An Alexandria, Virginia man who admitted to fatally shooting and nearly decapitating his 84-year-old grandfather will go to prison — probably for the rest of his life.
Back in February, 32-year-old Dallas Smith had pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and first-degree use of a firearm in committing a murder.
On Thursday, Smith was sentenced in Alexandria Circuit Court to 103 years in prison — with all but 66 years and 6 months suspended — for the death of his grandfather, Jerry Scott. If Smith’s still alive when released, he’ll have to stay on supervised probation.
Early July 22, Smith broke into Scott’s home in the city’s Lynhaven neighborhood. While the victim was in bed, Smith shot him three times, then attacked him with a bladed weapon, partially decapitating him, authorities said. Scott’s body was found the next day.
Smith was already a convicted felon before the murder and could not legally buy a firearm, prosecutors said, so he purchased and assembled component parts for a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol.
An aunt told investigators that Smith had been living with his grandfather but was kicked out a month earlier, when Scott learned Smith was ordering gun parts and having them shipped there.
Smith was arrested days after the murder. A search of his cellphone turned up such browser searches as “stalking tactics,” “shot placement human body” and “how to clean up blood.” Evidence also led investigators to a storage unit where 9 mm ammo, gun parts and latex gloves were found.
