In the early morning hours of February 24, 2025, a quiet residential street in Columbia, Maryland, was shattered by the sound of gunshots, leading to the discovery of a tragic domestic homicide. Inside a home in the 6300 block of Red Haven Road, police found the bodies of 78-year-old Jack Dee Stokes and his 65-year-old wife, Barbara Stokes. Both had been fatally shot.
The male victim, Jack Dee Stokes, was discovered on the second floor of the residence with a gunshot wound to the head.
Responding to a report of gunfire around 3:07 a.m., Howard County police officers arrived at the scene and encountered a man with a gun in a vehicle parked outside the residence. This individual was taken into custody without incident. The suspect was later identified as 33-year-old DiAngelo Smith, the grandson of the victims. Authorities have stated that Smith was living with his grandparents at their home at the time of the incident.
Following the grim discovery, DiAngelo Smith was arrested and has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and other related charges. A witness reported seeing Smith point a gun at his grandfather, followed by the sound of a gunshot. That witness then fled the home and heard a second shot. Smith is currently being held without bail at the Howard County Detention Center. While the investigation is ongoing, a motive for the killings has not yet been determined by detectives. Smith later waived his bail review hearing and is awaiting further court proceedings.
