In the early evening of September 8, 2022, a domestic disturbance on Devonia Avenue in Lexington, Kentucky, escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of 57-year-old Clarence Edward Adams. A White male, Adams found himself in the middle of a heated argument between his daughter and her boyfriend, 32-year-old Steven Smith, with whom Adams resided. The dispute turned violent when Smith reportedly assaulted the woman.
Seeking to protect his daughter, Adams intervened in the altercation.
After Smith brandished a handgun at him, Adams initially backed away to call the police. He then re-entered the home in an attempt to get his daughter and a child out of the residence safely. It was at this moment that Smith fired a 12-gauge shotgun, striking Adams in the chest. When police officers arrived at the home around 6 p.m. in response to a call about a disorder involving a weapon, they found Clarence Adams deceased at the scene from the gunshot wound. He was unarmed at the time of the shooting.
Steven Smith was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with murder, fourth-degree assault related to the domestic violence incident, two counts of wanton endangerment, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. The investigation revealed that both Adams and Smith lived at the same residence. During legal proceedings, a jury convicted Smith of murder in July 2025, although he was acquitted of the assault charge. He now faces a sentence of 35 years in prison for the killing of Clarence Adams.
