In the early morning hours of November 24, 2019, the quiet of a rural road in Senatobia, Mississippi, was broken by a grim discovery. A passing motorist stumbled upon the bodies of two young men, left in the middle of the road. The victims were identified as 20-year-old Steven Alex Smith, a male, and his friend, Manuel Olives, who was also 20. Both men had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Investigators were initially unclear whether the two were killed at the location where their bodies were found or if they had been slain elsewhere and their bodies subsequently moved. Neighbors in the vicinity reported hearing nothing unusual during the night, adding to the mystery of the brutal crime.
The investigation into the double homicide led authorities to a suspect. Gerdarius Newson, a 19-year-old from the nearby town of Coldwater, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Smith and Olives. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement did not release a motive for the killings. The community was left grappling with the senseless violence that had claimed the lives of two of its young members. Steven, known to some by the nickname '4 Smitty,' was remembered as a happy, caring, and outgoing young man who cherished his family and friends. He was a graduate of Independence High School.
In October 2021, the case reached a resolution in the Tate County Circuit Court. Gerdarius Demond Newson, then 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to serve two consecutive 40-year terms in the Mississippi Department of Corrections, resulting in a total of 80 years of imprisonment. While the legal proceedings brought a conviction, the underlying reason for the tragic deaths of Steven Smith and Manuel Olives was not publicly disclosed, leaving a lingering question for a community still mourning their loss.
