In the spring of 2020, a violent incident in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, resulted in the death of 34-year-old Emmanuel Foster, a Black male. On the afternoon of April 24th, at approximately 3 p.m., police responded to reports of gunfire near the intersection of 16th Avenue and Plum Street. Upon their arrival, officers discovered Foster on the ground with apparent gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Another man, 37-year-old Jason Anderson, was also found at the scene with
serious injuries from gunshots and was transported to a local medical center for treatment. The shooting marked the sixth homicide in the city of Pine Bluff for that year. An investigation into the double shooting was launched by the Pine Bluff Police Department.
Following the investigation, authorities arrested two suspects in connection with the deadly shooting. Deric Smith, 33, and Lemiesha Toney, 23, were taken into custody and booked into the Jefferson County Jail. They faced charges of capital murder and first-degree battery. Court records later revealed that Deric Smith was tried and convicted by a jury for the capital murder of Emmanuel Foster and the first-degree battery of Jason Anderson. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder conviction.
