In the early morning hours of February 22, 2020, a simmering dispute erupted into deadly violence in the parking lot of Elizabeth's Bar & Restaurant in Bloomfield, Connecticut, claiming the life of 43-year-old Aaron Walker of Windsor. Aaron, a Black male, was fatally shot along with his inseparable adoptive brother and cousin, 42-year-old Franklin Spencer of East Hartford.
The two men were described by family as being like "Frick and Frack," and their sudden deaths sent shockwaves through their community.
The violence that cut their lives short began with an argument inside the restaurant. The confrontation, involving another man, soon spilled out into the parking lot located directly across the street from the Bloomfield Police Department. In the ensuing altercation, both Walker and Spencer were shot. When officers, who heard the gunshots, arrived at the scene around 1 a.m., they found Walker shot in the chest and leg, and Spencer shot twice in the head. Both men were rushed to a nearby hospital, but their injuries proved fatal, and they were pronounced deceased in the emergency room.
In the days following the double homicide, Bloomfield police identified 44-year-old Russell Smith of Windsor as the suspect. An arrest warrant was issued, charging him with two counts of murder. Described as an African American male, Smith was considered armed and dangerous and became the subject of a manhunt. He fled the state and remained at large for over five months before the United States Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force and the Bloomfield Police Department located and apprehended him. He was taken into custody and extradited back to Connecticut to face charges.
Russell Smith's case proceeded to trial, where details of a long-standing feud between him and the two brothers emerged. Smith claimed he acted in self-defense. In August 2024, a jury found Smith guilty of the murder of Franklin Spencer. However, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the murder charge related to Aaron Walker's death, resulting in a mistrial on that count. In October 2024, Smith was sentenced to 50 years in prison for Spencer's murder. In a separate hearing on the same day, Smith pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter in connection with Aaron Walker's death, for which he received a concurrent 20-year prison sentence.
