In the summer of 2023, the quiet community of Edmond, Oklahoma, was unsettled by the tragic death of Fern Michelle Smith. A woman of 70 years, she was discovered deceased inside her home on Laguna Drive on July 24th. The events that unfolded painted a grim picture of a domestic tragedy that ended in a murder-suicide.
Concern for Fern and her husband, Phillip Smith, first arose when a relative was unable to reach them by phone. This led to a welfare check at their residence.
When officers from the Oklahoma City Police Department arrived, they made the heartbreaking discovery of both Fern and Phillip Smith deceased within the home.
The subsequent investigation by authorities concluded that Fern Smith's death was a homicide. Investigators believe that her husband, Phillip Smith, shot and killed her before taking his own life. As the sole suspect in her death, no arrests were made in the case. The incident left the community to grapple with the sudden and violent loss of a couple who had been a part of their lives.
