In a tragic end to a story of fear and unheeded warnings, Regan Smith, a 31-year-old woman, was shot and killed in her Queens, New York apartment on September 21, 2018. A Staff Sergeant in the Air National Guard, Smith had reached out to the New York Police Department multiple times in the days leading up to her death, reporting acts of vandalism she believed were committed by her ex-boyfriend, Nelson Giron.
Smith had reported her car being keyed and, a week later, her new boyfriend's
vehicle suffering the same damage, along with her apartment door being forcefully banged on. Despite her fears and attributing these acts to Giron, police sources indicated that a lack of eyewitnesses or direct proof hampered their ability to take action against him. This left Smith in a vulnerable position as Giron's behavior apparently escalated.
The situation culminated in the early morning hours of that Friday when Giron, 47, used a key to enter her East Elmhurst apartment. Inside, he found Smith with her new boyfriend, an off-duty police officer named Hewett DePass. A violent struggle ensued, during which Giron managed to seize DePass's firearm. He then shot Smith in the head. In a desperate final act, Smith was able to dial 911, reportedly telling the dispatcher, 'I've been shot by my boyfriend!' before the call dropped.
When police arrived at the locked apartment, they heard more gunshots from within. Upon entering, they discovered a horrific scene. Regan Smith was deceased from gunshot wounds. Hewett DePass was found seriously injured with a gunshot wound and stab wounds. Nelson Giron was also found dead, having turned the gun on himself in a final, violent act. The incident was ultimately ruled a murder-suicide. Giron, it was later revealed, had a criminal history that included arrests for drug-related offenses.
