MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 69-year-old man is in jail, accused of stabbing a man to death and stabbing the man’s girlfriend.
David Smith is charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
Police say it happened Friday night at a home on Hanna Dr. in Raleigh, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the case.
“I saw a lot of police, but I didn’t know what was going on ’cause I just keep to myself,” neighbor Roderick Graham Jr. said. “But I saw a lot of police, so I knew something was wrong.”
The arrest affidavit says police were called to the home around 9:30 p.m., where they found the woman outside and Larry Pace dead in a hallway.
Court records also show Smith confessed, but what they don’t show is a motive.
Many neighbors recognized Smith from his mug shot, saying they often see him walking up and down the street, but say they don’t know him.
“Yea, on the corner here, walking around,” Graham said.
People on the block tell WREG the house where it happened is some sort of group home.
A Google search of the address shows it’s Shelby Residential and Vocational Services (SRVS) – an organization for people with disabilities.
But there’s no sign outside, and people inside refused to talk to us. So, it’s unclear if Smith lived there or how or if he knew the victims.
“We gotta be careful about our surroundings. You never know what triggered it,” Graham said.
According to the arrest affidavit, the woman had to get 15 stitches in her arm, but will be OK.
SRVS released a statement saying, “SRVS does not own, operate or currently support individuals at 3333 Hanna Drive in Raleigh, the property referenced in a recent WREG news story. SRVS has not supported individuals in this location in several years.”
