Topline: Barbara Smith agreed to leave her home but wanted to make sure her husband had food before an attack killed the couple, their grandson and a family friend.
Published: September 19, 2026 7:04 am ET
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Jared Smith Bracy (via Daphne Police Department)
BAY MINETTE, AL — Friends urged Barbara Smith to leave her Daphne home before her grandson got out of jail, but she wanted to make sure her husband had something to eat first. That account emerged as testimony began September 16 in Jared Smith Bracy’s capital murder trial in the deaths of four people.
According to WKRG’s report from the trial, friends and neighbors described fearing for the Smith family’s safety before the February 22, 2023, killings at the home on Melanie Loop in Daphne’s Lake Forest neighborhood. Smith Bracy is charged with killing his grandparents, Barbara and Leonard Smith; his brother, Jeremy Smith; and family friend Shelia Glover.
Warnings Before the Killings
Witnesses testified that their concerns followed Smith Bracy’s arrest earlier that day on a criminal mischief charge. One witness likened the damage inside the house to destruction caused by an animal.
Glover and other church members urged Barbara Smith to leave before Smith Bracy’s release from jail. According to the testimony, she agreed but first wanted to ensure Leonard had food.
Two friends went to a nearby fast-food drive-through. In the time it took them to get food and return, Barbara and Leonard Smith, Jeremy Smith and Glover had been killed. WKRG described the attack as involving bludgeoning and gunfire.
Jurors See Body Camera Footage
Responding officers’ body camera footage showed jurors the conditions that night, the discovery of the four killings and Smith Bracy’s subsequent arrest near the home’s backyard. Jurors were also shown the T-shirt and shorts he wore the night of his arrest.
In opening statements, prosecutors characterized the killings as cold-blooded. The defense told jurors Smith Bracy had undiagnosed schizophrenia at the time and argued that he should be found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
At the close of WKRG’s September 16 report, the trial was scheduled to continue September 17 with crime scene footage that a prosecutor described as among the worst she had encountered in her career. Prosecutors expected to finish presenting their case early the following week, with the defense’s presentation to follow.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. Help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788 to connect with trained advocates 24/7. Support is free, confidential, and available in over 200 languages. You can also visit thehotline.org for more information and resources.
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Witnesses Urged Grandmother to Leave Before Four Daphne Killings, Jury Hears
Barbara Smith agreed to leave her home but wanted to make sure her husband had food before an attack killed the couple, their grandson and a family friend.
By Silvia Torres
Published: September 19, 2026 7:04 am ET
Jared Smith Bracy (via Daphne Police Department)
BAY MINETTE, AL — Friends urged Barbara Smith to leave her Daphne home before her grandson got out of jail, but she wanted to make sure her husband had something to eat first. That account emerged as testimony began September 16 in Jared Smith Bracy’s capital murder trial in the deaths of four people.
According to WKRG’s report from the trial, friends and neighbors described fearing for the Smith family’s safety before the February 22, 2023, killings at the home on Melanie Loop in Daphne’s Lake Forest neighborhood. Smith Bracy is charged with killing his grandparents, Barbara and Leonard Smith; his brother, Jeremy Smith; and family friend Shelia Glover.
Warnings Before the Killings
Witnesses testified that their concerns followed Smith Bracy’s arrest earlier that day on a criminal mischief charge. One witness likened the damage inside the house to destruction caused by an animal.
Glover and other church members urged Barbara Smith to leave before Smith Bracy’s release from jail. According to the testimony, she agreed but first wanted to ensure Leonard had food.
Two friends went to a nearby fast-food drive-through. In the time it took them to get food and return, Barbara and Leonard Smith, Jeremy Smith and Glover had been killed. WKRG described the attack as involving bludgeoning and gunfire.
Jurors See Body Camera Footage
Responding officers’ body camera footage showed jurors the conditions that night, the discovery of the four killings and Smith Bracy’s subsequent arrest near the home’s backyard. Jurors were also shown the T-shirt and shorts he wore the night of his arrest.
In opening statements, prosecutors characterized the killings as cold-blooded. The defense told jurors Smith Bracy had undiagnosed schizophrenia at the time and argued that he should be found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
At the close of WKRG’s September 16 report, the trial was scheduled to continue September 17 with crime scene footage that a prosecutor described as among the worst she had encountered in her career. Prosecutors expected to finish presenting their case early the following week, with the defense’s presentation to follow.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. Help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788 to connect with trained advocates 24/7. Support is free, confidential, and available in over 200 languages. You can also visit thehotline.org for more information and resources.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Witnesses Urged Grandmother to Leave Before Four Daphne Killings, Jury Hears
Barbara Smith agreed to leave her home but wanted to make sure her husband had food before an attack killed the couple, their grandson and a family friend.
By Silvia Torres
Published: September 19, 2026 7:04 am ET
Jared Smith Bracy (via Daphne Police Department)
BAY MINETTE, AL — Friends urged Barbara Smith to leave her Daphne home before her grandson got out of jail, but she wanted to make sure her husband had something to eat first. That account emerged as testimony began September 16 in Jared Smith Bracy’s capital murder trial in the deaths of four people.
According to WKRG’s report from the trial, friends and neighbors described fearing for the Smith family’s safety before the February 22, 2023, killings at the home on Melanie Loop in Daphne’s Lake Forest neighborhood. Smith Bracy is charged with killing his grandparents, Barbara and Leonard Smith; his brother, Jeremy Smith; and family friend Shelia Glover.
Warnings Before the Killings
Witnesses testified that their concerns followed Smith Bracy’s arrest earlier that day on a criminal mischief charge. One witness likened the damage inside the house to destruction caused by an animal.
Glover and other church members urged Barbara Smith to leave before Smith Bracy’s release from jail. According to the testimony, she agreed but first wanted to ensure Leonard had food.
Two friends went to a nearby fast-food drive-through. In the time it took them to get food and return, Barbara and Leonard Smith, Jeremy Smith and Glover had been killed. WKRG described the attack as involving bludgeoning and gunfire.
Jurors See Body Camera Footage
Responding officers’ body camera footage showed jurors the conditions that night, the discovery of the four killings and Smith Bracy’s subsequent arrest near the home’s backyard. Jurors were also shown the T-shirt and shorts he wore the night of his arrest.
In opening statements, prosecutors characterized the killings as cold-blooded. The defense told jurors Smith Bracy had undiagnosed schizophrenia at the time and argued that he should be found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
At the close of WKRG’s September 16 report, the trial was scheduled to continue September 17 with crime scene footage that a prosecutor described as among the worst she had encountered in her career. Prosecutors expected to finish presenting their case early the following week, with the defense’s presentation to follow.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. Help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788 to connect with trained advocates 24/7. Support is free, confidential, and available in over 200 languages. You can also visit thehotline.org for more information and resources.
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