todd-smith-murder-trial-says-smith-looked-nervous-when-speaking-with-him

Detective testifies Todd Smith "looked nervous" when speaking with him; judge grants directed verdict for felony murder charge
Posted: Jan 23, 2017 4:02 PM CST

ROCKFORD (WREX) -
The third week of the Todd Smith murder trial began Monday with a Winnebago County Sheriff's Office investigator who testified about his interactions with Smith during the first few days of the investigation.
 
Monday afternoon the defense made a motion for a directed verdict. The judge granted the directed verdict for the felony murder charges but not for the first degree murder charges, meaning that the jury will still decide the first degree murder charges but not the felony murder charges. This means that, in the judge's opinion, the state did not meet the burden of proof for the felony murder charges and therefore the jury will not decide that charge.
 
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« Reply #335 on: January 24, 2017, 09:37:47 PM »

http://www.wrex.com/story/34336556/defense-rests-in-todd-smith-murder-trial-closing-arguments-to-begin-wed-morning

Defense rests in Todd Smith murder trial; closing arguments to begin Wed. morning
Posted: Jan 24, 2017 3:41 PM CST

ROCKFORD (WREX) - Defense attorneys for Todd Smith, the Machesney Park man accused of killing his wife Katrina back in 2012, rested their case Wednesday afternoon. Closing arguments are set to begin Wednesday morning at 9 a.m.

Katrina Smith left her home in October 2012 to run errands and never came back. The next month her husband Todd was arrested and charged with four counts of first degree murder. Prosecutors allege he beat Smith and dumped her body which was later found in the Rock River.

On Monday, the judge granting Todd Smith a partial directed verdict, meaning the jury will only decided his fate when it comes to first degree murder charges, with the judge throwing out the felony murder charges.

Tuesday, the defense continued to make its case, calling witnesses to the stand who had involvement in the domestic battery incident with Guy Gabriel and his wife.
 
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« Reply #336 on: January 25, 2017, 09:40:44 PM »

http://www.rockfordadvocate.com/closing-arguments-begin-in-todd-smith-trial-14046/

Closing arguments begin in Todd Smith trial
January 25, 2017

ROCKFORD – The defense rested Tuesday, after only one full day of presenting its case in the Todd Smith murder trial. Closing arguments begin Wednesday morning.

The defense attempted to cast doubt on state’s allegations that Todd Smith bat his wife Katrina to death with an aluminum softball bat and dumped her in the Rock River south of Rockford back in 2012.
 
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grace-land
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« Reply #337 on: January 25, 2017, 09:44:55 PM »

 

http://www.wrex.com/story/34345677/2017/01/25/jury-begins-deliberations-in-todd-smith-murder-trial

UPDATE: Jury finds Todd Smith guilty of first degree murder
Posted: Jan 25, 2017 1:45 PM CST

ROCKFORD (WREX) - UPDATE: Jury finds Todd Smith guilty for the murder of his wife Katrina Smith.

Closing arguments in the murder trial of Todd Smith, the Machesney Park man accused of killing his wife Katrina in the fall of 2012, took place Wednesday morning.

To a packed courtroom Wednesday morning, the prosecution began their closing arguments by calling Todd Smith "controlling, manipulative, insecure." The state added that the trial is not about Todd, but Katrina, and that all roads lead back to Todd Smith as the killer.

Todd Smith's defense attorneys argued that there are too many unanswered questions in this case. They added that investigators focused on Todd from the beginning and excluded any evidence that did not point to him.

The defense also made claims that investigators on the case made a number of errors when collecting evidence.

The jury began their deliberations around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
 
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« Reply #338 on: January 27, 2017, 11:58:11 PM »

http://www.rockfordadvocate.com/verdict-todd-smith-guilty-of-first-degree-murder-in-wifes-death-14052/

VERDICT: Todd Smith guilty of first-degree murder in wife’s death
January 25, 2017

ROCKFORD – Todd Smith is guilty of killing his wife, 30-year-old Katrina Smith, a jury decided Wednesday, more than four years after her body was found in the Rock River.

Todd Smith, 49, sat solemnly between his lawyers and wept as Judge Fernando Engelsma read the verdict: guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated domestic battery, domestic battery and concealing a homicidal death.
 
Sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m., March 22. Smith could spend the rest of his life in prison.
 
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grace-land
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« Reply #339 on: April 03, 2017, 09:06:14 PM »

According to the "Hearing Summary" below, it seems that the Defendant's Motion/Petition for a new trial has been granted.
The scheduled hearings are listed as follows:
03/22/2017 - 09:00 AM   Defendant's Motion/Petition Granted       
04/04/2017 - 09:00 AM 
05/03/2017 - 09:00 AM 

http://fce.wincoil.us/fullcourtweb/hearingSummary.do?PageNumber=5&Paging=true&PageSize=25&SortOrder=asc&CourtCaseId=181206773&URL=true&TotalRecords=103&SortColumn=startDateTime&

Hearing Summary  2012-CF-0003379  People of the State of Illinois vs. Todd C Smith
 

http://inmates.winnebagosheriff.com/Details/InmateDetails.aspx

Name: SMITH, TODD CHRISTOPHER
 Booking Date: 11/21/2012 4:24:00 PM
 MID: 3241
 Age: 49
 Height: 5' 6''
 Weight: 115
 Race: White
 Eyes: BLU\BLU
 Hair: BROWN
Next Court Date: 04/04/2017 09:00
 Bail Amount: No Bond
Custody Status: Felony Guilty Awaiting Sentencing
 
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