Kaycha Smith, a 25-year-old woman from Marianna, Florida, was tragically found dead on April 27, 2017. Her body was discovered behind an abandoned produce packing plant north of Marianna. Smith, who was pregnant at the time, had been shot multiple times in the upper torso. The investigation revealed that she had not been at the location for long, suggesting that her body had been dumped there shortly before it was found.
Her vehicle was located miles away at a park within the city limits of Marianna, indicating that the murder likely occurred elsewhere.
The primary suspect in the case was Daimeyon O’Neal, Smith's 22-year-old estranged boyfriend. O’Neal was arrested in Bay County in connection with her death. Witnesses reported that Smith and O’Neal had domestic issues, and Smith had recently filed a restraining order against him. The day before her body was discovered, Smith and O’Neal were overheard arguing about the paternity of her unborn child. O’Neal initially denied having any contact with Smith in the days leading up to her death, but surveillance footage and witness statements contradicted his claims. A silver .38-caliber handgun, believed to be the murder weapon, was recovered from a drainage ditch near O’Neal’s home in Panama City.
Following his arrest, O’Neal was charged with second-degree murder. He entered an open plea to the charge, and on March 22, 2019, he was sentenced to life in prison. The prosecution presented evidence that O’Neal had shot Smith three times and left her body on the edge of a field. The case was prosecuted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Chipley Police Department. Smith's family expressed their grief and anger during the sentencing, with her mother stating that while they did not seek the death penalty, they wanted O’Neal to feel the weight of his actions for the rest of his life.
