On a late Friday morning, just days after Christmas, the life of 31-year-old Eric Smith Jr. was tragically cut short. The male resident of Seat Pleasant, Maryland, was found outside on December 28, 2018, in the 200 block of 68th Place, suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of emergency responders, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to an ongoing dispute between Smith and two individuals.
Within a few days, authorities tracked the suspects to Delaware, where they had fled after the incident. On the last day of the year, Prince George's County police announced the arrests of 36-year-old Larence Godfrey Jr. and 41-year-old Michelle Godfrey, both from Southeast Washington.
The duo was taken into custody and awaited extradition back to Maryland to face charges for their alleged roles in the death of Eric Smith Jr. Both Larence and Michelle Godfrey were charged with first- and second-degree murder, bringing a swift, if not somber, development to the case as a community mourned the loss of a young man.
