“I can say that being notified that they were in Texas certainly added to the evidence we already had to convince us that it was not the homeless person; probable cause existed that it was more than likely their involvement,” Harrison told the Sun. “I think there’s enough evidence to support that this still would have been the outcome.”<doc-sep>A man accused of killing his wife and blaming the fatal stabbing on a panhandler in December exploited Baltimore’s negative reputation and made others fear the homeless community, city officials said. Keith Smith and his daughter, Valeria Smith, were arrested Sunday near the U.S.-Mexico border in Harlingen, Texas, three months after they falsely claimed Jacquelyn Smith was killed by a panhandling duo in Baltimore, officials said. “These individuals took advantage of a situation, a city that is already dealing with its own problems,” Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said, according to FOX45 Baltimore. “We’re looking forward to this cruel act being brought to justice.” MARYLAND WOMAN THOUGHT KILLED BY PANHANDLER WAS ACTUALLY KILLED BY HUSBAND: POLICE Police initially said Jacquelyn Smith, who is Valeria Smith's stepmother, was sitting in the passenger seat of her car in December when she rolled down her window to give a woman who appeared to be holding a baby and a cardboard sign that read, “Please help me feed my baby.” Keith Smith — who later mourned his wife's death on local television alongside his stepdaughter — told officials that a man then approached their vehicle to thank her for her kindness, tried to steal Smith’s wallet that ultimately led to a struggle and him plunging a knife into her chest. The 52-year-old mother’s death caught nationwide attention and prompted a response from Oprah Winfrey, who said at the time of the incident that she will “think twice” before giving panhandlers money. “This story struck my heart. I’ve done this a 1k times,” Winfrey tweeted in December. "But will think twice before ever doing again. To [Jacquelyn Smith’s] family I hope her death gets people ‘woke’ to change!” The father-daughter duo’s alleged sob story of Jacquelyn Smith’s death began to unwind in the following months, and by Sunday, they were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Baltimore police said “the information and evidence points it wasn’t a panhandler,” but did not go into further detail. The family’s alleged lie negatively impacted the homeless community. Some told the Baltimore Sun that the public became more fearful of homeless people since Smith’s death and often refrain from giving money. The story played on the stereotype that the homeless were a violent group of people, Health Care for the Homeless CEO Kevin Lindamood said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “This claim was made and then suddenly there was outright fear of vulnerable people on the street,” Lindamood said. “You turned on any news station and you heard people talking about this news story in a very sensational way.” “It’s never been uncommon for the larger public to stereotype populations living in poverty,” he added. “We find that particularly when it comes to the association between violence and homelessness, it’s just absolutely overblown.” The motive of the fatal stabbing was not released.<doc-sep>The killing of a Baltimore woman took a stunning twist Sunday when her husband and stepdaughter were arrested on murder charges, two months after they claimed a black man panhandling with a woman and a baby stabbed her when she gave them money. Jacquelyn Smith, 54, was stabbed to death just after midnight on Dec. 1 in the Johnson Square neighborhood of East Baltimore, police said. Her husband, Keith Smith, called 911 and later told police that he and his wife, along with his daughter, Valeria Smith, were driving when they saw a woman standing on the side of the road, carrying what looked like a baby wrapped in a blanket. They said she was holding a sign that read, "Help me feed my baby, God Bless." Keith Smith said they pulled over and his wife rolled down the window to hand the woman $10. He told ABC News that he noticed a man standing next to the panhandling woman. But it never crossed his mind that he and his wife were being set up, he said in an interview after the killing. "She was trying to help someone out," Keith Smith told ABC News just days after he said his wife was stabbed in front of him and Valeria Smith, who were out with celebrating her 28th birthday when the tragedy unfolded. However, after a lengthy investigation, Baltimore Police allege it was Keith Smith, along with his daughter, who were responsible for Jacquelyn Smith's murder. The pair was arrested near the U.S.-Mexico border in Harlingen, Texas, and now face charges of first-degree murder, police said at a news conference Sunday. Investigators learned Keith Smith was leaving Maryland and coordinated with the Texas State Police to take him into custody Sunday morning. "We're looking forward to this cruel act being brought to justice," Baltimore Mayor Catherine E. Pugh said. Police would not comment on how they determined Keith and Valeria Smith were responsible for the death, citing an ongoing investigation. Officials would not comment on a possible motive. In an interview with ABC News shortly after his wife's death, Keith Smith described what he told police happened that day and how saddened he was that his wife's life was taken over a few dollars. Jacquelyn Smith, her husband and daughter were driving home when Jacquelyn Smith spotted the woman standing in the drizzling, cold weather and holding what she thought was a baby, according to Keith Smith. The family pulled over to help, Keith Smith said. "As she was handing her the money, the guy came to say 'Thank you,' and the woman was saying 'God bless you. God bless you,'" Smith recalled. "While we're looking at her saying 'God bless you' and my wife was handing her the money, he came over to the car and said 'Thank you' and then he started stabbing my wife and snatched her necklace off and ran." He said the female panhandler reached into the car, grabbed his wife's purse and scurried off into the darkness. "For most people, the last thing you're going to think about is that this person is about to take your life for a few dollars," Keith Smith said. "I think the reality is, we forget about the times that we're living in," he said. "You may have the best intentions on helping this person, but when you let a person get into your safe zone, you're actually opening yourself up to whatever this person has intended for you." Two days after the fatal stabbing, Keith Smith and his daughter returned to the scene of the killing with then Baltimore interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle for a news conference, in which Tuggle asked the public to help investigators identify the two suspects. At the time, Tuggle said it appeared the two panhandlers were working together. "They're using this ruse as panhandlers to get the attention of their would-be victims," Tuggle said at the time. "We also want to caution the public about engaging with panhandlers in recognizing the fact not all of them have honest intent. Not all of them are in real need." Jacquelyn Smith worked as an electrical engineer at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, an Army facility in Aberdeen, Maryland, her husband said. He said he and his wife were members of the Helping Hands Ministries Church in the Baltimore suburb of Churchville, where Jacquelyn's memorial service was held on Dec. 7. ABC News' Amanda Maile contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
A woman whose murder three months ago was blamed on an attack by a panhandler was actually killed by her husband and his daughter, Baltimore police said Sunday. CBS Baltimore reports the husband and stepdaughter of Jacquelyn Smith have been arrested for her death, police said Sunday in a press conference. Mayor Pugh released a statement Sunday saying the city and Baltimore Police Department have learned Jacquelyn Smith was killed by family members, in a "staged brutal killing." Her death drew headline nationwide and prompted some to regard panhandlers with caution. Even Oprah Winfrey, whose early career included several years covering Baltimore news, commented that she would "think twice" about giving to panhandlers after reading about the case, the Associated Press reported. "Like everyone in our city, state and across this nation, we mourned the senseless killing of Jacquelyn Smith. To now learn that family members staged this brutal killing is beyond belief and represents a double tragedy. They were responsible for taking Jacquelyn's life with unconscionable cruelty and contrived to do so in our city under the guise of random violence, exploiting the legitimate fears of our residents. I commend our homicide detectives for their expert and tireless work in bringing those truly responsible to justice in this very troubling and sad case." Keith Smith, Jacquelyn's husband, and Valeria Smith, her stepdaughter, were arrested by Texas state police in Harlingen, near the Mexican border while trying to leave the country, acting Baltimore police commissioner said. Warrants charging them with first-degree murder were issued Sunday, Harrison said. Jacquelyn Smith, 54, an engineer at Aberdeen Proving Ground, was stabbed to death at North Valley and East Chase streets about 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 1, police said. After the news broke that Jacquelyn Smith was murdered, it was her husband who gave a tearful plea on camera. "The last thing I thought they were going to take my wife's life, and so now I got to live with that, I got to live with that every day," He said. But after three months of investigating, Baltimore City Police said it is the husband and his daughter who were responsible all along. Police arrested them in Texas at the U.S.-Mexico border. "We pursued justice from the very beginning and these detectives were very tenacious, were very thorough and very dedicated and they followed the evidence," said acting commissioner Michael Harrison. Smith's husband claimed she was stabbed while she was helping a panhandler. "Snatched her necklace, and before I knew it, the girl snatched the little pocketbook from the seat and they both ran," Keith added. "I jumped out the car to run, but I heard my wife screaming, so I came back to the car." Police had previously said they believe she was giving cash to a woman asking for money to feed her baby, when a man approached the car window, pulled out a knife, stabbed her in the chest, and robbed her. There is no word on when the two suspects will be extradited. Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said she was disappointed that the two suspects had tried to take advantage of the city. "I'm disappointed that the two alleged suspects attempted to take advantage of negative perceptions of our city. I'm grateful for the collaborative efforts of my prosecutors and the Baltimore Police Department in getting to the bottom of a contrived and disturbing tragedy. We look forward to fighting for justice on behalf of Jacquelyn Smith and her family in a court of law," Mosby said.