Do you know who killed Antonio Darrelle Smith and Arlene Angela Byrd in 2010?
In the summer of 2010, the life of 26-year-old Antonio Darrelle Smith, known affectionately as 'Butter' to friends and family, was brutally cut short. In his hometown of Salisbury, Maryland, Smith was a well-known and beloved figure, described as having an outgoing and fun-filled personality. The tragic events unfolded in the early morning hours of July 18, 2010.
On the night of July 17, Smith had been out at a party with a friend, 31-year-old Arlene Byrd. They left the gathering and returned to Smith's apartment in the 500 block of Emory Court at approximately 3 a.m. It is there that police believe one or more assailants were lying in wait. Investigators theorize that Smith was the intended target of a carefully planned attack and that Byrd was tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time. The two were accosted and forced into the apartment, where they were tortured for what authorities estimate was a period of up to two hours.
Later that day, around 7:00 p.m., police were called to Smith's residence to perform a welfare check. After receiving no answer, they gained entry with the help of apartment personnel and made a gruesome discovery. Smith and Byrd were found deceased inside, having sustained multiple injuries. An autopsy would later reveal the horrific nature of their deaths; Smith died from asphyxiation, while Byrd succumbed to stab wounds. The medical examiner's report also confirmed that both victims suffered from blunt force trauma, corroborating the police theory that they had been tortured before being killed.
Despite a thorough investigation and numerous interviews, the case grew cold. While several persons of interest were identified over the years, no suspects were ever named, and no arrests have been made in connection with the double homicide. A trail of blood leading from the apartment door down the stairs indicated the violent struggle that had occurred, yet no one reported the commotion to the police at the time. In November 2020, the Maryland State Police reopened the cold case, hoping that advancements in forensic technology could shed new light on the evidence collected a decade earlier. Investigators continue to urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward, while a community still waits for justice for Antonio Smith and Arlene Byrd.
