Russell Lee Smith
Russell Lee Smith (February 6, 1947 – May 24, 1975) was an American spree killer who killed two people and wounded nine others in Dayton, Ohio, United States on May 24, 1975. He also took two women hostage and raped them before committing suicide. Life Smith was born in Bessemer, Alabama, on February 6, 1947. His father was killed in an ore mine accident in 1951, and his mother died less than a year later, leaving him orphaned at the age of 4. His only sister died of a heart attack at the age of 19. When he was 17 years old Smith began to live with his aunt Evelyn Harris in Dayton and in 1968 he married, but his wife Laura later left him and as a result he became despondent and stopped caring for anything. He was arrested repeatedly for drunkenness, armed robbery, auto theft, and attempted breaking and entering, and in 1970 was sentenced to one to ten years at the Mansfield Reformatory after pleading guilty to first degree manslaughter for the killing of a man during a shootout at a Dayton bar. During his time in prison two psychiatrists who had examined him found that he had numerous traits of a sociopathic nature, that he would react violently during extremely stressful situations, and that this would undoubtedly cause trouble in his future. Despite this negative assessment he was placed on probation in July 1971 after 10 months in prison, but continued to receive psychiatric treatment afterwards. According to Evelyn Harris, Smith was an easy-going and soft-spoken person, but was irascible when somebody pushed him. Two weeks prior to the murders he talked with her about the fact that all members of his family had died early, and made her the beneficiary on his life insurance policy, because "nobody knew what's going to happen." Shooting Around midnight on May 24, 1975, Smith and his girlfriend Joan Gatewood drove to a local motorcycle club where he wanted to confront Joseph Picket, whom he suspected of dating Gatewood. When he called Picket outside an argument ensued between the two during which Smith drew a .38-caliber pistol and shot his rival in the chest, or neck. He also wounded Ocie Lee Curry with a shot in the arm when he came outside to see what was going on and then went back to his car in which Gatewood had waited. Apparently because she began to quarrel with him Smith killed Gatewood with a shot in the head and afterwards drove towards St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, shooting and seriously injuring on his way James Bailey in front of a YMCA building. Arriving at the hospital's emergency ramp Smith pushed Gatewood's body out of the car and then drove on the highway towards the suburbs. When he passed the car of George Christopherson he forced him off the road and wounded him by firing twice through the windshield. A few blocks further he chanced upon the Baltozer family who was just entering