Man, daughter in staged panhandler killing exploited Baltimore’s issues, homeless community, officials say

Keith Smith, right, and his daughter, Valeria Smith, were arrested Sunday near the U.S.-Mexico border in Harlingen, Texas, in connection with Jacquelyn Smith's death. (Baltimore Police Department)

A man accused of killing his wife and blaming the fatal stabbing on a panhandler in December exploited Baltimore’s negative reputation and made others fear the homeless community, city officials said.

Keith Smith and his daughter, Valeria Smith, were arrested Sunday near the U.S.-Mexico border in Harlingen, Texas, three months after they falsely claimed Jacquelyn Smith was killed by a panhandling duo in Baltimore, officials said.

“These individuals took advantage of a situation, a city that is already dealing with its own problems,” Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said, according to FOX45 Baltimore. “We’re looking forward to this cruel act being brought to justice.”

Jacquelyn Smith, 52, died in December after being stabbed. Her husband and stepdaughter were arrested and charged in her murder. (Baltimore PD)

MARYLAND WOMAN THOUGHT KILLED BY PANHANDLER WAS ACTUALLY KILLED BY HUSBAND: POLICE

Police initially said Jacquelyn Smith, who is Valeria Smith's stepmother, was sitting in the passenger seat of her car in December when she rolled down her window to give a woman who appeared to be holding a baby and a cardboard sign that read, “Please help me feed my baby.” Keith Smith — who later mourned his wife's death on local television alongside his stepdaughter — told officials that a man then approached their vehicle to thank her for her kindness, tried to steal Smith’s wallet that ultimately led to a struggle and him plunging a knife into her chest.

The 52-year-old mother’s death caught nationwide attention and prompted a response from Oprah Winfrey, who said at the time of the incident that she will “think twice” before giving panhandlers money.

“This story struck my heart. I’ve done this a 1k times,” Winfrey tweeted in December. "But will think twice before ever doing again. To [Jacquelyn Smith’s] family I hope her death gets people ‘woke’ to change!”

The father-daughter duo’s alleged sob story of Jacquelyn Smith’s death began to unwind in the following months, and by Sunday, they were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Baltimore police said “the information and evidence points it wasn’t a panhandler,” but did not go into further detail.

The family’s alleged lie negatively impacted the homeless community. Some told the Baltimore Sun that the public became more fearful of homeless people since Smith’s death and often refrain from giving money. The story played on the stereotype that the homeless were a violent group of people, Health Care for the Homeless CEO Kevin Lindamood said.

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“This claim was made and then suddenly there was outright fear of vulnerable people on the street,” Lindamood said. “You turned on any news station and you heard people talking about this news story in a very sensational way.”

“It’s never been uncommon for the larger public to stereotype populations living in poverty,” he added. “We find that particularly when it comes to the association between violence and homelessness, it’s just absolutely overblown.”

The motive of the fatal stabbing was not released.