On March 1, 2010, Purcell Carson, a 26-year-old man, was tragically killed in a violent encounter in Detroit, Michigan. The incident, which also claimed the life of 26-year-old Monica Botello, unfolded in a home on Glastonbury Road. The grim scene was discovered after a courageous 911 call was made by Botello's 8-year-old daughter, who was hiding in an upstairs bathroom with her younger sister.
The children had been visiting the home, which belonged to Carson's mother, with Botello.
During the visit, two men entered the residence and forced Carson and Botello into the basement. There, both were shot and killed. The 8-year-old girl's call to 911, in which she pleaded for help for her dying mother, brought law enforcement to the scene. Responding officers found Carson deceased and Botello gravely wounded; she later succumbed to her injuries.
The investigation into the double homicide led police to identify two suspects: Derrick Dennard Smith, 42, and a second man, Devi Smith, who is not related to Derrick. Both men had extensive criminal histories. Derrick Smith was apprehended in California several months after the murders. The second suspect, Devi Smith, was also taken into custody.
Both men faced trial for the murders of Purcell Carson and Monica Botello. Derrick Dennard Smith was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of torture, receiving a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Devi Smith's first trial ended in a hung jury, but a subsequent trial resulted in his conviction on charges of first-degree murder, torture, and felony firearm possession. He was also sentenced to life in prison without parole.
