The life of Jessica "Jessie" Smith, a 40-year-old White woman, ended on a Friday night in Princeton, West Virginia. The incident that led to her death began around 9:30 p.m. on February 24, 2023, when the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office and West Virginia State Police responded to reports of a man firing shots at a residence on Maple Acres Road.
When officers arrived, they attempted to make contact with John Norton, a 28-year-old from Virginia.
Norton responded by firing several shots at the officers before barricading himself inside a home. As law enforcement attempted to get him to surrender, they were informed that a woman had been shot. Jessica Smith, who was in a nearby home, had been struck by gunfire in the chest. Officers rendered first aid until a rescue squad arrived. She was transported to Princeton Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead from a single gunshot wound.
With the help of the West Virginia State Police’s Special Response Team, authorities were able to take Norton into custody following the standoff. He was arrested and taken to the Southern Regional Jail. He was initially charged with second-degree murder, eight counts of wanton endangerment, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
John Norton, then 30, of Pounding Mill, Virginia, was later tried for the killing. A Mercer County jury convicted him of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Jessica Smith. Following the guilty verdict, the jury did not recommend mercy, which means Norton is not eligible for parole.
