In the quiet city of Cañon City, Colorado, a tragic and violent event unfolded on August 13, 2017, ending the life of 62-year-old Kelly Ray Smith. That day, Smith, a White/Caucasian male, was with his 25-year-old grandson, Zebulon Montgomery, in the parking lot of a local McDonald's.
The moments leading up to the fatal encounter were captured on video surveillance.
After making a purchase at the drive-through, Smith was slowly pulling his truck into a parking space when Montgomery, seated inside the vehicle with him, produced a gun and shot his grandfather in the head. The act of violence was sudden and left no chance for survival.
Following the shooting, law enforcement quickly identified Zebulon Montgomery as the suspect. He was subsequently arrested for the murder of his grandfather. The legal proceedings that followed saw Montgomery ultimately plead guilty to a charge of second-degree murder.
During the sentencing phase of the case, Montgomery's defense attorney pointed to his client's exposure to drugs and alcohol while in utero as a potential factor in his inability to comprehend the consequences of his actions. Despite this, on April 17, 2018, the court sentenced Zebulon Montgomery to 32 years in prison for the murder of his grandfather, Kelly Ray Smith.
