In the autumn of 2020, a grim discovery was made in a rural area of Baldwin County, Alabama, shattering the peace of the community. On October 9th, the bodies of two men, later identified as Ryan Fraizer and his colleague Joshua Carroll, were found. Both men, contractors from out of state, had been working in the area on restoration projects following the devastation of Hurricane Sally. The nature of their deaths was particularly brutal; preliminary autopsy reports indicated that both Fraizer and Carroll had been shot multiple times in the back and the back of the head, pointing to an execution-style slaying.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly gained momentum, leading authorities across state lines to Pensacola, Florida. It was there that the victims had reportedly met the man who would become the primary suspect in their murders: Antoine Smith. Investigators believe that the fatal encounter likely stemmed from a drug deal gone wrong. A crucial piece of evidence in the early stages of the investigation came from an unexpected source: one of the victim's loyal dogs, found guarding his deceased owner at the crime scene. Information associated with the dog helped law enforcement to swiftly identify the victims, which in turn led them to the suspect.
Within days of the murders, Antoine Smith was apprehended in Mobile, Alabama, following a vehicle pursuit. The car he was driving belonged to one of the victims. Smith, a resident of Pensacola with a lengthy and violent criminal history that included nine prior felony convictions, was charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of Ryan Fraizer and Joshua Carroll. Given the gravity of the charges and his past record, he was held without bond. The case was considered so severe that his bond hearing was presided over by the circuit court judge who would oversee the eventual trial. As the legal proceedings began, the community was left to grapple with the senseless violence that had taken the lives of two men who were simply there to help rebuild.
