Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
A federal grand jury on Thursday added criminal charges against a South Carolina man accused of fatally shooting a New Mexico State Police officer west of Tucumcari last month.
The grand jury returned an indictment on Jaremy Alexander Smith, 33, on charges of carjacking resulting in death, causing death by the discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, kidnapping resulting in death, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm and interstate transport of a stolen vehicle.
If convicted of the charges, Smith faces a mandatory life sentence or a death sentence for the kidnapping charge and any number of years up to life or a death sentence for the carjacking and discharge of a firearm offenses. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
Smith is scheduled to be arraigned on April 18.
About a week after Hare’s death, federal prosecutors filed initial charges of carjacking resulting in death and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Smith also faces 17 criminal counts in South Carolina for the shooting death of paramedic Phonesia Machado-Fore, 52. Smith faces the prospect of life or a death sentence in that state if convicted of the most serious charges.
State charges in New Mexico against Smith are expected at a later date.
According to federal court documents, Smith on March 15 attempted to flag down passing motorists on Interstate 40 in Quay County to assist with a flat tire.
Smith had stolen the vehicle, a BMW, from South Carolina on or about March 13 and drove it to New Mexico before it became disabled. NMSP officer Justin Hare, who resided in Logan, was sent to the scene to help Smith.
Upon Hare’s arrival at 5:04 a.m., Smith approached the passenger side of the patrol vehicle and engaged in a short conversation with Hare. Smith then shot Hare with a 9mm pistol he had stolen from South Carolina.
Afterward, Smith walked to the driver’s side window and shot Hare two more times. Smith entered Hare’s patrol vehicle and drove it west on I-40 before taking the first exit.
After driving some distance, Smith removed Hare from the vehicle near a frontage road and continued driving the patrol unit west before crashing it in Guadalupe County. Hare died of his injuries.
Smith was apprehended two days later in Albuquerque by Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies.