Mitchell Allen Smith, a 34-year-old White male from Whiteville, North Carolina, was found dead on September 9, 2019. His body was discovered in the back seat of his vehicle off the roadway in the 14000 block of Swamp Fox Hwy East. Witnesses reported that Smith had an apparent gunshot wound to the chest. The Columbus County Sheriff's Office conducted an exhaustive investigation, which led to the arrest of Lakeithy Gene Keller, a 48-year-old man who lived on Horace Cox Road, Tabor City, at the
time of his arrest.
Keller was charged with the murder of Mitchell Allen Smith. The investigation revealed that Keller and Smith were together on the night of the shooting and drove a route from the Food Lion in Tabor City following Swamp Fox Hwy East. Shortly after they left the Food Lion, residents found Smith's vehicle wrecked in their front yard and called 911. Minutes later, the homeowner called 911 again to report that it appeared the occupant in the vehicle had been shot and the passenger had fled the scene, leaving the passenger door open.
Detectives followed leads, including cell phone records that showed Keller had made a call about a half-mile from the wrecked vehicle. When questioned about the murder, Keller admitted to being in the vehicle and changed his story several times about the events that occurred. Despite the case being based on circumstantial evidence, the thorough investigation by the Columbus County Sheriff's Office resulted in Keller's arrest and subsequent guilty plea.
In March 2023, Keller entered a guilty plea in Columbus County Superior Court and was sentenced to a prison term ranging from 189 to 239 months . The District Attorney, Jon David, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that the defendant was being held accountable for the murder of Mitchell Allen Smith.
