Douglas Mark Smith Arrested in 2015 Cheyenne Double Murder Case

AnaffidavitofprobablecausefiledtogetanarrestwarrantforDouglasMarkSmith,68,ontwocountsoffirst-degreemurderforallegedlykillingtwopeopleduringabrazen2015daytimerobberyindowntownCheyennesaysSmithbroketheyearslongcoldcasehimselfbytellinginconsistentstoriesabouthisallegedalibi.

CHEYENNE—AnaffidavitofprobablecausefiledtogetanarrestwarrantforDouglasMarkSmith,68,ontwocountsoffirst-degreemurderforallegedlykillingtwopeopleduringabrazen2015daytimerobberyindowntownCheyennesaysSmithbroketheyearslongcoldcasehimselfbytellinginconsistentstoriesabouthisallegedalibi.SmithwasarrestedonTuesdayinCaliforniaforallegedlyshootingandkillingGeorgeManley,76,andDwightBrockman,67,whilerobbingTheCoinShopindowntownCheyenne.Nopriorarrestshadtakenplaceinthecase.PoliceofficershadtargetedSmithasakeywitnessthroughouttheirinvestigation,butanaffidavitsubmittedwiththearrestwarrantsignedoffbyLaramieCountyCircuitCourtJudgeAntoinetteWilliamsonTuesdayshowsthatinvestigatorshadnarrowedtheirfocustoSmithasasuspectbyMay2023.DuringtwoseparateinterviewsSmithgavetoofficersatthattime,hisstoryaboutwhereandwhathesawonthedayofthemurdershadchangedsignificantly,theaffidavitsays.ThisfollowedontheheelsofotherinconsistentstatementsSmithhadgiventhroughouttheinvestigation.“TheinformationprovidedbySmithdistractedanddivertedCheyennePoliceDepartmentresourcesduringtheearlystagesofthepoliceinvestigation,”PoliceDetectiveJamesPendletonwritesintheaffidavit.TheMysteriousManWithTheNeckTattooItwasSmithwhoinitiallycalled911toreporttheshootingsatTheCoinShop.SmithatthetimetoldpolicethathehadwalkedinonamurdersuspectatthebusinessafterManleyandBrockmanhadbeenkilled,theaffidavitsays.Smithsaidthepersonwas“pilfering”asafelocatedbehindthecounter.Smithsaidthesuspectpointeda.45-caliberhandgunathimandtoldhimtoleavethestore.ItwasthenthatSmithranoutandcalled911.Intheirinvestigation,detectivesdiscoveredSmithhadownedmultiple.45-caliberhandgunsduringhislife,theaffidavitsaid.Smithhadtolddispatchers,“Theyshotpeopleinthere,”butshortlyafterclaimedtoofficersthathehadneverseenBrockman’sbody.Policeanalyzednearbysurveillancecamerascoveringeverydirectionsurroundingtheshop,theaffidavitsays.TherewasnoevidenceofanysuspectotherthanSmithleavingthebusinessatthetimeofthecrime.Smithhadtold911operatorshewouldtrytogetaphotoofthesuspectwhentheyleftthebuildingbutneversawanyoneleavewestboundfromthestore,whichonlyhadoneexit.Nearbywitnesseswhohadheardamuffledgunshotalsosawnooneleavethestoreorrunningfromthearea.Officersarrivedatthesceneshortlyafterandalsosawnosuspectsleavingthescene.“TherewouldhavebeensurveillancevideoorSmith’svisionshowingafleeingsuspectinalldirections,”Pendletonwroteintheaffidavit.Smithlaterpickedoutamanwithalargetattooonhisneckfromasuspectlineupwith97%confidence,accordingtotheaffidavit.Previously,Smithhadnevermentionedthesuspecthavinganykindoftattooonhisneck.Heexplainedawaythisinconsistencyinalate-nightemailsenttoformerDetectiveJohnPedersonfourdaysafterthemurder,wherehespeculatedthatthemanmusthavebeenwearingmakeuptocoverupthetattoowhilecommittingthecrime.Smithalsojumpedtootherconclusionsaboutthesuspect,whohereferredtoas“ourguy,”sayingtheman“hasdonethisinthepast,”theaffidavitsays.Whenaskedabouttheemailin2023,Smithsaidhedidn’tremembersendingit.Duringanin-personinterviewconductedMay9,2023,Smithsaidhewascertainthesuspectwassomeoneelseanddeniedeverlookingatphotolineups,theaffidavitsays.SmithalsooriginallytoldauthoritieshehadseenManleylayingonthegrounddeadwithhishead“againstthecounteroragainstthewestwall”ofthebusiness.However,insubsequentinterviewswithpolicein2023,SmithsaidhehadneverseenManley’shead.Usingcrimescenephotosandotherimagesofthebuilding,officersdeterminedthatbasedonthelocationSmithsaidhewasatintheshopnearitsentrance,hewouldnothavebeenabletoseeManley’shead,theaffidavitsays.TimingDoesn'tAddUpDuringaMay3,2023,phoneinterviewwithinvestigators,Smithsaidhehadbeeninthestoreforaround15-20seconds.However,inhisinitialinterview,SmithtoldPedersonthattwotothreeminuteshadpassedfromthetimeheenteredthestoreuntilhecalled911.InanunpublishedrecountSmithsubmittedtotheWyomingTribuneEaglenewspaper,Smithsaidheonlyobservedthesuspectforthreeseconds.Theaffidavitdoesn’tsaywhenSmithsubmittedthattothenewspaper.Policestudiedtherecordsofphonecallsmadetothebusinessonthemorningofthecrime,andSmithhadclaimedhehadcalledTheCoinShopshortlybeforegoingovertothebusinesstomakesureitwasopen,butthere

The above is the detailed content of Douglas Mark Smith Arrested in 2015 Cheyenne Double Murder Case. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!