In Lawton, Oklahoma, on the early morning of January 18, 2020, a 28-year-old U.S. Army soldier named Angel Connor was killed in her apartment near Fort Sill. A native of Cocoa, Florida, Connor had spoken to her mother just hours before her life was tragically cut short in what was described as a domestic dispute. The young woman, who was a mother to a six-year-old son, was found by Lawton police suffering from multiple gunshot wounds after they responded to a call at her residence around 2:30
a.m. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she succumbed to her injuries during emergency surgery.
The immediate investigation into the homicide led to the arrest of another soldier, Richard Smith, who was 23 at the time. Smith was reportedly in a relationship with Angel Connor. According to law enforcement, an altercation between the two escalated, resulting in Connor being beaten in the face before being shot six times. Smith attempted to flee the scene but was apprehended by police and subsequently charged with first-degree murder, domestic abuse, and reckless conduct. The incident stunned Connor's family, who said there were no glaring signs of abuse in the nine-month relationship.
Richard Smith faced trial in Comanche County, where he claimed self-defense, alleging that Angel Connor had punched him and pulled a knife during their argument. However, the evidence presented in court painted a different picture, showing that Smith had retrieved a gun and shot her multiple times, including once in the back of the head. The jury ultimately found Richard Smith guilty of first-degree murder. For his crime, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In the wake of their devastating loss, Angel Connor's family has been vocal about raising awareness of domestic violence, hoping to prevent similar tragedies from befalling others.
