On March 27, 2023, at approximately 11:26 p.m., the Elgin Police Department responded to reports of gunfire in the 800 block of South Martin Luther King Boulevard in Elgin, Texas. Upon arrival, officers discovered two individuals with fatal gunshot wounds: 45-year-old Reggie W. Smith and 43-year-old Crystal D. Fitzgerald.
Detectives identified 35-year-old Terrance Wayne Lewis as the primary suspect in the double homicide. Lewis fled the scene immediately after the incident, prompting a search by multiple law enforcement agencies. On March 31, 2023, the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force apprehended Lewis in Austin, Texas. He was subsequently charged with two counts of murder and booked into the Bastrop County Jail.
Reggie W. Smith was born on January 11, 1978, in Taylor, Texas, to parents Jimmie Lee Smith and Ruthie Smith. He grew up in Elgin, attending Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church with his family. Throughout his life, Reggie held various jobs, including positions at the Sheraton Hotel and several restaurants in Austin and Elgin. He was known for his love of family and friends, often spending time visiting loved ones.
Reggie is survived by his children, Treasure Murrell, Eternity Smith, and Reggie Smith Jr.; his mother, Ruthie Shackles; siblings, Nicole Smith Ross (Edward), MisRuthie Martinez, Florence Denise Collins (Derrick), and Ernest Smith; as well as numerous nephews, nieces, relatives, and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Jimmie Lee Smith; sister, Monica Brown; brother, Jimmy Andrew Smith; niece, Destiny Baugh; and longtime friend, Crystal Fitzgerald.
A Home Going Celebration for Reggie was held on April 8, 2023, at Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in Elgin, Texas, with Reverend Byron Green presiding. Inurnment was private.
The tragic deaths of Reggie Smith and Crystal Fitzgerald have deeply affected the Elgin community. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident to ensure justice is served.
