On January 18, 2023, Staff Sgt. Jimmy Lee Smith III, a 24-year-old culinary specialist assigned to the Group Support Battalion of the 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, was found unresponsive on Hammock Lane in Raeford, North Carolina. Emergency medical services pronounced him dead at the scene. The Hoke County Sheriff's Office initiated a homicide investigation into his death.
Smith enlisted in the Army in 2016, serving with the 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, and later with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. In March 2020, he joined the 3rd Special Forces Group's support battalion and deployed to Jordan in 2020 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. His military awards include the Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters and the Army Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters.
On March 17, 2023, authorities charged Staff Sgt. Brandon Allen Amos-Dixon, a 25-year-old culinary specialist assigned to U.S. Army Special Operations Command, with first-degree murder in connection with Smith's death. Amos-Dixon was already in custody in Virginia, facing charges related to a separate incident on January 18, where he allegedly shot into a vehicle occupied by his fiancée, Chelsea Ling Chung, and her child in Spring Lake, North Carolina. Both sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Following a high-speed pursuit, Virginia State Police apprehended Amos-Dixon on January 19.
The Army community expressed profound grief over Smith's death. Col. John D. Bishop, commander of the 3rd Special Forces Group, described Smith as "a tremendous teammate and paratrooper" and "an outstanding culinary specialist." Spc. Roenice Todd, a fellow soldier, remembered Smith as "a mentor, a shoulder to cry on, a comedian at times, but most of all a great friend."
As of now, Amos-Dixon awaits extradition to North Carolina to face the murder charge related to Smith's death. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities seeking to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the tragic events of January 18, 2023.
