In the early morning hours of March 4, 2020, the quiet of a Danville, Virginia neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Responding to a 911 call, police arrived at the 300 block of Summit Road to find 40-year-old Melvin Wayne Smith in the front yard of his home, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel pronounced him deceased at the scene.
The initial investigation suggested that the shooting was not a random act of violence.
As investigators began to piece together the events of that morning, they quickly identified a person of interest. While the investigation was ongoing, an individual was arrested on unrelated charges the day after the shooting. This individual was later identified as 29-year-old Ladarius Tomas Jeffries of Danville.
In collaboration with the Danville Commonwealth Attorney's Office, the police charged Jeffries with the second-degree murder of Melvin Smith. Jeffries was already being held in the Danville City Jail on a probation violation at the time the murder charge was brought against him. He was held with no bond. The investigation into the death of Melvin Wayne Smith continued as authorities worked to bring the case to a resolution.
