Smith Kenneth Oneil

Mass Murderer

Kenneth O'Neil Smith Jr. and the 2025 Daphne Family Murders

Overview of the Case

Kenneth O'Neil Smith Jr., a 44-year-old resident of Daphne, Alabama, was identified by the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office as the person responsible for killing his wife and their two children before taking his own life in August 2025. The deaths occurred inside the family's home on Sable Court, in a residential subdivision near Milton Jones Road and Alabama State Route 181. The discovery of four members of one family dead inside the house stunned neighbors, school communities and law-enforcement officers throughout Baldwin County. The incident was classified as a triple murder-suicide. Investigators concluded that Smith used a handgun to fatally shoot his 41-year-old wife, Larrica Gaines Smith, and their children, 15-year-old Khristian Smith and 11-year-old Kinsley Smith. Smith then reportedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities recovered the handgun inside the residence and said the available physical, forensic and circumstantial evidence identified Kenneth Smith as the shooter.

The Welfare-Check Call

During the early morning hours of August 14, 2025, a relative who did not live at the residence became concerned about the family and contacted authorities. The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office received the welfare-concern call at approximately 3:20 a.m. Deputies traveled to the Sable Court home and entered the residence to determine whether anyone inside needed assistance. Once inside, deputies discovered Kenneth Smith, Larrica Smith and both children dead from apparent gunshot wounds. There was no indication that an unidentified attacker had entered the house or escaped before officers arrived. The scene instead suggested that the violence had occurred entirely within the family home. Sheriff Anthony Lowery later described the discovery as one of the most tragic cases he had encountered during his law-enforcement career.

The Victims

• Larrica Gaines Smith, age 41 Kenneth Smith's wife. She was found dead from a gunshot wound inside the family residence on Sable Court in Daphne, Alabama, on August 14, 2025.
• Khristian Smith, age 15 The couple's teenage child and a student associated with Daphne High School. Khristian was found fatally shot inside the home on August 14, 2025.
• Kinsley Smith, age 11 The couple's younger child and a student associated with Daphne East Elementary School. Kinsley was found fatally shot inside the residence on August 14, 2025.

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Confirmed Victims: (3)

Larrica Gaines Smith 41 yr old Male

Sheriff Anthony Lowery has identified the shooter as 44 year-old Kenneth O ...