Gayno Gilbert Smith: A Familial Mass Murderer
Background
Gayno Gilbert Smith was born on January 23, 1938, in Keokuk County, Iowa. His early life was marked by instability, moving between Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska following his parents' divorce when he was about 12 years old. Despite academic challenges, he excelled in sports during high school and briefly served in the Marine Corps before receiving a medical discharge. By 1961, Smith was residing with his father and stepmother in Hedrick, Iowa.
Initial Crime
In October 1961, Smith's stepmother, Juanita Smith, went missing under mysterious circumstances. Her disappearance raised concerns, but no immediate evidence linked Smith to her absence. It wasn't until later events unfolded that the truth about her fate came to light.
The McBeth Family Murders
On May 27, 1962, a gruesome tragedy struck the McBeth family in rural Martinsburg, Iowa. Smith, who had been living with his aunt and uncle, Andrew and Dora McBeth, committed a series of brutal murders that shocked the community.
- Andrew McBeth, 51 – Shot and killed in the family's garage.
- Dora McBeth, 41 – Shot and killed alongside her husband in the garage.
- Amos McBeth, 19 – Shot in the face inside the house; succumbed to his injuries after pleading for his life.
- Anna McBeth, 19 – Found dead inside the house.
- Donna Jean Kellogg, 17 – Shot alongside her brother Amos after discovering their parents' bodies.
The sole survivor, 15-year-old
Patsy Lou McBeth, was wounded but managed to escape and seek help from a neighboring farmhouse. Remarkably, Donna Jean's six-month-old infant, Perry, was left unharmed in his crib.
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