EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — After more than 5 years, Linwood James Smith sat in an El Paso courtroom, standing trial for the homicide of his 21-year-old estranged wife, Kerica Robinson.
A search of his internet history revealed he had looked up ways to cover up the killing.
Now 26, Smith was arrested on June 3, 2020, in connection with the homicide of Robinson. The couple shared an apartment and were going through a divorce.
According to an arrest affidavit, Smith was interrogated by officials before his arrest where he was told by detectives about search terms they found on his phone which included words like: “What happens if police can’t find a missing person,” “shovel,” trash bags,” and “can police trace a bullet to a gun.”
This led to Smith admitting to the shooting, claiming it was an act of self-defense and telling officers where Robinson’s body could be found.
Through a search warrant, officers were able to walk through the unit located at the 1600 block of N. Zaragoza. That’s where they uncovered the body of Robinson, who was inside a storage closet outside on the balcony.
During witness testimony on Wednesday, a since-retired EPPD officer took the stand to walk the jury through 152 photos of the apartment.
From the entryway to the balcony, the scene was unsuspecting until photos began to depict inside the storage.
Photo after photo, items were shown being removed from the room until Robinson’s body could be seen wrapped in black plastic bags.
After that, another officer who was also at the scene was able to detail further evidence showing large amounts of suspected blood in the estranged couple’s bedroom and bathroom that was revealed through BlueStar, a blood reagent used to detect blood traces.
Two other expert witnesses were called, a medical examiner who performed Robinson’s autopsy and a firearm examiner.
Dr. Janice Diaz said after examining Robinson, she determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. Observed stippling suggested the gun was fired at an intermediate distance.
Dr. Diaz’s testimony was followed by Jeffrey Kelly, a forensic scientist at the Texas Department of Public Safety who works with firearms, among some other services, who showed the gun Robinson was allegedly shot with.
The trial is ongoing, and we will update once we learn more.
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