In the early morning hours of June 14, 2019, the life of Arnold Woodrum, a 59-year-old Black male from Boston, Massachusetts, was brought to a violent end. Responding to reports of a shooting at an apartment on Devon Street in Dorchester, police discovered Woodrum suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a local hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries, marking the city's 18th homicide of the year.
The investigation into Woodrum's death led authorities to a
suspect, Lalance Smith, a 29-year-old man from Quincy. Smith was apprehended in Waltham and subsequently charged with murder, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Prosecutors laid out a harrowing narrative of Woodrum's final moments, alleging that the fatal encounter was the result of a robbery gone wrong inside his own apartment. Smith did not act alone; he had a conspirator, 40-year-old Kiniya Lee.
According to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, Lee contacted Woodrum and arranged to come to his apartment. Woodrum had a witness let both Lee and Smith, who was a stranger to him, into the residence. Shortly after their arrival, Lee entered Woodrum's room and began apologizing repeatedly. Smith then followed, brandishing a silver revolver and demanding money and a bag. After Woodrum complied, a struggle ensued, and multiple gunshots rang out. Woodrum attempted to flee but collapsed in a nearby bathroom from gunshot wounds to his chest and back.
Lalance Smith was arraigned and ordered held without bail. His accomplice, Kiniya Lee, later pleaded guilty to one count of firearm-armed robbery and was sentenced to four to six years in state prison. A Suffolk County jury ultimately found Lalance Smith guilty of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and several firearms crimes for his role in the fatal shooting of Arnold Woodrum.
