Update: Dallas School Teacher Who Murdered Children
Maggie
Mom admits killing 2 sons, officials say
12/30/1999
By Brenda Rodriguez / The Dallas Morning News
RICHARDSON - A schoolteacher was charged with capital murder Wednesday after
admitting to police that she strangled two young sons she had lost to her
ex-husband in a custody battle, officials said.
Damon Winter / DMN Lisa Marie Smith
Lisa Marie Smith, 31, a second-grade teacher at Richardson Heights Elementary,
made oral and written statements to police, authorities said. She was charged
with two counts of capital murder and held on $2 million bail.
At an arraignment, Ms. Smith kept her head down and nodded in agreement when a
judge asked whether she understood the charges.
The Dallas County medical examiner's office issued a preliminary ruling
Wednesday that Ms. Smith's children, 5-year-old William Cody Smith and
3-year-old Tristen Thomas Smith, were strangled.
Richardson police Sgt. Jim Hammond said the boys went for a weeklong visit with
their mother on Sunday. The children opened Christmas presents, went to a movie
and ate pizza with their mother, police said.
"At some point late Sunday night, after putting the children to bed, they were
strangled," Sgt. Hammond said. "We have not yet established a sequence of
events from Sunday night until the fire call Tuesday morning. We're still
piecing all that together.
"She has expressed remorse."
Sgt. Hammond declined to comment on Ms. Smith's motive until the investigation
is complete.
The boys' bodies were found Tuesday by firefighters who arrived to fight a
blaze at Ms. Smith's home. The woman was found in the same room with a slashed
wrist. Fire officials said it appeared that the fire had started in the
kitchen.
"She tampered with the stove, it looks like, in her attempt to commit suicide.
She was going to release natural gas into the house," Sgt. Hammond said.
Court documents related to Ms. Smith's 1997 divorce filing against her
ex-husband, Britain Smith, indicate a two-year custody fight over the boys.
In June 1998, Ms. Smith had custody of the older son, and Mr. Smith of the
youngest son, court records show. But in May 1999, records indicate that Mr.
Smith was starting to seek sole custody of the children.
According to a search warrant affidavit, Richardson police responded to a June
6 call about a "possible suicidal person" at Ms. Smith's home. At that time,
the affidavit said, a doctor advised that Ms. Smith "was suicidal over the loss
of custody of her children."
About a month after police responded to her home, Mr. Smith's attorney alleged
in a motion that Ms. Smith "disparaged the schools and day care and environment
in which the Court has decreed that the children will be living."
He was seeking a court order to prevent his former wife from making further
disparaging remarks about him to the children. The motion also states that Ms.
Smith spoke with one or both of the children and allegedly told them that their
father was mean and was forbidding the children to see their mother.
A judge granted the motion 12 days later, court records show.
On Aug. 6, a judge signed an order granting temporary custody of both children
to Mr. Smith. In addition, Ms. Smith was ordered to make $490 per month in
child support payments to her ex-husband starting July 1.
She was found in contempt of court in October for failing to make any child
support payments.
On Dec. 22, Ms. Smith was told by a judge that starting Jan. 1 she was going to
have to pay $700 per month in child support and arrears to her ex-husband.
Additionally, the judge awarded Mr. Smith a judgment of $560 for therapy and
mediation expenses, court records show.
The judge also finalized the temporary order that granted custody of both
children to their father, court records show.
Lawyers who represented both Mr. and Ms. Smith in custody proceedings refused
to comment Wednesday. Mr. Smith could not be reached to comment.
Richardson school board President Anne Foster said she and other district
officials were shocked by the incident.
"We're really saddened by it," Ms. Foster said Wednesday.
District officials will make counselors available to Richardson schoolchildren
who may be upset by the news, particularly Ms. Smith's second-grade students,
Ms. Foster said.
"I know the district will do everything to support the kids in her class," she
said. "Counselors will do whatever they can to help them when school starts or
even before."
Staff writers Steve McGonigle and Mike Jackson contributed to this report.
Maggie
"A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience."--Doug Larson