EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A former Fort Bliss soldier was sentenced to 20 years in state prison and fined $10,000 on Friday, July 25 for murdering his wife, the District Attorney’s Office said.
Linwood Smith, 21 at the time of the crime, was found guilty earlier this week in the 2020 murder of his wife, Kerica Robinson.
On Friday, the same jury found that the crime was committed under the “immediate influence of sudden passion.” Smith then received the maximum sentence of 20 years.
Back in 2020, Robinson’s friend had filed a missing person report with the El Paso Police Department after not being able to get in touch with her for nearly a week, including on her 21st birthday. A police search of the couple’s East El Paso apartment led to the discovery of Robinson’s body in a small storage closet, wrapped in black trash bags under Smith’s military-issued gear. She had been shot in the head, the DA’s Office said.
“We respect the jury’s verdict and we are appreciative of their service over the past two weeks,” District Attorney James Montoya said. “I want to extend my sympathies to the family of Ms. Kerica Robinson, who has been waiting for this trial for nearly 5 years. My office is committed to resolving our oldest cases as swiftly as possible.”
Assistant District Attorneys Samantha Nelson and Jose Garcia represented the State of Texas in the prosecution of this case.
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