Fort Drum soldier charged with murder, kidnapping while on leave in Delaware

A soldier at Fort Drum was charged by Delaware police with the kidnapping and murder of a woman while he was on leave for the holidays.

Multiple media outlets reported Staff Sgt. Dwight L. Smith, 24, Wilmington, Del., was arrested Tuesday in connection with the Monday death of Marsha Lee, 65. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping.

A story on delawareonline.com linking to an affidavit of the arrest says Smith told officers “that he ‘clicked’ Monday, and decided he ‘wanted to kill somebody.’”

According to the affidavit, Smith hit Mrs. Lee with his red Hummer SUV, then shoved her inside the vehicle against her will. While he first told Mrs. Lee he would take her to a hospital, he instead “bashed her in the head” and “struck her head on a rail several times.”

Mrs. Lee’s body was found naked near railroad tracks underneath an Interstate 95 overpass. According to the affidavit, Smith told officers he took off Mrs. Lee’s clothes to make it “look like something else.” Police said there was no evidence that Mrs. Lee was sexually assaulted.

Wilmington police Master Sgt. Paul Reutter said the second count of murder was added because he allegedly committed the killing during a kidnapping. Smith was arraigned and sent to Young Correctional Institution, Wilmington, where he is being held without bail.

Smith’s father, Dwight Smith Sr., told FOX 29, Philadelphia, that his son suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and hadn’t been himself after being injured in a mortar attack on his squad in Afghanistan. Smith was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries he suffered in the attack.

“I lost my son. He flat-lined twice in that helicopter,” Mr. Smith told Fox 29.

He said he grieved for the Lee family.

“I feel very bad for the life that was taken,” Mr. Smith said.

Mr. Smith told NBC 10, Philadelphia, that his son said to him that he didn’t remember hitting Mrs. Lee or grabbing or dumping her body.

He said he worried that his son would be remembered only for Monday’s murder.

“That just was not him,” the father told FOX 29. “He was an exemplary soldier. He still is a soldier, as far as I’m concerned, until the day that he passes.”

According to Fort Drum’s Public Affairs Office, Smith joined the Army in 2006. After completing training at Fort Sill, Okla., he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., in November 2006. He was then assigned to the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum in September 2011. He was deployed to Iraq from September 2007 to November 2008, and to Afghanistan from May 2010 to April 2011.

In addition to the Purple Heart, Smith’s awards and decorations include the NATO medal, four Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, two Meritorious Unit Commendations, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge and the Carbine and Field Artillery Marksman Qualification Badges.

A Facebook page for Smith says he studied history at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, Huntsville, Ala. The page also lists him as a graduate from Concord High School, Wilmington, Del. A message left Wednesday morning through Facebook for Smith’s wife, Jasmin Smith, was not returned.