In the summer of 1988, the life of 38-year-old Barbara Ann Parker Smith was tragically cut short. On July 28, the convenience store clerk was shot and killed during a robbery at the Best Stop in Prescott, Arkansas. The incident shook the community and set in motion an investigation that would lead to the arrest and conviction of her killer.
Witnesses at the scene saw a man, later identified as Kirt Douglas Wainwright, fleeing from the convenience store right after the fatal shot was
fired. One witness, who knew Wainwright personally, positively identified him as the individual leaving the store. This testimony became a crucial piece of evidence in the case against him.
The investigation revealed a possible motive for the crime that went beyond a simple robbery. Just days before the murder, Wainwright had attempted to cash a two-party check at the Best Stop. The store manager had instructed Smith not to accept the check. Wainwright had tried a second time to cash the check, and Smith had again refused. Because Smith knew Wainwright and could have identified him, prosecutors argued that he killed her to avoid being arrested for the robbery.
Despite the defense's argument that there was no gunshot residue found on Wainwright, and that an alleged accomplice had residue on his hand, the circumstantial evidence was compelling. The prosecution successfully argued that Wainwright, either acting alone or with another person, caused Smith's death during the commission of a robbery. Kirt Douglas Wainwright was ultimately convicted of capital murder for the robbery and shooting of Barbara Smith and was sentenced to death.
