On May 30, 2022, 40-year-old African American male Bobby A. Daniels was fatally shot while cutting grass at a relative’s home on North Sherry Drive in Trotwood, Ohio. Responding officers found him lying in the yard with multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses reported hearing an argument followed by gunfire.
Authorities identified 41-year-old Anthony Edward Smith as a suspect shortly after the incident.
Smith and Daniels reportedly engaged in a verbal altercation that escalated into violence. Smith fled the scene and remained at large for over a year. In August 2023, the FBI offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. On October 19, 2023, Smith was apprehended at a residence on Elmore Street in Trotwood by the Trotwood Police Anti-Crime Unit and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. A woman at the residence was also taken into custody for allegedly aiding a fugitive.
Following his arrest, Smith was indicted on two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault, and two weapons-related charges, including carrying a concealed weapon and having weapons while under disability. He pleaded not guilty, and his bond was set at $1 million.
In a trial concluded in June 2025, a jury acquitted Smith of the murder and felonious assault charges, accepting his defense of self-defense. However, he was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon and having weapons while under disability. Smith was sentenced to three years in prison, receiving credit for 572 days already served.
Bobby Daniels’ family, particularly his sister Toni Daniels, expressed profound grief over his death. Toni described her brother as a good, God-fearing man who was always willing to help others. She emphasized that Daniels did not carry a weapon and posed no threat to anyone. The family continues to seek justice and closure following the trial's outcome.
